God's ways are different. We went through a devastating loss of a precious life in our family in recent days. But God showed me how He protected a family. This is the family of Noah. I would like to call this family a God-proofed one. Noah obeyed God, and God protected him and his family. I learned one fascinating thing about Noah's family. Bible scholars calculate that it must have taken 75 to 120 years to build the ark that God instructed Noah to build. And till they finished it as a family, God didn't allow the flood. God was determined to keep them inside the ark, which was like a four-storeyed building, with the size of one and a half football fields. God shut their doors, and then came the floods. God has different family stories in the Bible to teach different things. Job was also a righteous man, and he lost one thing after another till he sat on the floor with nothing. Was he different from Noah? God proved that sometimes He selects people like Job to challenge the enemy. He believes them so much that He allows them to go through loss also. Job lost his house, camels, and most importantly his children. God was silent for a long time. We can see Job struggling mentally, physically, and emotionally to cope with the loss. If this is not the test of fire, what is it? But what Job says is, “After He has tested me, I will be like gold.” “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” Hey friend, you know when the gold becomes pure. When it's refined, when it went through fire, the maker's reflection will be mirrored in it. Sometimes God protects our families like Noah by waiting till we enter the ark, shutting it, and keeping us away from destruction. Sometimes God, like in the case of Job, will be silent, making us go through the test of fire. But be proud—you will be an example of God's strength at the end. The enemy will see you becoming more and more powerful with His backup. If you are in Job's path, through the pain stand for God. It is indeed too painful to say, “God gave and God took away,” as Job said. But when God chooses you, He strengthens you to declare as Job declared. He knows our journey. Just like He never left Job, He will never leave us alone in the fire. https://youtu.be/9zHDlobrdZ0?si=g4K1uTYK7SiT31Vz Truth is, when God is silent, too much is happening in the other realm for you. Dear God, thank you for the times You have protected our families like Noah's family. Also, we humble ourselves when You make us go through the test of fire. Hold our feeble hands, Lord. Comfort us in Your loving arms. Be a cloud over us and our families. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

How many of us remember our salvation experience? I remember mine. I was studying my sixth standard, and my parents sent me to a student's camp at Sencottai. It was a small town in Tirunelveli district then. I was happy that my parents allowed me, with my church friends, to attend the meeting. It was like a small refreshing outing with friends. I never knew God was going to touch my life and separate me for Himself in those days. The camp started with vibrant songs. We felt like we were under the wings of the Almighty, covered by His presence. No other thought came to our minds. They taught us about the Good News which has transformative power. We can see Paul writing about the same in Colossians chapter 1 verse 6: “This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God's wonderful grace.” How true is the above verse. How much change it brought to my mind. I was someone who was usually drawn towards worldly music at that young age. But when God touched me, He touched my tongue like how He touched the prophet Isaiah. I separated myself unto Him, devoting myself to get rid of these unclean attractions. God sent not just the Good News. It is Good News which entered my heart like a fire with transformative power. When it touched me and transformed me, how could I hold it within myself alone? I shared the joy with my friends, with whomever I encountered, even though I am an introvert. My close circle would clearly know that I have become more joyful. How is it possible to live a life pleasing to God? When we get salvation, we can pray for it as Paul prayed in verse 9. It says, “So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honour and please the Lord.” Hey friend, when the Good News transformed Saul into Paul, he became unstoppable in sharing, spreading, and preaching the Good News to everyone. In 1 Corinthians chapter 8 verse 17, he says as follows: “If I were doing this on my own initiative, I would deserve payment. But I have no choice, for God has given me this sacred trust.” God is trusting all of us who know what salvation is with the same trust. Let us understand the depth of our calling and do accordingly. Dear God, thank you for the powerful Good News that we have a Saviour in Jesus Christ from the sinful life. We have tasted the transformative power of it. Help us to also live a life that does Your will and grow in You every day in a way that is pleasing unto You. Use us, Lord. Use our generation as well to share Your Good News with the world. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Is Waiting on God Easy? Those who wait know the tough fight they are in right now. The Bible says in Proverbs 13:12: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” I like the Tamil version better here: நெடுங்காலமாய்க் காத்திருக்குதல் இருதயத்தை இளைக்கப்பண்ணும். Yes, waiting makes the heart weary. Waiting is supposed to be filled with praise, but in reality, it is also filled with questions like, "Am I waiting for years because God has forgotten me, or because God is angry with me?"But trust me: when God makes you wait, He is more concerned about you than ever. God is more pleased with you in your waiting. He knows your struggle; He knows how weary it is. And one day, when God reveals to you why He made you wait so long, the answer will be to glorify His name through your waiting. When Hannah waited on God, what happened to her? God gave her Samuel, the prophet of the whole nation of Israel—the nation trembled before him. He was mighty before the people of God. They looked to him to get God's guidance. Many young women waited for the promise of the Messiah's birth to be fulfilled through them. When God chose Mary, He said the words, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you” (Luke 1:28). https://youtube.com/shorts/3zhupRslopM?si=Ndp5MkTyPJT_UrGP Hey, friend—for each of us who are waiting on God for one blessing or another—God is calling us the highly favored ones. And like Mary, we will praise God for remembering us. Most importantly, remember: God is with you in this fight, in this wait. https://youtu.be/JY7ixjP5bzg?si=ixcsjcUeZOMIgI3w Dear God, In our waiting, we confess that we are highly favored, with whom our God's presence is there. Strengthen our weary hearts, dear Lord, and may we never forget that You never forget us. You are the God who remembered Noah in his waiting, the God who remembered Hannah in her waiting. In Jesus' name we thank You, Lord. Amen.

When we were children, whom did we seek when we were hungry? Obviously, it is our mother. They put their care, love, and heart in what they prepare to feed their kids. Mothers take care of the nutrition a child needs. The Bible talks about God raising children by nourishing them with good food. It is in Isaiah chapter 1, verses 2 and 3: “I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against Me; the ox knows its owner and the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know, My people do not consider.” The chapter goes on and on, telling how sad God feels when we go against Him. How can we go against Him? Through backsliding, by sinning against Him. How God nourishes us is with good food—by giving us a good church, fellowship, godly friends, and our daily manna. But Israel, when given everything, rebelled against Him by falling into sin and drifting away from Him. When I work in college, I always want to give the students the best class possible from my end. And when I see some who are mindless of it, when they rebel as they do sometimes, I have really felt sad. And I make sure I correct the rebellious nature in them. Hey friend, it is not only about getting the nutrition that God gives, but it is also about how we respond when receiving that. How grateful are we? How mindful are we in growing up with the nutrition we got? Are we giving the right fruits to God? Is God happy with our lives? God is so loving when He feeds us, but He is also a Father who corrects us. May we, our children, and our generation be found faithful and never a rebellious one against Him. Dear God, give us the love and gratefulness to live a life of truth for You. May we always love You with the fear of God. May we and our generation always bring joy and not sadness unto Your heart. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Isaiah 62:3 says, “You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.” I found this beautiful verse in an unlikely place. Yes, it was a rainy day in November, and the roads were chilling after the cool rain. The breeze was cool around us. I was traveling with my husband on his bike. I was thoroughly surprised when I saw a garbage-collecting vehicle loaded with garbage that had this verse pasted on the left corner of the vehicle. It put a huge smile on my face. How beautiful God’s Word is. How much beauty it adds unto us. The garbage man was busy doing his work, and God’s Word was adding more beauty to the whole thing he was doing. I understood one thing: the work we do on earth may look great or poor in someone’s eyes, but when we are with God, He adds beauty to our soul every day. Even though the garbage man was looking like a poor guy with no standing in society’s eyes, he was a royal diadem in God’s hand. How undeserving we are to receive the abundant love of God. And surely God’s Kingdom is for such people who are humble in the world’s eyes but priceless in God’s eyes. Look at the life of poor Lazarus. He was living a poor life while the rich man was enjoying his luxury. But God decided to comfort him in heaven, whereas the rich man, who never cared about God during his lifetime, ended in hell. This brings me to another person who had a small shoe-repairing space near a popular gold shop in Nanganallur, Chennai. It was a contrast to see his humble space near the glittering golden shop. When we had a talk with him, the passion he had for God was remarkable. God was immensely glorified in this man’s life. He told us that whoever comes and talks to him in a day, he makes sure he talks something about Jesus to them. He showed us the pamphlets he keeps in his place. He talked about the care cells he goes to as a prayer cell leader. How great it is to know that God is building His heavenly Kingdom through people who have very humble standards in the world but are extremely rich and beautiful in God’s sight. Hey friend, how do we treat the poor and humble? Can we see how honourable they are in God’s eyes? The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 1:27: “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” Simply put, the way God looks at people and the way God chooses people is different. It is wonderful to see His great hands and plans at work through humble, simple, and poor hands. Dear God, may we always be poor in spirit, carrying the humility we need to be used to build Your heavenly Kingdom. May we have a heart to honour and look at people through Your eyes. Fill us with Your will, with Your way of seeing things and people around us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. This verse has a lot to tell about God. It says for us, God is the strength. Secondly, it says He is our ever-present help in trouble. Life must have taught us this one lesson: not everyone who says that they will be there for us is good, but only those who stay when we are in trouble are our true people. But people have their limits and cannot be there for us even if they wish to be so. It was a busy morning where roads were chilling after the cool rain that drenched them a few hours back. As it was a Friday, my morning was busy as usual with cleaning, cooking, and getting ready. When I got ready, my husband got an immediate call to be at work. So I told him I would take care of my journey to my workplace. I have a strict rule when it comes to signing in on time because of the work policy in my workplace. I got ready on time, went out to the road, and booked Ola as it was an emergency need. The driver called me and confirmed. Then again, he called me requesting the route. And then again, he called me requesting landmarks. I clearly understood he couldn't pick me up on time. I was beginning to get tensed when he finally called and requested me to cancel the ride. I started to walk towards my workplace, which I couldn’t reach even if I walked for 45 minutes. I couldn’t think much; I couldn’t even think clearly, but I just kept walking. Before I could even say a prayer about it, I saw a woman wearing a similar uniform like mine stopping her bike and looking at me. I couldn’t believe my eyes and was wondering whether she might help. When I went closer, she introduced herself as my colleague from the same campus, and she invited me to ride with her. I quickly said “yes.” Then she started talking, saying she usually crosses that road earlier but today she was late and found me. I was thoroughly surprised at how God extended His helping hand to me through this woman. Isn’t it very true that God orchestrates our life from behind? Isn’t it true that God is an ever-present help in trouble? She was a Christ-loving woman, and she was happy that she helped me, and we both reached our campus on time. Hey friend, you want to know what I learnt from this incident that happened to me? God is watching us every minute of our life. He knows where we travel, where we stay. He knows our moves. He knows our needs even before we express them to Him. He knows when we are tensed and can’t keep our mind clear. He knows, He helps, He calms us. He makes sure that we don’t stand anywhere helpless. He makes sure that we are helped all the time in every little thing. He cares about every tiny detail of our life. Are we not too blessed to have this God as our Father, as our caretaker? Dear Father, thank You for being there for us. We are grateful that we have a Father who is truly our ever-present help in trouble. We love You, dear Lord. Help us to always be reassured that our lives, with its twists and turns, rest in Your hand—the One who cares, watches, and protects us all the time. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

