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A year ago, I was attending a meeting where the esteemed ex-DGP Ravi gave a speech on women. He was quietly listening to everyone (who were talking before his speech) when they told men should stand for women. Then he took the stage and said, "It is women who should be bold and stand for themselves." How true his words were. I have always admired when women are bold and make a mark with their living. The Bible talks about brave women with the newness (Christ-likeness) that they got in themselves. Let us look at the New Testament women who can teach us a lot. Can a Godly woman do business and succeed? Here is the example of Lydia. She was from Thyatira. She was a seller of purple. She was introduced to the Gospel by Paul. Verse 14 says, "She was a woman who worshiped God, and the Lord opened her mind to pay attention to what Paul was saying." After she and the people of her house were baptized, she invited us, "Come and stay in my house if you have decided that I am a true believer in the Lord." And she persuaded us to go. She was quite a marvelous woman who persuaded the man of God to trust her faith, and she had a place good enough for them to stay. The key to her remarkable life is that she let God open her mind to the word of God. Can a woman preach God's word? A lot of people think this is a controversial question. Look at Phoebe, a deaconess of the church at Cenchrea, the port of Corinth. In Romans 16:1-2, Paul says of her, "Phoebe our sister, who is the servant of the church in Cenchrea, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also." Next time when we see a woman who works for the Lord, let's us remember Paul's words and honor their service unto the Lord and assist them when they are in need of us. Meet another quiet, lovely New (a woman in Christ) woman. This is Tabitha, the widow woman who was raised by Peter to life. Not everyone can understand the struggle of widows. The Bible praises and adores this woman of God who displayed nothing but generosity! She was praised for her alms-deeds and good works. She presented nice dresses which she herself made to the women around her. (Acts 9:36 to 43). She was undoubtedly loved and cherished by many. Here is a mother who was praised by Paul for raising her child by providing not only delicious food but scriptures: it is Eunice, the mother of Timothy. Her husband was a Greek. (2 Timothy 3:15). Paul says of her son as follows: "Ever since you were a child, you have known the holy scriptures." She was praised by Paul for her faith. Are we teaching our kids about scriptures? Are they growing with sound knowledge of God's word? Do they know what salvation, eternity, anointing are? God has entrusted us with the children to raise them to be His generation. May we not get deceived by worldly music and stories and pass it to them. They deserve to know God; our children deserve a godly mother and a godly upbringing. Can people like Paul look at us and say that we have given our children scriptures from their young age? Meet this woman called Priscilla, who is always mentioned along with her husband. Paul can't talk about them separately as a man and a woman. He appreciated them as one, as a couple. This couple sets an example for us to serve God as husband and wife together. May God give us wisdom like Priscilla to do the work of the Lord with the godly husband that God has given to each of us. May we not stop by enjoying only family outings and tours, but may the men of God see us together in doing God's work. Dear God, bless us like Lydia to do successful businesses. May we provide shelter for Godly people. May our minds be open to the word of God like hers. May we work for the Lord, like Phoebe labor for Christ, and honor every woman who works for you. May we be like Tabitha, who is remembered for her love in giving others good gifts. May we use our skills to make others joyful. Bless us to be like Priscilla, who was always mentioned along with her husband in serving the Lord. May we be mothers like the mother of Timothy, who raise children with scriptures from their very young age. And above all we thank you for giving us godly mother, grand ma, sister, friends and women of God who continuously inspiring us to live for you . In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

It is really good to feel secure in the Lord. In truth, whether we feel it or not, when we walk in God's ways, we are secure in the Lord. But, as humans, when we go through loss after loss or any separation from a loved one, we end up feeling that we are being forsaken. The same was felt by King David in Psalm 22. We can see David crying desperately for help from God; he was surrounded by his enemies. In verse 8, he is talking about people who question him. Verse 8 says, "You relied on the Lord," they say, "why doesn't he save you? If the Lord likes you, why doesn't he help you?" Such questions have the power to make us feel insecure. These were not only the words of David but the prophecies about Jesus. Jesus utters the same words when he is on the cross: "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" is in Matthew 27:45. It is a helpless statement. But when we look at the life of Jesus, He went through suffering only to get glorified. Since he went through the momentary separation from God because of the burden of sins he carried for us. Now sin cannot seperate us from God. As we have saviour in Christ. The path of suffering is real for all, but through it all, we have a God who can understand our fragile feelings, doubts, and insecurities and help us to get through it. Whenever life brings challenges, know that they too will pass. Night( which might look like an year or so) will go away, and joy will be back in the morning. There can never be hopelessness for anyone who believes in Jesus. Go to His feet, my friend; He never ignores or abandons anyone who seeks Him. One thing we tend to do when we feel forsaken is to not go to God; our only hope is in Him. His presence can satisfy every need in our heart. Someone once beautifully said, "No separation is greater than His presence is able to bridge." The only answer for any insecurity is His Presence. Talk to Him; He will satisfy you. Dear God, may we always remember that we have you by our side in every time of our lives. Though we feel it or not, you are present. Help us not to ignore sitting in your presence when we feel helpless. May you strengthen us and comfort us. In Jesus' name, we pray.