How was the desert experience for the Israelites? They never had a settled life. They were moving, travelling from one place to another. For all their needs they relied on God; they found no other supplier in the desert to satisfy their needs. Naturally, everyday supplies were not available in the desert. It was a season devoid of that. They were living in freedom under the kingship of God. Numerous questions must have been in their minds. The answer for all this lies in Exodus 13 verse 17. It says, when the king of Egypt let the people go, God did not take them by the road that goes up to the coast to Philistia, although it was the shortest way. God thought, I don’t want people to change their minds and return to Egypt when they see that they are going to have a fight. Instead, He led them in a roundabout way through the desert towards the Red Sea. God is someone who sees the big picture. When He allows a path which is devoid of any pleasure or abundance, which is even dry, He has His own reasons to protect us from the slavery of Egypt. The God who is the God in the season of the desert is the God who will also lead us through the season of abundance. When we question the path, we should surrender our thoughts to God who knows everything. The answer lies in His hand. The challenge for us is to trust and hold His hand and face everything that is ahead of us. As in this season He will show up as clouds, as fire, as water, and the wind that breaks through and makes the way through the Red Sea; as the power that destroys the walls of Jericho; as the King of kings who makes us defeat kings; as the provider who gives manna and quail every day. Simply, He will show up as the God who makes the impossible possible. Sounds exciting, right? The path is difficult, but we have the way maker who is going before us. He makes sure we reach the promised land and not go back to the slave land of Egypt. Dear God, thank you for your goodness. We believe in you in all seasons. Thank you for working out miracles after miracles for us in everything. You are our provider and protector. You will bring us to the promised land. We praise you for everything you allow in our lives. May we hold your hand and walk through everything. In Jesus’ name we thank you. Amen.

When in a teaching profession, we can do our work effectively if we have students who love to learn from us. When I did my studies in college, I was always passionate to learn from my professors. The world of literature amazed me. I loved to hold their hand and enjoy that world as they explained each and everything. In life, we feel encouraged and appreciated when someone listens to us. Some used to say you can earn respect and cannot demand it. Here in the Bible, in Exodus 3:18 and 21, God talks with Moses. Moses didn’t want to lead Israel when God gave the call, as he thought they would not listen to him. Such a situation can be really painful—being in a leadership position and not being listened to by anyone. But immediately, God gave him help. He said in verse 18, “ My people will listen to what you say to them.” And in verse 21, God said, “I will make the Egyptians respect you.” After reading it, I understood it is God who makes people listen to us, and people respect us. It is not just about us earning or commanding it from them . When God appoints us with a task, He empowers us; He gives us power over others’ ability to listen or respect us. Hey friend, whatever task is in front of us, when it is He who appointed us for the task, He makes people listen to us or respect us. Take the lead and do not be afraid. May the God of Moses, who calls and equips us, be with us. Dear God, thank you for the authority you give us when you appoint us. We bless your name, Lord. May You strengthen us to do Your will like You strengthened Moses. May we be used by You to bring redemption to many. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

For a few days, God helped me to meditate on this particular passage about Joseph in Genesis chapter 49, verses 22 to 24: “Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a wall; The archers have bitterly grieved him, Shot at him and hated him. But his bow remained in strength, And the arms of his hands were made strong By the hands of the mighty God of Jacob.” Joseph was deeply loved by his father, and the father gave him a multicoloured dress, which added to the envy that his brothers had for him. When I watch old Jesus movies or movies about Moses, Jacob, and Abraham, I used to wonder why it wasn’t so colourful. All of them wore plain-coloured dresses. Later, I came to know that the dye which could add colour to clothes was considered a luxury in those days. They treated it as we treat gold now — simply expensive. The brothers envied the love Joseph received from his father and the vision he received from God. The above-mentioned verses say the archers have bitterly grieved him, shot at him, and hated him. It means they attacked him for no reason. I read about an African man who spent almost a lifetime in prison because of a wrong accusation. Joseph went through prison life, a life of slavery for years together. It was so tough that it grieved him. But the beautiful truth behind all these is the hand of God, which was with him, strengthened him, and made him strong. The Bible says in the story of David, when he lost his wife and his people in a war, he cried bitterly and strengthened himself in the Lord. That is one story. But here, we see God coming to aid, comfort, heal the broken heart, and strengthen Joseph, raising him mightily with His mighty hand. We all know the integrity Joseph showed towards God, and God showed His faithfulness to Joseph. Hey friend, are you experiencing a similar situation where people hate and attack you for the love you receive or for the vision you are believing? The God of Joseph — the one who never leaves, the one who strengthens your arms, the one who is going to raise you with His mighty hands — is with you. Dear God, thank You for Your loving presence, which we long to be in always. Thank You for being a God who strengthens Your chosen, the ones You have called. May Your presence be with us. May Your mighty hand strengthen our arms. We praise You because You will help us rise above every challenging situation we are facing. Be with us, dear Lord. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

“Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase,” says Job 8:7. After Joseph died, a Pharaoh rose up and tried to afflict the children of Israel. As a ruler, all his vision for the children of Israel was giving them a lower life as slaves. What was God's vision for them? God raised Moses, made Pharaoh's daughter to eradicate Pharaoh’s plans with his own hand. Isn't it true and incredibly real when God says, no weapon formed against these shall prosper? Pharaohs around us can have their own plans to put an end to our growth. But God, without their knowledge, works through them to bring us salvation. Literally, Pharaoh raised his own enemy and the leader of God's army. Pharaoh made him learn the Egyptian art of fighting. He wanted a slave but unknowingly raised a prince. Moses fled and was in his uncle Jethro's house. God intervened in the normal life of Moses in an extraordinary way and caught his attention toward His greater plan. When Moses struggled to believe the calling in him, God was envisioning him leading the people out of Israel. Verse 12 says, “And He said, ‘I will certainly be with you, and this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.’” Immediately, we see Moses speaking all of his negative points. Still, as readers or believers, we know the ending. Till today, we see a great nation, Israel, before our eyes. Hey friend, the vision we have for our future, our calling, our family, and our career can never be compared to what God has envisioned for us. When we struggle to find a breakthrough, He is envisioning us giving a breakthrough to many; in Moses' case, it was for the whole nation. Hey friend, are we having a challenging situation in our family? Can we ask God for a heart that trusts Him like a child? Like Abraham, a heart that believed the blessing of a nation coming through him? For our understanding, we may see the blocks, the reasons before us saying that God can, but maybe not through me. No, dear reader, when God chose Moses, it was him only. He is able to finish what He started in us as in Philippians 1:6: “There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.” Dear God, thank you for the vision you have for us, thank you for the hope you have for us. When we see ourselves as slaves, you see us as a thriving nation that you can use to do mighty wonders in the world. Strengthen our faith, dear Lord, we believe everything in our life has a wonderful ending in your hands. Thank you, Lord, for your plans and visions. We trust and commit ourselves to you, Father. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

A man of gratefulness, a man of prayer, a man of vision, a man of humility, and a man passionate about God—all these come to my mind when I think about my dad, Sobitharaj. My dad Sobitharaj lived for 54 beautiful years, and on October 19, 2015, he went to be with the Lord. October 20 was one of the heaviest days I have ever endured. Yesterday, while reading my Bible, God reminded me of him — of how he inspired me to love the Word. I received salvation when I was in the sixth standard, and from that moment, the Bible became the most cherished book of my life. Every detail in it stirred countless questions within me, and my dad was always there to answer them. Those answers were pure revelations from God, not from the internet — for back then, such a thing didn’t even exist. When Pastor Arulraj (from Chennai) once prayed for my dad, he laid his anointed hand upon him and said, “Can we find anyone like this man [Joseph], a man in whom is the Spirit of God?” — Genesis 41:38. My dad truly walked with the Lord. He never had a day without prayer or Bible reading. He never asked me to read the Bible every day — I simply saw his life, and I couldn’t resist following his path out of my own interest and admiration. This Sunday, when my pastor was preaching, he spoke about how God has different angels assigned for different works — like the angels mentioned in the book of Revelation. He said we can, in Jesus’ name, ask such angels to wait before they pour out their assignments upon us. Immediately, a memory of my dad came to mind — one that he had also written in his diary. In that diary entry, he shared this: while writing for the Jesus Calls Ministries, he saw dark clouds approaching. Seeing this, he spoke with authority and said, “I am the servant of the Lord God. I ask you to wait until I finish His work here.” Instantly, the clouds dissolved. He completed his work peacefully and left the place. That story always makes me wonder — amidst all the challenges we face each day, how powerful it would be if we lived with that same understanding of the authority we have in Christ! How great it would be if we refused to drown in the depths of our trials, choosing instead to rise in the strength and authority of God. Hey friend, are you going through grief? A day will come when God will wipe away your tears and bless the sweet memories you have of your dear one. And never forget WE WILL MEET THEM AGAIN Dear God, I pray for everyone who has lost someone in their life. May You comfort them just as You have comforted us. May Your presence be with them. Release them from their burdened hearts, Lord. Let them find a friend, dad, mom, son, or anyone they have lost in You. Only You can understand them and help them heal, Father. We love You, Lord, for Your comforting, ever-loving, everlasting presence. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

These days, when we enter a new company, we receive the things we need to work with. An IT professional receives a proper office space, parking, laptop, ID cards, sometimes uniforms, etc., to call himself or herself an employee of the company. These have become like basic needs for a professional. When God raised Joseph in the government of Pharaoh in Egypt, the Bible says in chapter 41 that he received a signet ring, garments of fine linen, a gold chain, a chariot, and a new name. It can be seen in the following verses Genesis 41:42 "So Pharaoh gave Joseph his signet ring, dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck."Pharaoh made sure no one referred to his past identity from when he was in prison. He gave him a new name. Joseph received a signet ring — it is almost like a person’s signature. Pharaoh gave his ring to Joseph to show all that Joseph now carried Pharaoh’s authority. He gave him fine linen garments, which were worn by royalty in ancient Egypt. We can see royal British women wearing hats at royal gatherings, and men wearing coats. Every kingdom has its own court or royal attire. The linen showed the elevated status Joseph received above ordinary people in the kingdom. Next, we see him receiving a golden chain. For Egyptian rulers, gold represented divine authority. Then a second chariot symbolized military power and public honor.Hey friend, when we receive honor from God, it is something we can’t even imagine to be ours. Joseph firmly believed in the visions God gave him. He believed in the dreams God gave him. Still, I believe this was a dramatic change — how beautifully God orchestrated everything, even the prison time, to lift Joseph according to His plan. Hey friend, whenever I read about Joseph’s prison time, I always remind myself to respect people who are in prison. We don’t know how many innocents are there—some with divine plans and ordination! Hey friend, are you feeling that you are a prisoner of your present situation? When God could do this much for Joseph, who was in prison, how much more could He do for you? Just wait in His hands for His appointed time to raise you to heights you have never imagined. When God raises us, He makes a way so that people around us call us and identify us with a new story. They can no longer see a prisoner but a ruler in Joseph. God changes the past and rewrite the future with a new story, a new identity, new authority, and a new status. Dear God, we thank you for everything you did for Joseph. Lord, you are a promise keeper, a way maker — who could imagine a prisoner becoming a ruler overnight? Your ways are not our ways, Lord. Your plans for us are far greater than we can imagine. May we, like Joseph, remain faithful wherever you place us. May you be with us every minute of the day, just as you were with Joseph.We pray that you fill us with the fear of the Lord that was in Joseph. Dear Holy Spirit, dwell in us and create in us a pure heart that fears you always. May we enjoy complete union with your Spirit. May we always walk in your light and your power. Make us as discerning and wise as Joseph. We know you can raise us just as you raised Joseph. Prison-like situations mean nothing to you, Father. There is always hope for those who trust in your name, dear Lord. We humble ourselves under your mighty hand, which holds all honor and power.In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

It was heavy traffic on a late evening. I was driving my red Nano car on the fully packed Tambaram to Porur road. The car moved inch by inch, and I had to keep my foot on the clutch and brake again and again, which frustrated me. To add to my trouble, my car was stuck in a hole, and I panicked, trying to move it out. With the help of some kind Chennaites, I managed to get it out of the hole and quickly drove towards the church on my left side. I parked my car in front of the CPM church gate. When I saw the Bible verses there, I felt a deep sense of relief. Tears of struggle rolled down my cheeks, but now they were tears of relief, knowing I was in a safe place. When I recalled the incident and shared it with my husband, I told him how grateful I was to God for giving us so many churches in the city. Just the sight of one brings peace to my mind. I always feel comforted when I pass by a church, and I know that beyond all differences, I am welcomed there. I can recall another similar incident when I was in an emergency situation and needed a place to stop. Our family was welcomed into an RC church in Chrompet. I know I can always find shelter in a place that carries the name of Jesus. Another beautiful place in the city—one that stands high above it—is St. Thomas Mount Church, which I used to visit with my husband. It is like a retreat for both of us. The coffee shop run by the sisters serves hot coffee and little snacks. The care they show in raising beautiful plants there is a delight to our eyes. We thoroughly enjoyed the view of the entire city from above. Every time I go there, I thank God for giving His people the mountain to build a house of prayer for Him. I can never forget the tears of joy I shed when I saw the congregation raising their hands and worshipping the Lord by singing the song of Father S. J. Berchmans. St.Th omas church chennai Yesterday, October 12, 2025, was another day when I sang to the Lord with tears of joy. Only my right eye shed tears. It was the day of the long-awaited church opening ceremony. I have numerous testimonies about the building of this church—New Life Worship Center at Pallavaram. Our church, NLAG, began this project two years ago. The vision of our pastor, Mohan, in building this remarkable place of worship is something I still can’t fully comprehend. Our NLAG at Little Mount looks huge from the outside, but from what I’ve seen in my small fellowship of NLAG believers and pastors, we are all simple people with great faith. They have a deep thirst to do something for the Lord with whatever they have. Many families have a hall in their homes dedicated to prayer, which they open for believers to hold meetings. Whatever the Lord gives them, they joyfully give back. I have never seen such cheerful givers—people who challenge their circumstances to do something for the Lord like the members of my big church family. When they declared it open and the worship began, I felt the presence of God filling the whole place. We couldn’t stay idle or talk; all of us were looking at our Father’s face, praising Him for what He had done for us—for building a place that would bless the whole city. Our arms stretched wide in awe of the miracle before our eyes. As I entered, I was singing “Karthar seyal idhu, adhisayam idhu, kaiththatti paadungalen.” It boosted my faith. I know my God can do anything He promises me. I stood in a place that taught me nothing is impossible with God. I stood in a place that helped me look beyond the challenges of my life. When Mrs. Pinto, a strong supporter of this project, took the mic and said, “See, Brother Mohan, God has done it,” I couldn’t stop my tears of gratitude. It was God—it was He who gave His children in this city a place that will be a comfort, a miracle center, a healing center, and a revival center for generations to come. What a glorious God we serve! He uses simple people—their hands, their hearts, their faith—to bless the whole nation. House of Jesus One thing I really loved about yesterday was the way Pastor Chadwick welcomed everyone. He said, “Welcome to the house of Jesus.” Yes, this is a house that tells me I am dearly loved. This is a house that testifies my God can do more for me than I can imagine or ever think of. The things He has in store for me are beyond my wildest imagination. He simply amazes me. What a God I serve. What a God I have. How much help I have in Him! Hey friend, yesterday was another reminder that God has given everyone who belongs to Him a place in the city. It is His house of prayer for all who call upon His name. I can’t even begin to imagine the mighty revival that this city is about to see through this place. Dear God, thank you for your mighty name. Thank you for letting us see the great things you have in store for the whole city. We praise you, Father, for every church you have given in this city. Let your comforting presence be there to guide us, help us, and carry us throughout the days of our lives. May we always be filled with the goodness from your house of prayer. Thank you, Lord, for the house of Jesus. Thank you, Lord, for adding another shelter for your dear children in the city. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