Darkness appeared over the place where Christ was crucified by noon time. It was like nighttime. Some said beautifully that it is the symbol of how nature mourned for Jesus. The soldiers around Jesus were clearly evil. They hurt, humiliated, and tortured him to death. They surely were living in darkness, and there is no light in them. John 12:24 to 26 says, "Unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives." Jesus did not fight to keep his life. He was determined to save many sinners. How marvelous is the love of God that he loved sinners and gave himself for them. Mark 15 verse 38 says, "The army officer who was standing there in front of the cross saw how Jesus had died. 'This man was really the son of God!' he said." This proves the following verse, "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: They that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined." Isaiah 9:8. The Roman soldier saw the light, the salvation, the son of God when he saw the death of Christ. Hey friend, are you praying for someone to be saved? God's love and grace are so big and beyond comprehension to save the chief sinners of sinners. Or if you are living in guilt, know that Christ loved you when you were a sinner. May you know that His love for you is unquenchable. And to those who have already seen the light (son of God), spread the light, shine brightly for His glory. Dear God, thank you for your love that you have shown us in the cross, which no one can give us, the sinners. May we live in light and overcome every darkness. May we live by the power of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

We are living in an era where we see people spending uncountable amounts to celebrate weddings. Money plays the game almost everywhere, sadly, even in families. What is the end of someone when they keep money as an idol and trade anyone for that? We are now talking about Judas, the disciple of Jesus. Mark 14 verses 10 and 11 say, "Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went off to the chief priests in order to betray Jesus to them. They were pleased to hear what he had to say and promised to give him money. So Judas started looking for a good chance to hand Jesus over to them." "Hey friend, we might think, how can someone trade Jesus for money? He must be a fool. Now let's analyze whether we are trading our friendships or relationships inside our family for money. Is money playing a crucial role in us deciding whom we are giving more importance in life? Is money the deciding factor which says who we will betray next? Beware, we are in no way better than Judas if we love or prioritize someone based on money. Jesus came as a poor man, not a rich man. Jesus himself threw that identity away and was born to poor parents. He is not asking us to accept him because he is a rich God. Don't be deceived; the love for money will make us trade God himself. Decide whom you will serve: God or money? Dear God, give us a heart to love you and serve in the midst of our financial needs or crisis. May our hearts be fixed on you for the love of you. May we never prioritize anyone in our lives for the money they have. May our hearts be filled with compassion and move towards the poor people like how yours went. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

One of the great sins against God, as mentioned by C.S. Lewis in his book "Mere Christianity," is "Pride". It is good to be proud of a good father. But if you are proud because someone is your father and think you are superior because of that, then the problem begins says Lewis. Jesus humbled himself to the core on the cross. He never boasted about his authority or His father when he went through humiliation. In Mark 15, we can see him being beaten by the Roman soldiers to whom he had done no wrong. They spat on him and took his clothes from him. We can never imagine putting ourselves there. It is clearly a nightmare. But he endured and humbled himself to go through the path of suffering, pain, and humiliation. Hey friend, we all should be going through some kind of humiliation, pain, or suffering in some areas of our life or at one point in life. May we learn from Jesus to humble ourselves through such a path. And we know for sure no one can go through the humiliation that Jesus went through for us. When you squeeze a rotten tomato, you will get a sauce with a foul smell. When we are being squeezed or crushed, let not the rotten pride come out; may the humility come out. Dear God, give us patience when we are targeted and humiliated for no reason. Help us to learn from you to have humility. May we be proud of your name being lifted in our lives and nothing else. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