“After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin,” says Hebrews 12:4. Paul asks us to fight against sin till we shed blood to overcome it. If there is one man who died in his fight against the sinful propaganda, it is Charlie Kirk. Many called him the modern-day John the Baptist, and I believe it is true. He founded Turning Point USA, and I have seen his videos filled with respectful debates and conversations with college students. He was a peaceful advocate who confronted the sinful WOKE beliefs, raised his voice against abortion, and encouraged people to value family life. He did not hesitate to call sin by its name. Though he received life-threatening warnings, he continued. In one speech, his wife said that for him it was not just work but a calling. Truly, this was not just a politician but a man of God. He encouraged the church to speak about politics and longed to see sanctification spread over the whole nation. Two days ago, during a tea break in college, I was scrolling through my phone when I saw the news that he had been shot. Shocked, I thought—like Trump, he would survive. But a few scrolls later, I read that the shooting was fatal. He had died. My jaw dropped, my eyes widened, and tears flowed as I struggled to accept that this man was no longer alive. An active young man, a husband, a father of two, and a servant of Christ, who dreamed of revolutionizing his country, was gone. Yet he knew the threats. A pastor once shared that just seven months ago Charlie had called him asking for prayer. Still, he pressed on with his debates, standing firm in faith. When asked in an interview what he wanted to be remembered for, he said quickly, “For being brave and for my faith.” That is exactly how he is remembered. Heaven has welcomed a brave soldier back home. I couldn’t help but wonder—what if we had one Charlie Kirk for our nation? When I came across a YouTuber in our country spreading lies to tarnish his legacy, I felt sorrow. No—we need Christian voices like Charlie in Indian politics too. We need them in our media, and we need them among our youth. As an assistant professor, I see students living carelessly, unconcerned about living a meaningful life. Very few live for Christ. My heart aches to see them idolizing movie stars in politics while no leader like Charlie rises to point them toward Jesus. President Trump clearly said there is no one in USA who can understand the heart of students than Charlie kirk. We need such Charlie for our students too. As all we hear here in the media is misinformation, even about men of God. But I believe that even doing half of what Charlie did in one’s lifetime would be a great accomplishment. Looking back, he achieved much and reached countless people in his short years. Yet my heart still prays: “Lord, raise a Charlie Kirk for our nation.” May people who fight against sin to the point of death be raised. May many who turn hearts back to God be raised. Even now, rallies in Korea, Britain, the USA, and Australia are standing for Charlie’s mission. Many speak of the wonderful life he lived, he is now celebrated as a martyr for Christ in the USA. When a young girl once asked him how she could be a good Christian, he simply replied: “Read your Bible daily and pray every day.” That was his strength. A life of prayer, meditation, and passion for Christ made him stand bold in faith. He lived and died for his faith. Dear reader, what do we bring to the table of God? What do we have for His kingdom? Do we know our calling? Can we speak the truth without disguise? Are we ready to fight the hard battle against sin? May God raise such brave hearts in us. Dear Father, thank You for the life of this legendary man, Charlie Kirk. Comfort his family, Lord. Raise us for Your kingdom like this brave servant. Help each of us know our calling. May we live boldly for the love we have for You. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit, and do the unthinkable even through us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Have you been in a place where you give so much and receive less or nothing in return from some? Recently, I felt the same and went with a heavy heart to God to tell Him that I quit loving the bunch of people who threw away my efforts for them. After saying a sad prayer to God by night, when I often found my mind moving here and there with a burdened heart, I slept. When I woke up, I just wanted to know what God thinks about me. I opened my Bible and saw the following verses: 43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Every time I fight back with God when people hurt me, He wins with His response. How can you argue with someone who loves you in an unimaginable way and expects that you too can do the same? !Humanly speaking, loving someone to this extent is impossible. But I decided to submit again to God. My healing is in Him. My reward is in Him. He Himself is my reward. I understood my work is to run with patience in the path He has laid down for me. Dear God, strengthen our hearts to forgive and keep on moving forward. We have no power in us to show love to people who hurt us. Strengthen us, Lord. We pray that You bless them and us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

“For out of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace,” says John 1:16. It was Sunday afternoon, and my husband was talking about the shame Jesus endured on the cross. He said his heart was so burdened to see what the Son of God, or God Himself, went through to save us. Jesus was 33 when He died on the cross. I told him how cruel the world is to kill a healthy young man by beating. I was thinking, what made Jesus endure this? He came to save His people. But the Israelites couldn’t even recognize the God who was walking with them like a cloud, couldn’t recognize that they were killing the One who parted the Red Sea, who gave them food and water, who was caring for them and choosing them as His treasured possession. Looking back, I told my husband, these people definitely didn’t deserve such a God. Then I understood—even I, or anyone, don’t deserve such a God who loves us no matter what. Finally, I understood: this is because He is the fullness of Love, He is the fullness of Goodness. It is because of Him and Him alone we are saved. What we have in our everyday life—like calling Him our Father, crying out to Him when in need, getting helped and carried by Him in our weakness—it is nothing but His grace. He is doing it out of His fullness, as in John 1:16. We are walking in grace after grace because God is so good and perfect. Hey friend, how privileged we are to have a God who loves us and made us His own children. How privileged we are to have access to go to Him anytime of the day. How privileged we are to have the Holy Spirit with us all the time. Can anyone be more privileged than the Lord’s people? None. I really wish and pray that none of us in this world should leave without knowing the love of our God, our Father. Your love so high ❤️ Dear Father, we love You for loving us and for helping us to walk and grow in grace. Thank You for the gift of salvation. Use us, Lord, and help all of us to reach everyone in this world with the Good News. May we show that we have an ever-loving Father God who loves us eternally. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Have you ever responded to the negative thoughts that come to your mind? The Bible teaches how to handle it when the devil says, "It’s over for you," "You can never get up," "No one can help you out of your situation," "God can’t be trusted to get you out of any bondage," "The dark tricks of the devil will make you live in sin," "Not even the Bible or the Holy Spirit can help you live a life of victory." A similar scenario can be seen in Isaiah 36 and 37, where King Hezekiah and his people were threatened by the servant of the king of Assyria, who was very well known for making nations his slaves. His field commander said words that made everyone lose hope. He said the king couldn’t help them, and God couldn’t help them from becoming slaves of the king of Assyria. And you know how the people reacted to his words? They were quiet: “But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, ‘Do not answer him.’” When the devil slurs negative words at you regarding any situation of yours, there is no need for us to say yes to it. The devil’s literal words were to make people believe his lies. But unlike Eve, who conversed with the devil, these people were smart and wise in being quiet. And soon we can see God answering the devil. I have seen my mother telling this to me: whenever someone, triggered by the devil, speaks against you, don’t reply, so God will act on your behalf. Here we can see the same scenario. When the people were quiet before the insults of the enemy, God took it personally and acted on behalf of them. In the next chapter, chapter 37, God replies as follows, nullifying every claim of the enemy against God’s people: He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with shield or build a siege ramp against it. By the way that he came he will return; he will not enter this city, declares the Lord. I will defend this city and save it, for my sake and for the sake of David my servant! And when you read further, you can learn that God miraculously saved His people. They never ended up as the enemy’s slaves. Hey friend, when negative thoughts come from the enemy, can we send our prayers and praises like how King Hezekiah sent his prayers unto Him? May you clearly know that no devil can make you live a life of failure. God takes everything said against you personally and is protecting you by nullifying every claim that comes from the devil. Prayer: Dear God, thank You for Your powerful words. Help us to know clearly that You are always there for us. You are nullifying the negative words against us—our physical and spiritual life—spoken by the enemy. May we know that we are under Your care to live a life of an overcomer. Thank You, Lord, for answering our enemies. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