One of the popular things about our times is fitness. We care about it a lot. Being fit is many people's New Year's resolution itself. Persistence matters when we want to become fit. We go to a particular place,do particular exercise be it walking, cycling to train ourselves. We completely change what we eat to get fit in body. Here in his letters to Ephesians 4 Paul talks about staying fit in our inner selves. In verse 14 Paul says, "I ask God, from the wealth of His glory, to give you power through his spirit to be strong in your inner selves." Being strong in our inner selves makes us do spiritual things( like loving God and living by His words) with more efficiency. God's word is the food for our souls. May we practice fitness for our souls by trying to be in God's presence every day (eating God's manna). A clue that we have been made strong in our inner selves is that we will obey the Holy Spirit. Can we keep our diet properly or are we consuming everything we see on the internet every day? Do we have a place to exercise and develop muscles in our spirit? Verse 17 says, "I pray that Christ will make his home in your heart through faith." By taking care of our inner selves, we are giving a prime place for Jesus to rule our hearts. Hey friend, we have one life, one heart. May we keep it clean, fit, and may we train our inner man every day. Dear God, we commit our lives to you. Strengthen our inner man, Lord. May we overcome every temptation every day by submitting ourselves to your Holy Spirit. May Jesus make our heart his home. May he always find it a happy place. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

We are living a very busy life, with more commitments, worries, and burdens, some even with guilt. We are in very much of a need of refreshment. So where can we find it? Nowhere but at the feet of the cross. All the grace and mercy we need to carry us through our days are in the cross. How can we inherit such refreshing? Acts 3 verse 19 says, "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord." Peter said the above verse when he addressed his fellow Israelites who crucified Christ. How good our God is! He is extending grace and mercy to everyone, even to the one who crucified him. Hey Friend, do you know Jesus? And are you living with a guilt that you hurt him with your sinful ways? There is a way for everyone in Jesus. No big sin can separate from God unless you let it do so. Take guard, my friend. Take control. Repentyour sins, commit your life to God. As C.S. Lewis says, "Have a clear understanding that there is no option but to live a sinless life. This is like a compulsory question in an exam. If you try answering it, at least you will get some marks. But leaving it will make you end up in Zero. Make your choice wisely, my friend. Offer yourself to God to stay sinless. God will help you to keep your commitment to Him. No matter how slow or small your progress is, don't lose heart, and be assured that God is by your side, encouraging you to fight a good fight." Dear God, we commit our lives into your merciful hands. Forgive our sins, dear Lord. May we shun our sinful ways and strive to keep our commitment unto you. May our mind understand that for us, the children of Christ, we have only one way to live. That is to live like the Son of God. Strengthen us, dear Lord. We love you. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Are we someone who concerns about cleanliness a lot? The Bible talks about someone who valued being ritually clean even if their heart sought to kill someone. This can be seen in John 18. When the Jewish authorities went to Pilate to ask him for permission to kill Jesus, verse 28 says, "The Jewish authorities did not go inside the palace, for they wanted to keep themselves ritually clean."They were so ignorant that they could not even see the prophecies on the Messiah being fulfilled before their own eyes. Pilate, in verse 35, says it was the chief priest who handed Jesus over to Pilate. The priest had every access to read and meditate on the word of God. But the priest and the people failed God by focusing on keeping themselves ritually clean and killing the innocent blood at the same time. Hey friend, are we able to see everything happening around us or everybody in our lives in the light of God? Are we able to recognize God's word? May God protect us from being ritually clean and killing innocents while reading God's word. Dear God, open our hearts and eyes to know you in the way you want us to. May we understand your heart. May the light of your word help us recognize you and your people. May we never fight and kill each other like ignorant people. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Long before I read a book where the author talked about his heavenly experiences with Jesus. There, he wrote an incident like the following: He was taken to a meeting where Satan was discussing hurting God's people and His church. And the angel who stood near the author said, "Look what is going to happen now," and whispered the name of Jesus. When the name was uttered, Satan fell from his throne. He was baffled. No matter how far the plans of the devil were against us, he deserves no throne to rule the world or our lives, when the name of Jesus, who suffered for us on the cross, rules over us. In John 12, after submitting himself to suffer for God's will, Jesus said in verse 31, "Now the ruler of this world will be overthrown." Every time when you submit to do God's will, we are throwing the devil away from ruling over our lives. How powerful our submission could be! Dear God, help us to submit unto you in every area of life. And may you always reign over us and may we not succumb to the rule of the devil. May our submission to you overthrow him from being in throne in anywhere in our lives, be it in our house, work, or elsewhere. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Hebrews 10:6 says, "You do not want sacrifices and offerings, but you have prepared a body for me." This verse is about the body of Messiah/Jesus Christ. The Bible says, when the Jewish people sacrificed for God, they did that as just a faint outline of good things to come, that is, the sacrifice of Christ. It is good to enjoy life. At the same time, we have been called by God to take the grace he has shown in the cross seriously. The Bible warns us not to sin again and again willingly. Verse 28 says, "Anyone who disobeys the Law of Moses is put to death without any mercy when judged guilty from the evidence of two or more witnesses." What, then, of those who despise the Son of God? Who treat as a cheap thing the blood of God's covenant which purified them from sin? This is not just another story to be ignored. This is the only way to live in peace with God. We have one life to live and one way to heaven. May we listen and obey the Lord when we still have time here. As people who have accepted Christ, we are more accountable for our sinful action than any. May we not live Christianity by fighting for one single argument and leaving the rest. May God give us wisdom to know the ways of Christ and follow Him fully in this one life of ours on this planet Earth. In the same chapter, the way to live wisely is written. It says we have to write or keep God's commandments written in our heart; then, it says we ought not to leave the fellowship of believers, that is, the church. And finally, we have to encourage each other to stand for Christ. Dear Father, give us grace, power, strength to live according to your words. May we not ever consider the sacrifice of Christ as least. May we guard our salvation with trembling. May we never ignore the church gathering. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Yes, it is true that we are called to live for Jesus. The meaning of the statement is dying for our sin. We have received salvation from the cross, which we receive by His grace. And Paul says, after receiving Christ it is time for a life of action. Only then, a person starts living for God. The importance of Baptism, the symbol of us receiving the new life, is described by Paul in Romans 6 verses 4 and 5. We ought to receive baptism when we are with clear understanding and taking the decision to follow Christ with our own mind. By doing that, we are dying for Christ and living for Him. We shouldn't be ashamed of it as any religious duty or man-made practice. Most importantly, this is not about joining a denomination. It is from God. It should be done for the sake of living for Christ. By doing so, we are leaving our old self at the feet of the cross and walking as a Freeman. Only those who were once in darkness know the value of light. The Bible says, all of us were sinners and all of us are in need for salvation, all of us deserve a free life, a life that is freed from darkness. Paul strictly asks us to dedicate our bodies unto God. In Romans 6 verse 12, he says, Sin must no longer rule in your mortal bodies, so that you obey the desires of your natural self. We are not now slaves to sin to obey it. We are rulers in Christ to overpower it. Stay strong, my friend, take the authority that you have over sin in your hand. You are a new man or woman in Christ. You are not a slave to sin but the son or the daughter of the Most High, Most holy God. Dear God, thank you for the truths you have given us in the Bible. May we live as free men and women. May we walk in power and authority that comes through the name of Christ. May we never dare to talk or think ill of a baptism that is taken from a clear consciousness of a person by himself. May we live according to our calling in Christ. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Can we pray for an hour every day, or simply can we pray every day? Jesus, when he was surrendering himself to suffer on the cross, went and prayed. Luke 22:43 says, "An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. In great anguish, he prayed even more fervently; his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground." Our God took our sin and paid for it with his blood. Now we are asked just to live for Him. Pray unto Him, Read His word. Look at Jesus, he prayed more fervently when he went towards the cross. The angel came and strengthened Him. Now how are we praying? Some of us can't pray. Whatever situation we are in, may we always remember Jesus paid for it to redeem us from it. Rise up, my friend, pray and be an angel for someone who can't pray. Strengthen them to pray. Pray fervently, pray for an hour or more. Dear God, when you look at us from heaven, may you always find us praying to you. May we never be found lacking in prayer. May all the laziness move away as you send your angels to strengthen us to pray more fervently. May the Holy Spirit help us to pray through everything. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen

The prayer of Jesus: The Father God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, for us, and the Son bought us all with His blood. Every day we are being transformed into His image. Here is the way our dear Lord Jesus prayed for us,(inJohn 17)His disciples. May the Holy Spirit help us to pray as Jesus prayed for us. Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for saying this prayer for us. We now look up to the Father and give glory to Him. We praise you for having authority over all mankind. Thank you for giving eternal life to those who accept your name. Thank you, Jesus, for letting us know you, the only true God. Thank you, Jesus, for finishing the work that the Lord had given you. And we praise you as you will strengthen us to finish the work you have given us. We praise you, Lord Jesus, for your matchless glory. We praise you for the messages you have given us as the word of the Lord. May we cherish it with all our heart. May we receive it with all our heart. Dear Lord, thank you for lovingly telling us that we are your everything. May you be our everything, Lord Jesus, just as we are to you. We praise you for keeping us safe by the power of your name. Thank you for protecting us without getting lost. Dear Jesus, bless us always with the fullness of joy in our hearts. Though we are not of the world, you are keeping us safe from the evil one. We praise you for your divine protection, dear Lord. May we dedicate ourselves completely unto you and your truth. Help us to be one, Lord. May nothing in this world, such as ethnicity, nationality, caste, class, color, or denomination, separate us. May we be one in you, dear Father, as Jesus was with you. Thank you, Jesus, for coming for us. Thank you, dear Father, for loving us and sending your Son for us. Dear Jesus, may we always be with you, seeing your glory. Thank you, dear Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for letting us know you. May the love the Father has for the Son be in us. May Jesus reside in us always as the Holy Spirit of God. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

It is easy when everything in life is good and perfect according to our own will and desire. But in John chapter 12, verse 27, we can see Jesus saying the following: "Now my heart is troubled- and what shall I say, 'Father, do not let this hour come upon me'? But that is why I came- so that I might go through this hour of suffering." Here we can see Jesus Christ, the son of God (God himself), compelling himself to submit to the will of God the Father. His heart is troubled; he dreaded the hour coming towards Him. He compels himself to go towards the death on the cross (taking the burden of sin and undergoing the separation from Father God).In verse 28, Jesus says, "Father, bring glory to your name." (By doing God's will, he brings glory to Him.) Then a voice spoke from heaven, "I have brought glory to it and I will do so again." "Anagkazo" is a Greek word which means "to compel." When we find ourselves struggling to do God's will, we have to seek the help of the spirit to give us the "anagkazo" obedience. It's the force which turns our stubborn self-will and helps us to do God's will. We might dread to take the decision, obedience unto God but against our own wish. But pray that the "anagkazo" force helps you to do His will over every desire of yours. It will bring many to God. Often when we do as per our wish or lust and call it God's will, we only satisfy ourselves. We may try to persuade a few to believe it also. But only when we submit ourselves and do the perfect will of God, we can bring Glory to God's name. If we are so believing in the rules of the world in following our heart, we can never be someone who brings Glory to the name of the Lord as Jesus did. When we carry the cross, the will that is of God for us in pain, loss, trouble, and in suffering, we become someone who carries His glory. In 2 Corinthians chapter 3, verse 18 says, "That same glory, coming from the Lord, who is the spirit, transforms us into his likeness in an ever greater degree of Glory."Hey friend, submit yourself to do His will. May Jesus fill your heart, reside in you as you carry out His will through your life. May you carry His glory. Dear God, we seek your help in making us submit to your will. Help us to carry our cross, help us to do your perfect will like you did. May we always remember by doing so we bring you glory. In Jesus' name we pray.

One of the close disciples of Jesus Christ is Peter. Peter was given more responsibility by God when Jesus was lifted to heaven. John Chapter 18 in the Bible talks about Peter encountering some difficult people during the trial of Jesus. John (who loved God dearly) went inside the place where the trial was happening while Peter was standing outside. He knew the situation in the country is not favourable to even say that he knows Jesus. And this Peter was shown a great miracle by Jesus when he first saw him. In Luke chapter 5 When Peter put the net over the side which Jesus mentioned he got 153 fishes. The number 153 in Hebrew means "He is God". Jesus introduced himself as God at his first encounter with Peter. Here we see Jesus himself saying that Peter will deny thrice. Jesus knew Peter's wavering love for Him. Good for Peter, he repented and loved Jesus and started to stand boldly for Him with the help of the Holy Spirit. Hey Friend, how are we behaving when someone asks, "Are you with Him(Jesus, the people who love him, His church) ?" Can we boldly stand for Jesus? When we see churches being persecuted around us. People and ministers of God targeted and persecuted can we stand for them or simply deny them. Be bold my friend, our mission fields, local churches and our fellow believers need our prayers and support when persecuted. Dear Jesus, give us a bold heart to stand for your name and not deny you when we see tough things happening around us. May you always say, "This is my son/daughter who will stand for my name." In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Are you a quiet person or a loud person? Are you someone who loves to work behind the scenes or in the limelight? People differ in this from one another. In Mark 14, Mary enters the room where Jesus was dining and starts to pour the very expensive oil over his head. Suddenly, all of them started to talk about it. Looking from the outside, it was as if she did it to get the limelight towards her. Her motive was to lift Jesus and worship Him with the best she got. But verse 4 says, some of the people became angry and said, "What was the use of wasting the perfume?" Verse 5 says, they criticized her harshly. Hey friend, can we dare to do something like this? The people who were around her had no motive to lift Jesus, as is clearly visible when they said that she is wasting the costly thing. They acted as if they are too concerned about giving to the poor. Hey friend, if God is motivating you to give that which is expensive with you for His glory, go ahead and do it for Him. In Verse 8, Jesus said, "She did what she could." God honored her by inspiring this writer to record it in the Bible, and we are reading this after centuries. God never fails to record and honor the things you do to glorify Him. Let's lift Him high with what we have (expensive). Dear God, may we worship you and give you glory with the expensive things that we have. May we never stop lifting your name. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