God can restore anything that we have lost. How good it is to hear this, right? Jesus’ first miracle at the wedding of Cana is an example of this. This miracle at the wedding brings us joy whenever we read the passage. A miracle always carries the impossible turning into possibilities in it. Jesus turned innumerable impossibilities in people’s lives into possibilities. Just imagine how long it takes people to make wine from grapes. It is not a one-day process. They say it takes 21 days to prepare wine. A similar process can be seen when people try to make traditional plum cake for Christmas—it takes months together to prepare it. Now let’s go back to the wedding scene at Cana. The wine was over at the feast, and people were waiting without knowing it. And we know the usual time to prepare it is 21 days. But Jesus did not need that much time. He just used His word and changed water into wine. This is one of the examples from the Bible of the fulfillment of the word: “God will restore the lost years(time)” (Joel 2:25). Hey friend, are we in a place in life where we have lost victories, opportunities for growth, lost properties, or are tired of waiting for a long time to receive blessings? Jesus does not need years to bring your blessings. He holds the years you lost in His hands. When you have Jesus, nothing is lost. Everything is in Him. Just pray and ask God to restore the lost years, the lost time—whatever God has placed in your heart as lost. Pray about it and witness God restoring it back to you. https://open.spotify.com/track/1AkjWwQg5ayN47CMUP1OVD?si=AnZrL24eTdSjlVDl56BH7w Dear Father, I thank You for this life. Thank You for being with us as a Redeemer. Thank You, Lord, for restoring the lost years and the lost blessings back to our lives. Nothing is impossible for You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

People who truly know God can never forsake the Good News or deny that His is the unconditional love. They will confess that there is no wrong but only goodness in Him. When God came as Jesus into the world, He fulfilled the laws of the Old Testament. In Matthew 5:17, Jesus states, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." When we look at the New Testament, the stern follower of Jesus Christ is Apostle Paul. He is writing a letter to Philemon, which played a crucial role in abolishing slavery in the United States. Paul teaches us the depth of forgiveness we must request from each other. Onesimus is a slave of Philemon, whom scholars say had stolen something from Philemon and escaped from him. But when he met Paul, he was drawn towards Christ. Now Paul urges Philemon to have a totally different view of Onesimus. Paul was deeply respected by Philemon, as he showed him the path of salvation. Now Paul is requesting Philemon not just to forgive, but to accept and love Onesimus. He writes so beautifully in verse 17 like this: "So, if you think of me as your partner, welcome him back just as you would welcome me. If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to my account." Paul’s love is like the love of a father who welcomed back the prodigal son with open arms. When he says he will pay the amount, he shows the character of Jesus Himself. Hey friend, we might be wronged by people, but when they reach us with a changed heart, can we welcome them like how we welcome the people we esteem most? Dear Father, thank you for your love unto us. Thank you for your forgiveness. Help us to love each other, accept each other, and forgive each other when people who wronged us come back to us like Onesimus. Bless us, Lord, with the compassion of Paul. May we know that we bring more pleasure to heaven when we become a reason for someone entering heaven's gate. Forgive us, Father, for the times we have stiffened our hearts. And give us a heart that loves others like how You love them. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

Believers attracting others towards God is ministry. We can see Paul emphasizing that our spiritual gifts like tongues should not be hindering others from coming near us, as they might not be able to understand what it is. In the beginning itself, Paul is emphasizing that. Verse 6 goes like this: Dear brothers and sisters, if I should come to you speaking in an unknown language, how would that help you? Isn't he asking us the right question? What can people understand? It can be seen in verse 1, where he says, Let love be your highest goal. Yes, the language of love can be easily understood by others. Paul gives us an idea to pursue prophecy rather than tongues. What is prophecy? Speaking God's word with the revelation He gives. How is our language? Is it a language of love? Is it filled with God's word? When I heard from some of my students that they don't feel valued when a learned lecturer talks to them in a certain way, I could see how much harm our words can do to others when they are not filled with God's word. Not filled with His love. Dear God, help us to speak to others in a language they can understand. Let them feel loved. Dear Holy Spirit God, remind us and take control of our tongue and use it to heal others and not to hurt others. We submit ourselves into Your precious hand. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

When I was in my school days, I remember us visiting a family friend named Divya in Chennai during summer holidays. She took me to meet a friend of hers who was so lovely. She was a pastor's daughter. We went to her house. Her face was so bright, and though she was young, she showed hospitality like she was excellent at it. She welcomed us, and she let us go only after we said yes and drank the rose milk she gave. We were thoroughly touched by her smile and by her heart that was ready to serve. Yes, hospitality can move people. Can it move God? Let's see.. When we read Genesis 18, we can see Abraham recognizing the three heavenly men and welcoming them into his tent. He repeatedly asked them to stay and dine at his house. One thing we should note is that it was the hottest time of the day. Women know how difficult it is to stay in the kitchen and do hard work and suffer the heat while preparing food in the summertime. Abraham never thought about receiving guests at such a time. His mind was completely focused on welcoming them. God is surely touched by his hospitality. In verse 2, we can see him bowing down with his face touching the ground. In verse 3, he said, "Sirs, please do not pass by my home without stopping. I am here to serve you." Then in verse 5, he said, "You have honoured me by coming into my house, so let me serve you." We can see him repeatedly saying that he is willing to serve them. Then quickly, we see him on his toes to hurry the preparation of food. Verse 6 says, Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, "Quick, take a sack of your best flour and bake some bread." He then urged the servant to prepare the calf too. After this incident, God talked with Abraham and Sarah about the miracle they were going to receive soon. Then, if we continue reading, what we see next is God revealing His plans for Abraham's future generation, and we can also see Abraham interceding with God. God watches all our moves. He delights in us when we welcome Him into our home. He delights to have fellowship with us. He is willing to reveal the plans He has for us and our generation. He is ready to listen to us interceding for people. Similar to this, before giving the blessing, we can see Isaac asking his son Esau to cook for him. God doesn't rely on food to bless, but serving Him and doing His will brings us His favor. This can be seen in the life story of Cain and Abel too. God saw their heart, willing to honour Him with their whole heart. Hey friend, do you have an opportunity to serve God? It is an opportunity to honour Him with what we have got. Are we able to understand the power of having a ready heart to welcome Him and be willing to serve Him? Dear God, we welcome You into our house to visit us like how You came and visited Abraham. Be with us, Father. Hear our pleas and reveal Your plan for us. We are ready to serve You, Lord, with the best we have got. Give us Your visitation that will end our waiting. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Ephesians 3: 18 to 21 I was not able to relate myself very well with Psalms for a long time, as I thought David is a king, but he always talks about the struggles and shame he faced from people. Another thing is, I have seen people memorizing Psalm 119. I have seen people adoring it. But for me, Psalm 119 felt like verses that were being repeated—concepts that were being repeated. But very recently, when I learned about the backstory of David (this info is in the reference book named The Book of Jasher), my views on David's psalm changed. His life revolved around some ill rumours from his birth itself. From his birth, his father renounced him as his own. He grew up without being completely accepted by his father. He says, “Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me” in Psalm 27:10. Though he was born to his own father and mother, they rejected him. David endured isolation and lived in an unappreciated environment in his own family. We cannot see his presence with his other brothers when Samuel came to search for the king God wanted to anoint from the family of Jesse. He was sent to shepherd the sheep, while all his brothers took the invitation that was given to the Jesse family by Samuel. But God had a totally different view on David. When Samuel understood that one son was yet to come to the feast, while every other son was present and God chose none of them, he made everyone wait for him. I believe this was the first time they waited for David as a family to join them. When people rejected David, God brought a time when they all had to wait for him. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.” Whenever I read about God and this quality of His—where He looks for lowly people, the rejected ones, to raise and give them a throne—I completely adore the beauty of His generous heart that judges people differently. God, who is extremely rich, great in honour, and filled with glory, goes in search of people who are poor in spirit and stands with them to raise them high. Now how can we question David dancing before God? How can any man not love a God who loves him, raises him up when the world looks at him like dust? How can he not praise God's word and His presence, as he has tasted His love in a very special way? He understood how much God loves him. How would it be when we understand the depth, height, and breadth of God's love? 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. 20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:18–21) Dear God, Thank you for your love. We adore you for the special way you choose people. Love you, Lord, for loving us in a very special way. Help us, dear Lord, to understand your heart and love you like how David loved you and your testimonies, commandments, words, judgements, precepts, and statutes. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

We all need favour in the eyes of the Lord and in the eyes of people. But we should also know that we cannot earn favour by our own efforts. When we try to end up pleasing people and do things to earn their favour, it will end up in disaster. This can be learnt from the life of Abraham. Abram wanted to be treated well by the king of Egypt. He didn't use a straight way to earn the goodwill of the king. He used his wife Sarai to gain favour from the king and the people of Egypt. Abram did this when he found himself in a stressful situation. It can be seen in the following verses: Genesis 12:11–13: As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.” Just before he set out for Egypt, God talked to him, saying: “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Isn't it such a big blessing? God's word to Abraham was that nations would be blessed through him. But immediately when he went to an unknown nation, fear overpowered him, and he started to devise his own plan to get the favour of the people in the land. The ending was a disaster. He ended up hurting the people around him. The king and his family were hurt. Things went back to normal only when God involved Himself again in the situation. Hey friend, Abram was a person who received a great promise from the Lord. But when he faced unknown people and an unfamiliar situation, he couldn't stand on the promise of God. Instead, he relied on his own wisdom to get favour from those around him. Abraham and Sarai lost their good name with the Egyptian king. When we are in a situation where we need people's favour, all we need to do is not run behind people but remain steadfast in holding on to the promises of God and patiently wait for Him to intervene. Our own efforts will get us tangled in unnecessary situations, whereas involving God will help us progress safely towards His promises. Dear God, Forgive us for the times we relied on people to earn favour. May we rest in You and receive favour from You at the right time. May we learn to trust You in tough situations. May we not fear people and make a series of mistakes in a rush. Protect us, dear Lord. May our steps be guided by you In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

I hope all of us will agree that one of our favourite Sunday class stories is the life story of Noah. When we read chapter 6 in Genesis, verse 5 goes like this: When the Lord saw how wicked everyone on earth was and how evil their thoughts were all the time, He was sorry that He had ever made them and put them on earth. He was so filled with regret that He said, “I will wipe out these people I have created, and also the animals and the birds, because I am sorry that I made any of them.” But the Lord was pleased with Noah. On one side, there is a whole lot of people who gave regret to the Lord. Immediately, when God turned His face towards Noah, He couldn't resist Himself from giving a plan to save the next generation. How are we? When God looks at us, can He give us the same certificate—that He is pleased to the extent that even if the whole world is against Him, He finds us pleasing unto Him? Followed in the story is the great redemption of Noah's family and the animals. Our God can still redeem people. But are we ready to be used? Are we like Noah? Can we be His vessel of salvation? Dear God, may we bring joy to your heart. May we carry your plan of redemption to the generation we live in. May Your favour rest on us. Use us dear Lord. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

More than us singing and listening to sermons at church, our living aligned with God's word is important, said our pastor. And in the middle of the service, we saw ourselves going into a kneel-down position to rededicate our lives to live according to God's standard. It left a profound impact on everyone who came to church that day. We are living in times where we are told that rising and falling is totally fine and that it is a normalcy in Christian life. Of course, we are humans who are prone to make mistakes. But does that understanding make us fall again and again? Do we have a standard for ourselves up to which we want to live? Or do we easily leave our spiritual standards when things get tough? Is stress our reason to fall into every ugly pit that we come across? Are we becoming comfortable with this rising and falling culture—being one with the pig for some time, then being one with the Holy Spirit? In Amos chapter 5, we can see how God feels about us when we lower and upgrade our standards often. Verse 21 goes like this: “The Lord says, I hate your religious festivals; I cannot stand them! When you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; I will not accept the animals you have fattened to bring me as offerings. Stop your noisy songs; I do not want to listen to your harps. Instead, let justice flow like a stream, and righteousness like a river that never goes dry.” Here in the above verse, God expects us to have righteousness that never dries up in us. Being righteous is the opposite of being sinful. Regret is important to change, but that alone cannot bring a change of heart. Only God's word can change us. To have righteousness that cannot dry up, we need a heart that is not drained of receiving God's word. Hey friend, how ready are you to face the world? How ready are you to overcome the challenges that the enemy is going to aim at you? Is your heart filled with God's word, which is the power in us to defeat the enemy? Hey friend, I want you to pose a question to yourself, as this helped me a lot. Whenever you see an ugly pit, ask yourself whether this ugly thing is more valuable than the blood and love of Jesus. Every small victory counts. Arresting every small habit that leads to the fall is a big victory. Take charge, my friend. Dear Father, we rededicate our lives into your hands. Strengthen us, Lord. Let us grow your words in us to have righteousness that never dries up in us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

I was thoroughly touched when I read about Leah, the first wife of Jacob. She was a woman whom the Bible refers to as less loved by her husband. What a nightmare it could be. But thankfully, Leah was a woman who was generously loved by the Lord God. And Leah understood that the Lord sees her, hears her. It can be seen in verse 31 of chapter 29. The most striking verse is in verse 33. It says, “The Lord has given me this son also, because He heard that I was not loved.” Yes, my friend, you have read it right. God hears what is happening in our life. Leah understood that God heard the talks around her — they reached the ears of God. Isn’t it comforting to hear that God knows, sees, and hears everything we go through? Hey friend, sometimes we are surprised to hear people’s little talks about us. But nothing is a surprise to God. He knows how anyone labels us, thinks about us — He hears everything. Leah took a long time to understand this loving God who was after her heart. She was after her husband's complete attention and love for a long time without realising God's love for her. Are we after people? Are we occupied with thinking about what others think of us? Are we waiting and wasting our love and time trying to get approval from others? May God help us to love Him back with the love He deserves from us. May we pray to grow in such grace — to love Him more and more. Dear God, Thank You for Your unfailing, remarkable love towards us. May we abide in Your love always, and may we grow in our love for You — the One who loves us beyond measure. Give us the grace, Lord, to grow in love with You. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

I Corinthians 1 :8,9 How great it is to have a companionship like the Holy Spirit, who teaches us, warns us of dangers, protects us, and comforts us with His calm presence. On the other hand, we have someone who is the opposite—who will always blame us. None of us would like to live in an environment where people blame us. We all know that whenever we are attacked with blaming as a weapon by the enemy, the battlefield is always our mind. I Corinthians chapter 1, verse 8 goes like this: He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus returns. We always have help in Jesus. The Bible affirms that He is able to keep us strong and, at the end, blameless. Whenever we are blamed wrongly, we feel helpless, worried, and confused. But we always have a Shepherd who can lead us into still waters, who carries us and keeps us safe with His life. Yes, you heard it right. To keep us blameless, our God shed His blood. None can be as fierce as Him to protect us from any blame. The Lamb of God protects us with His blood. He promises His strength for us in times of difficulty. The next verse confirms this. Verse 9 says: God will do this, for He is faithful to do what He says, and He has invited you into partnership with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. When Jesus is our partner, our friend, our comfort, our shelter—nothing, no blame, can stand before us. Hey friend, Be of Good courage with Jesus we can face and overcome anything. Dear God, thank You for Your love, care, and protection. You have always been faithful to us, Father. Thank You for being there whenever we were blamed wrongly. Thank You for fighting for us, to keep us strong and, at the end, blameless. In Jesus’ name, we thank You, dear Lord. Amen.

Way to fearless living 2 Kings 6 talks about how a man of God works with God to protect the nation of God, Israel. God protects Israel,His Nation like the apple of His eye. We are His nation now. The same protection of God is for us. When you read 2 kings 6 you can see the enemy planned to siege the nation of God with various plans to keep the troops in certain places, all his plans were thwarted as God revealed every military plan of attack to Elisha, who in turn informed the king. The enemy’s army was thoroughly confused as every discussion they had in their official meeting was leaked. He was clueless until someone told him about the God of Elisha, who reveals every secret to His servant. What a great God we serve! He is interested in our life, our job, our home—to be completely protected. He protects us from what is being planned behind us. As God’s children, we are happy to know that we have two angels that God has kept for us. But here, when God’s servant was in danger, He sent an army to protect him. It can be seen in verse 17: The Lord opened the young man’s (Elisha's servant’s) eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. When faced with danger, how are we? Are we like the servant of Elisha who is afraid, or are we like the servant of God who is fearless in the face of the army of the world? Finally, when God gave the enemies into the hands of Elisha, what did he do? Did he seek revenge? No. He gave them good food and sent them away to their master. When the God of Elisha reveals the plans against us, can we be like the servant of God? Dear God, Give us a bold heart that completely abides under the wings of Your protection. May we not have even a slight fear of the enemy or his plans. May we stay assured that the God of Elisha is surrounding us with the army of fire. When we are afraid, open our eyes, dear Lord. Shape us as brave in heart. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