The incidents leading to the cross start almost from Mark 14 itself. Jesus was dining in the house of a man called Simon (not Simon Peter). We can see Mary (sister of Martha and Lazarus) coming there to Jesus to show how much she honors Him. Mark 14 verse 3 says, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume in his head. Previously, we could have read about a sinful woman pouring costly oil over Jesus' feet. Her act was coming out of sincere repentance, and Jesus forgave her. Here, Mary does this only for the sake of doingit forJesus. Can we do things like this—talking to Jesus just for the sake of talking to Him and without any agenda, reading the Bible, His words, just for the sake of loving it? Can we show our true love, the first love, to Jesus? Can we try giving what we have without calculating it? It can only come out of the heart that loves Him. How can we truly love someone if we talk with them, listen to them, to get something from them? Jesus saw the pure motive of Mary and said the following words: Mark 14 verse 6 says, "She has done a beautiful thing to me." May our actions unto God, what we do for God, be motivated by nothing but the love we have for Him. Dear Jesus, stir our hearts to pour nothing but our first and best love for you. May you see everything we do for you as a beautiful thing. Love you, dear Lord. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God," says Ephesians 5:2. The essence of God's love is sacrifice. The cross for Jesus was not a joyous walk. The cross can be carried only because of Love. Jesus carried the cross so that he could save us. As much as we love Jesus, we will carry the cross. The whole journey of the cross is killing the self and doing God's will until there is no more self but Christ. The Bible always says cutting the flesh is a symbol of cutting the sinful desires or habits. How can we cut a habit? By submitting to God and exercising better habits, submitting our body, spirit, and soul to the still voice of the Holy Spirit.We as Christians have no need to literally carry the cross again like Jesus did. We ought to live for the glory of God. Kill your struggle and walk freely with God. Are we struggling with addictions, anger issues, or eating with no control? Make a commitment to God to keep Him as God and get rid of anything that controls you. May we train ourselves in godly habits. Sitting with the Bible for a long time and listening or talking to God cannot happen in a day. Let us exercise such habits. It is good to concentrate on our soul while also having control over our body and its desires. Cutting out non-vegetarian food during Lent, if it is controlling your eating habits, can be a great way for you to control yourself. If your mobile device occupies a prime place in your life, commit your eyes to God and make an effort to keep it at bay. We should balance both physically and spiritually to grow closer to seeing God clearly. Dear God, we make a commitment today to grow in godly habits and shun everything that is taking Your place in our lives. Take control of our will, Lord. May we become like Jesus as we learn about the love that You have shown for us on the cross. Help us to overcome our physical selves and their desires and be victorious. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Have you been in a season of life where you have felt you lost the joy in your life? Were you waiting for a change or a miracle to happen in some area of your life for a very long time? Here is Sarah, who waited more than a lifetime (75 years) to receive her miracle. Genesis 21, verse 6 says, "Sarah said, 'God has brought me joy and laughter; everyone who hears about it will laugh with me.'" Verse 3 says, Abraham named him Isaac. The name Isaac in Hebrew means "He laughs." Verse 8 says, "The child grew, and the day that he was weaned, Abraham gave a great feast." When the waiting was over at Abraham's house, it was simply being joyful in the Lord and laughing and feasting. God literally cared about them smiling. Hey friend, the wilderness may be long and tiring, making you to just living the life without joy and hope. But remember, we serve the God who is the God of Abraham and Sarah. He will never stop working in your life until he brings not just a smile but laughter in your life. Dear God, thank you for your love, thank you for your faithfulness in the life of our father Abraham. Thank you, Lord, for going to fill us with laughter like you made them laugh. We are surrendering ourselves to your unfailing love. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