It is mind-blowing to meditate on Jesus' love for us. In Exodus 7, God instructs Moses and Aaron as follows. In verse 9, He says, "When Pharaoh says to you, 'Perform a miracle,' then say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,' and it will become a snake." In the end, we can see the snake that came alive because of God's word and swallowed the other two snakes that came through secret art. The snake became word again—it became a staff in Aaron's hand as told by God's word, after swallowing the two snakes that had poison in them. The snake from Aaron's hand didn't become more vicious, even after engulfing the poisons of the snakes that came through Egyptian witchcraft. In the same way, Jesus defeated Satan on the cross, carrying the sins of the world. Though He carried their sin, were the people grateful? Regretfully, the answer is no. They scorned and despised Him; they rejected Him. Matthew 27:41–43 (NIV) “In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. ‘He saved others,’ they said, ‘but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.’” Matthew 27:39–40 (NIV) “Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, ‘You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!’” Now, Satan thought Jesus would curse the people and die—like the word in the book of Job, where, in the height of trouble and pain, Job's wife asked him to curse God and die. But Jesus, at the height of His pain, said, "Forgive them, Lord, they do not know what they are doing." With this word of love—with this powerful word—Satan got the last blow of defeat. The darkness, poison, sins, and pain he brought over the lives of people became powerless. He never hated the humans but loved them on the cross and asked the Father to forgive their sins. In contrast to the victory of Jesus against Satan and his tricks, we have Eve here. When Satan became an enemy of God after falling from heaven, he thought there was no one else to replace him in singing for God. But God took the dust and made man to sing for Him, to worship Him. Satan poisoned man with evil thoughts. He told Eve that she could become like God when she ate the forbidden fruit. Poor Eve—looks like she didn't know that she was already made in the image of God. But she naively believed the lies and fell again from the presence of God, like how Satan fell once. Hey friend, how careful are we in not believing the lies of Satan that lure us into sinning against God? Can we hold our mouths from cursing people? Can we hold our minds from reaching out for forbidden fruits of the world? Every excuse that the enemy gives us is a lie. So how can we avoid falling into his lies? Make yourself girded with truth. Fight his lies with God's truth. Learn how Jesus won against Satan with God's word, which is the truth, a way to live. Dear God, thank You for Your Word and the power You have given to Your Word. May we live according to it. May we know the lies of Satan and never fall for any of them. Give us a vigilant heart that discerns and keeps away from anything unholy. May we live as Your children, as the epistles many read. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Have you been surprised by God? God heals us in a different way. When a person spurred on spreading rumours, I went and asked God for an answer. I was reading Romans 1 and 2. In Romans 1, it is written that God let some do things that they can never do. So what is such a thing? The verse goes like this: “Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarrelling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.” The last word GOSSIP was a total surprise to me. I took the same issue to God, and God really showed me that He has already written about it in His words. I understood that God is very serious about us not indulging in gossip. So I was waiting for God to say that He will stop it, or that He will do something to the person who spread gossip against me like wildfire. But God, in His way, surprised me. He asked me to continue reading the second chapter and asked me to remember how much grace He has shown unto me—and I have to do the same to the person who is speaking tirelessly against me. It is in the verse: “Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you?” The verse continues, saying He will judge everyone according to what they have done. He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. When I read God’s Word, He turned the focus on me, asking me to press forward in doing good—be patient, kind, and tolerant, as God is to me. And He showed me how pearls are made. Whenever an oyster produces a pearl, it is not because it is completely protected. It is because it is getting attacked, gets wounds, and receives healing. When God wants us to be like a precious oyster that produces more precious pearls, there is no other way but to endure the hurts, the wounds, and allow God to heal—and let a pearl form in us. Dear God, we submit everything we go through into Your hands that heal us. Heal us, Lord, and may we produce pearls of great worth for You, our Master. Help us to forgive others as You have forgiven us. We submit our complete will into Your hands. Keep us as the apple of Your eye, Lord. Hold our hands, dear Shepherd, and lead us to the gentle stream, to the still waters. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Today, when my husband read Psalm 119:72, which says, "The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold," he laughed and shared an interesting story that came to his mind after reading it. Unlike me, who loves to read and meditate on Bible verses for a long time, he is a person who memorizes and recites them while driving his bike—which I adore a lot. After reading these beautiful words today, he said he remembered a time when he found himself searching for the gold bracelet on his hand while sleeping. But the psalmist here says that for him, God's law is more precious than much gold or silver. How much David must have loved, cherished, and protected the Word of God in his heart! Do we have this habit of meditating on God's Word day and night? I received salvation at the age of twelve. I remember attaching myself so much to the Word of God then. I call it my first love. I remember using all the beautiful shiny stickers and flower stickers to paste at the beginning of every book in the Bible. I remember kissing the Bible often. How great it would be if the love we have for God's Word is kindled again! Dear God, we pray unto You, seeking to be blessed with the love that King David had for Your laws. May Your words be our meditation day and night. When we wake up at night, may our minds go to it. Fill us with Your precious words, Lord. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Devotion from the last chapters of the book of Acts Have you been with people who are not for you—who want you to be in chains? Paul was with such people. After multiple trials before kings because of the false accusations of the Jews against him, he appealed to Caesar. He wanted to be on trial before Caesar so that he could escape the cunning accusations of the Jews who hated him. To meet Caesar, he was sailing with the guards. More than two hundred people were travelling with him. He warned them not to take the voyage, as destruction lay ahead. The officials failed to listen to him but trusted the words of the captain and began the sailing. As Paul prophesied, a storm came. But Paul reacted in a godly way when these people lost hope. He encouraged them and told them that God had revealed to him that they all would survive. I was thoroughly impressed by this beautiful, godly character of Paul. Firstly, they didn't listen to him. They acted as if his words didn’t matter to them. But Paul prayed for them to God, and the angel told him that God spared everybody’s life for his sake. It can be seen in the following verse from chapter 27: “Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’” Do we have this attitude of Paul when we are with people who ignore us—people who act as if our opinions don't matter? When such people are in a difficult situation, can we encourage them? Are we willing to revive their spirit? More than all, are we willing to pray for their well-being and their safety? How humble Paul must have been to show such compassion to his fellow travelers of the voyage. Selflessness of Paul. In a very similar way, when the ship landed safely, he met the Malta islanders. They thought he was cursed when a snake bit his hand, but later they thought he was a god when he remained unharmed. The following verse says they brought sick people to him so that he could pray. 9 Then all the other sick people on the island came and were healed.He prayed for their healing, and God healed them. Paul was completely selfless and was not focused on his own needs. He was interested in bringing Christ to others, no matter what they thought of him. We can see him loving, forgiving, praying for his enemies, and doing good for his enemies in the chapters of Acts. Simply, he lived his life by applying what Jesus said. May God give us such grace to testify to everyone—even before people who are not fond of us. Dear Father, We come into your presence. Bless us with hearts that can extend help to our enemies when they are in need. Bless us with wisdom like Paul—to humble ourselves in places and before people, to present your Gospel. Use us, dear Lord, to bring healing and transformation to many, and draw them closer to you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

May I be a place in which you love to dwell Lord God is someone who created everything in the world. And isn't it amazing to call a city His own? And a nation His own? Psalm 48 beautifully talks about the city of God and how God protects her. Verses 12 and 13 go like this: People of God, walk around Zion and count the towers. Take notice of the walls and examine the fortresses, so that you may tell the next generation: "This God is our God forever and ever; He will lead us for all time to come." God is someone who protects the city He calls His own. Jerusalem is God's city. What is so special about it? It is the center of worship—where He built His temple. And now, we are the temple in the New Testament days. When God protected by raising a city which had His center of worship, with mighty walls and towers and citadels, how much more would He protect us when we dedicate ourselves as His temple? And now can you see why the spiritual attacks happen—against us dedicating our lives, our choices, our body unto His will—as His own? When we need to be protected like the city of God, we should go back to the Lord and rededicate our body as His own temple. Can anyone tamper with God's temple? No. He is its protector. Dear God, thank you for the mighty truth you have in store for us in the Bible. May we open our eyes and claim the protection that comes from You. Dear God, we rededicate our body unto You. May You raise towers, mighty walls around us and protect us. You are what we need, dear Lord. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

One of the apostles I admire most is Apostle Paul. Apostle Paul lived a life with which he challenges others to imitate. One verse from Acts struck me deeply, which reveals his love towards Christ and his dedication towards doing the ministry for Jesus Christ. It can be found in Acts 20 verse 24: "But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God." How grateful is Paul for Jesus Christ—for saving him and transforming him into a new person. What if we live with such passion for Christ? He knew the seriousness of the sacrifice of Christ and was sure to make it known everywhere. When I went to invigilate a group of students in an exam hall, I couldn't stay quiet and watch a kid trying to cross the norms of the seriousness of the hall. I was thoroughly disturbed. I thought the kid was not taking the seriousness of the norms of the exam hall—or the consequences of not abiding by the rules. But later, when I thought about it, I was wondering how much discomfort I must have caused Christ when I was not abiding unto the laws He has given to live. It made me say a prayer that came from a broken heart. I understood salvation ought to be an everyday experience. And here Paul understood the seriousness of God's love a lived a life that showed his devotion unto God. Another great thing about Paul can be seen in verse 34, which goes like the following: "You know that these hands of mine have worked to supply my own needs and even the needs of those who were with me. And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard." He worked hard for the Lord. And he set an example in working for his needs and the people in need. What a flawless living. A life devoted only unto God. A life that is defined by hard work. Dear God, fill us with understanding of the sacrifice you have made on the cross for us. Whenever you look at us from above, may we bring a smile to your face and not discomfort. May we be filled with the deep understanding of the devotion that we ought to have for the unconditional love that you have shown unto us. May we work hard and earn the fruit of our hard work. May we see you blessing it and increasing it enough to be shared with people in need. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Lydia is the first convert of Paul from Turkey in the New Testament times. Research says she belonged to the Philippi church. Her name signifies "beautiful one," "noble one," or "woman of purple." She is one of the few women mentioned in the New Testament. While the Old Testament introduced women with the word beautiful, the New Testament focuses on things that are altogether different. Acts 16:14–15 says: One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” The Bible here introduces us to a woman who is independent, strong, and bold. Now we are talking about women having financial independence and becoming entrepreneurs. But Lydia was selling purple cloth then. It was similar to selling silk clothes. And she was able to accommodate ministers of God at her home. Isn't it wonderful to see what a woman can do for God's work when she has financial independence and stability? She listened to God's word with an open heart. She worshiped God with all her heart. How do we feel when we read our Bible or when we listen to the sermon on the Bible? Are our hearts open to receive the word, or are we reading with distractions? Lydia proves to be good soil, who received the living word of God well into her heart. She is one of the women leaders from the church of her times. We men and women want to do something for the Lord. We can learn a lot from Lydia. Be independent. Let God open your heart and work on you when you listen to His words. Dear God, strengthen our hands to have independence like Lydia to do great things for Your kingdom. May our hearts be opened when we hear Your word. May we find success in whatever our hands find to do. We pray all these in Jesus' name. Amen.

Acts 10 Seeing angels, having visions… we must have read about it. Have we experienced it? Cornelius experienced it. His life story is written in Acts 10. What does the Bible say about him? Verse 2 says, He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was everyone in his household. He generously gave to the poor and regularly prayed to God. It means he was a man who sought God through prayer regularly. He was doing good to the poor as much as he found to do. Not only him, but his whole household feared God. And the most beautiful thing about this chapter is—God saw them and their devotion. He came forward to reveal Himself to them. This makes Peter say the following verse about God. Verse 34 says, I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation, He accepts those who fear Him and do what is right. And He poured the gift of the Holy Spirit over them (verse 44). How good and great is our God. He sees, He follows us to answer whenever we seek Him with the fear of God. Peter, on the other hand, understood the heart of the Lord and ministered unto people as God wanted him to minister to them. He refused when they bowed down at his feet. He stopped Cornelius and asked him to give such worship to God alone. Hey friend, how blessed are we to know, worship, and love the Lord our God—the God who searches, blesses, and reveals Himself to those who seek Him truly. Jeremiah 29:13: "You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart." Dear God, thank You for Your love. Thank You for revealing Your name to us. Bless us and our family with the fear of the Lord. When You look at us, may You see a godly generation who continually prays unto You. May we not be far away from knowing You through visions. May hearing Your voice be our daily experience, Lord. Bless our families with a generous heart when it comes to giving to the poor. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

Biblical lessons from the humble heroes We have seen dashing heroes in the Old Testament. For example, mighty judges like Samson, Jehu, Jephthah. Mighty men of God like Abraham, Job, and Moses. The list goes on and on. But the New Testament presents people with humble backgrounds being used by God in many simple ways. We have Ananias here, a small character—for him, not many verses are allocated. He obeyed God and went to meet Saul, who was changed into Paul by God. Though he was afraid to meet him because he was a persecutor, he listened to the voice of Jesus and obeyed. (ESV: Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord.") Acts 9:17 Hey friend, how great it would be—how simple life would be—if we are able to listen to the instructions from Jesus like Ananias. And the result of that simple obedience gave birth to one of the greatest apostles who ever lived: Paul. The man who defeated arguments, faced trials, stood before kings, challenged storms, challenged witchcrafts, and whatnot. Then comes another humble heroine—Tabitha, a believer in Joppa. She took her own space in chapter 10 in Acts. The Bible says she was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor. How beautiful the Bible exemplifies the character of this New Testament woman. Acts 9:36 Then we have another humble fellow—a hard worker, a man who had a tough job for his livelihood. He worked as a tanner of hides. He helped Peter to stay in the town for a long time with him. Historically, tanners played an important role in societies by supplying leather for clothing, shoes, belts, armor, and tools. However, the work was considered unpleasant due to the strong odors and manual labor involved. Hey friend, no matter how unpleasant his job was, or how lowly his place seemed, he had a heart to help Peter to stay with him. No matter how small or big you are in the church, we can be like this tanner—Simon—to build the kingdom of God with what we have got. Acts 9:43 These people are there in the Bible so that we can learn from them. God honoured Tabitha, Ananias, and Simon—and every simple act of faith and obedience they did. May He help us to do the same. Dear God, thank you for this life. Help us to be useful to you. May we glorify you with our acts of kindness and helping tendency like Tabitha. May we make room for ministers like Simon. May we hear and obey your voice like Ananias. Use us, Lord, like these humble people of yours. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Let us grow in the Lord We know the growth of the early church. It was rapid. The beautiful thing about this growth is not the growth in numbers but in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. How can we see these two happen to a church and lead to multiplication? It is because the church was "edified." "Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied." ACTS 9:31. "Edified" means to be instructed or improved morally or intellectually. It's often used when someone gains deeper understanding, wisdom, or spiritual growth. We, as the church of God, need this edification. The Lord should fill us and purify us with His words. Hey friend, we are tied up with many responsibilities. Does our schedule have time alone with our God, with His words?Amidst our busy schedule for the day, may we let the Word edify us. May we as a church grow in the fear of the Lord, and may we feel the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Dear God, help us to grow in You every day. Teach us, Lord. May we grow in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. May we be filled with Him. May we carry the comfort that comes through Him. May Your words and Your teachings fill our hearts, Lord. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

As God's children, we are more cautious about guarding our testimonies. In general, we like to guard our reputation. As even the world says, when character is lost, everything is lost. What can harm our reputation? One of the main things, as said by Jesus, is what comes out of our mouth. Matthew 15:11 (NIV): "What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them." I have seen people give more care into preparing the food in a very clean manner. Some others give importance to cleaning all the vegetables. They boil and boil till even the good bacteria dies. The Bible is not saying that harm to character comes through what goes inside your mouth, through the tongue, but through what comes out as words. Ugly thoughts bring ugly words out of one's mouth, leading to ugly actions. Isaiah 6:5 (NIV) says: "‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.’" As in the above verse, we are living in a world with unclean lips. When Isaiah saw the Holy One, the Lord God on a throne being worshipped by seraphim, he felt too humbled. And the unworthiness that comes through sinning rose up in him. He praised God and confessed about his unclean lips. Hey friend, can you deny whether we are living in a world of unclean lips? When this realisation came to him, a seraphim touched him with the coals from the altar. Then verse 7 says, the angel said that his sin was purged. Hey friend, do not fall for the standard of this world. We, the children of God who serve God and whose angels are watching over us, cannot have unclean lips. Let us go to the altar and be willing to be touched by the hot coal. Let us not get comfortable with the unclean lips. We are born to carry His pure words. May we seek God's holiness to purify us and use us to lift His praises. May we boast about talking about holy things, not about mean things. Do not participate in the worldly laughter or the double-meaning jokes. They are not our purpose. We are His. We need His words on our tongue. We need His touch to be holy and get away from the with unclean lips. Dear God, Thank you for the truth you have in the Bible for us. May we be touched by You—touch us with the coal from the altar, Lord. May we be cleansed. May we come closer to You to see Your glory, to feel Your holiness. May we be like the prophet Isaiah and long to have a clean tongue. Touch us, Lord. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Acts 6:15 The Bible talks about Stephen in the book of Acts. Chapter 6, verse 8 says, Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people. What would we do if such a believer or leader lived among us? Wouldn't we be celebrating him for what God does through him? But the reactions from the people around him were different. This shows that there will always be two sets of people who react in their own way when they see a rising leader. Here, some reacted as in verse 11: So they persuaded some men to lie about Stephen, saying, “We heard him blaspheme Moses, and even God.” This roused the people, the elders, and the teachers of the religious law. So they arrested Stephen and brought him before the high council. Stephen and his reaction to the accusations can be seen in verse 15. It says, Amidst all these accusations, they couldn't stop staring at the face of Stephen because his face became as bright as an angel's. Hey friend, will our face be like angels’ when we are accused wrongly? May God help us to carry His presence in such a way that even our accusers will stop to stare at the glory God reveals through us. Dear God, may we not live an empty life, but a life that carries Your glory, Your story. May You shine through us. As in Psalm 34:5 (NIV): “Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.” May our faces never be covered in shame, but with Your radiance. May we look nowhere else for any help but at You. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.