In Genesis chapter 20, the Lord closed the womb of every woman in the house of Abimelech. Verse 18 says, "Abraham prayed for Abimelech, and God healed him. He also healed his wife and his slave-girls, so that they could have children." Abraham was waiting for God to bless him and Sarah with a child. But a situation arose where God expected him to pray for Abimelech and his wives to receive the healing necessary to have children. God answered his prayers and healed them. In chapter 21 of the Bible, it is simply said, "The Lord blessed Sarah, as he had promised, and she became pregnant." It also says, "The boy was born at the time God had said he would be born." Like Abraham, may we pray for people who need healing to receive the miracle. The Bible says the Lord healed Abimelech and his wives to enable them to give birth to children. But for Sarah and Abraham, it is said that God blessed them, and gave them the promised child at His time previously told by God himself. For some, it is the healing that comes through prayer, but for others (like Abraham), it is the timing of God. May we trust God and wait to see His timing and promises fulfilled in every area of our lives. Dear God, may we also trust you to bless us like Abraham. May we know that you are the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of generation after generation. May we and our generations, know and trust the Lord always, who never ever fails to fulfill all His promises. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Lot chose to live in a place that was good for his eyes. He faced numerous consequences as the result of his choice. When the Lord came to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, He took them to his home. Men of Sodom and Gomorrah were evil and wanted to be with the guests of Lot (physically). They did not respect Lot and called him a foreigner. Lot thought he was responsible to save the strangers at his house and not his own daughters. He was foolishly willing to exchange his own daughters in the place of the strangers. The two men inside Lot's house took him inside the house and caused blindness to those who were outside. No new sin is happening in today's world. Men marrying men, women marrying women, and fighting all those who openly say it is evil. According to the Bible, God is Love. But not all that is named as Love is from God. Later, we can see Lot was disrespected by his sons-in-law when he warned them to move away from the city. They simply laughed at him. Where is our dwelling? Is it with godly people, or have we voluntarily built our tent amidst the wicked? Lot was definitely influenced by them. It can be revealed in his willingness to offer them his daughters. Genesis 19 verse 16 says, "The Lord, however, had pity on him." It is not because of him. Verse 29 says, when God destroyed the cities of the valley where Lot was living, he kept Abraham in mind and allowed Lot to escape to safety. Hey friend, how is our decision making? Is it just what is pleasing to us, or are we crucifying ourselves and taking the cross in decision making? Let us not be deceived by saying we should respect everybody's choices. We should love and respect every human being as we are all created in the image of God. But, there is absolutely no need to respect any sin or sinful choices that are against God's word. May God help us to discern and protect our family. Dear God, may we dwell in your presence. May your choice be ours in every decision. May we live in safety. Protect us, our family, and our generation, Lord, from every deceptive lie of Satan. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

I have two questions today: What does the Lord require to save a city, and with whom does the Lord not hide His plans? When the Lord came to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, the twin cities, Abraham interceded with the Lord. Genesis 18 verse 32 says, "He said, 'I will not destroy it if there are ten.'" The Lord requires ten men who are righteous before His eyes to turn away the wrath that will destroy the city. May the Lord find us as one among the ten. Intercede with the Lord for your city, state, and country so that it will be saved. The Lord knew that Abraham would tell his children and his generation about the works of the Lord and the ways of the Lord. The Lord trusted Abraham with that and wanted to reveal His plans to Abraham. In verse 19 the Lord says, I have chosen him in order that he may command his sons and his descendants to obey me and to do what is right and just. If they do, I will do everything for him that I have promised." Can the Lord trust us with our children and our generation? Are we teaching our children the ways and works of the Lord? Do the children God has graciously given us know the Lord? Dear God, help us to intercede for our city, state, and nation. May we be responsible to pass on the name of the Lord to our children to be adorned and worshipped. May we be found as one among the ten righteous who will stop the door of destruction that is open towards our city. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Are we able to recognize the heavenly interventions while we carry out our everyday life? In Genesis chapter 18, Abraham welcomed three strangers. Verse 10 says, "One of them said, 'Nine months from now I will come back, and your wife Sarah will have a son.'" It is obvious that He is God. Abraham was able to recognize them and served them. Verse 8 says, "There under the tree he served them himself, and they ate." But on the other hand, we can see Sarah has no full understanding that someone beyond her little brain's understanding is in her midst. She was laughing at His (God's) words when He promised her a son. God saw her disbelief or her doubting God's words of promise to her. Her mind quickly calculated the practical side of the issue. She knows (based on human understanding of the body) that her physical body has no ability to respond anymore to childbirth. Are we like Abraham or like Sarah? Are we able to recognize the divine hand at work in our lives every day, or are we laughing at our situation thinking there is no hope? But to Sarah God answered directly in verse 14, "Then the Lord asked Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh and say, "Can I really have a child when I am old?" Is there anything too hard for the Lord? As I said, nine months from now I will return and Sarah will have a son.'" Though Abraham and Sarah are one family, they differed in their understanding when it comes to knowing who the Lord is. May we as a family never get satisfied with such progress. May we determine to grow in the Lord together. May we know Him. As a family, let us recognize God and put our trust in God. Dear God, thank you for being there in our everyday life. May we always recognize your divine works in our lives. We confess that nothing is hard for you. We confess that you will make the impossible possible in our lives. Thank you for your loving presence. May we serve you and commune with you like how Abraham did. Help us, Lord, to get closer to you in the midst of all practical issues we face. May we live by faith and not by sight. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

In Genesis chapter 16, God made a covenant with Abram and his generation (Isaac, who was not born then) through circumcision. Then, he changed his name to Abraham and his wife's name to Sarah. In his old age, Abraham obeyed God and submitted himself to Him. The cutting of the flesh is called circumcision, setting apart God's people as holy in the Old Testament. After receiving salvation from Jesus Christ, God expects us to have a circumcision of the heart, setting it apart for God from its sinful nature. Cutting the flesh here means shedding our sinful nature to become a new creation, children of God or God's own people – the spiritual Jews. "But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from people, but from God," says Romans 2:29. God has given us the power to resist sin. The Bible says, "Resist (fight against) the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). Be strong and believe that God has equipped you with His words, a sword that can slay any enemy. Do not be afraid but cut off the flesh and walk in the victory that Christ has earned for you. Dear God, may you find our hearts circumcised and ready to submit to Your will. May we live a life set apart for You. May we cut off the flesh and be renewed in our minds. We ask this all in the powerful name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

The birth of a child is very special in every family. When we consider Sarah's life, she had to wait a long time for Isaac to be born. In the meantime, she made a series of mistakes, such as giving Hagar to Abraham and treating Hagar very badly. Eventually, Hagar left. However, God remained faithful to His promise to Abraham. God told Abraham, "As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation" (Genesis 17:20). God saw Hagar and gave her a promise to make the child a great nation. Sarah solely depended on her own understanding of the situation and took decisions. It was not a decision which came out of faith in God. Those were series of decision came from that which is exactly opposite to trusting n God. How are we reacting while waiting for God to fulfill the promises He gave us, be it regarding a job, a child, etc.? Let us learn from Sarai that we can only bring trouble by trying to plan something using our own knowledge to fulfill God's promises. Let us wait and let God work to fulfill His word. Dear God, strengthen our faith as we wait for You to fulfill Your promises to us. May we never follow our hearts and their ways, bringing unnecessary trouble. May we patiently wait for You. We confess that even though we wait long for You, You will fill us with joy by fulfilling Your promises, for You are a faithful God. In Jesus' name, we thank. Amen.

Abraham is called the father of us, believers. However, in many instances, we can see him asking questions. C.S. Lewis, in his book "Mere Christianity," talks about how God changes our "selves" into a new creature – not like a slow horse learning to perform well, but more like a normal horse changing into a winged horse. In the transformation process, Abram, like all of us, started slowly but submitted himself to become a new person. From asking questions to the father of the believers, in Genesis chapter 15 verse 8, Abram wonders, "How can I know that it will be mine?" God patiently makes a strong covenant with him, asking Abram to bring a cow, a goat, a ram, a dove, and a pigeon, cut them in half, and sacrifice them. By sunset, a smoking fire-pot and flaming torch suddenly appear and pass between the pieces of the animals, signifying that the Lord is committed to keeping his promise to Abram. The supernatural flame which is from God moving through the flesh that is cut half signifies that if the promise given by the promise giver is not fulfilled the same will be done to him. God slowly reveals his plan for Abraham's generation, including a blessing of a large land and a tough time of slavery in Egypt. When faced with unpleasant events, we should not get alarmed but understand that it is also God's plan with a purpose behind it. In times of questioning our growth in the Lord, we should recognize that we are in the process of becoming a new creature, a new winged horse, in C.S. Lewis's language. The growth might seem funny at times, but God is capable of blessing and transforming our lives, just as he did with people like Abram. Let us be patient with ourselves, remembering that the Promise Maker proved in Abraham's life that He is a faithful God who keeps his covenant with Abraham's generation.May we be ready to grow supernaturally, and may God work in us and in our generation, just as He worked in Abraham's. Dear God, thank you for blessing Abraham, making a covenant with him, giving promises, and fulfilling them. We pray for the transformation of our faith, that we may continue to mature into the new creation you intend us to become. Thank you for all the plans you have for us and our generations. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

The dictionary gives the meaning of "reward" as something earned for our good actions. What big rewards have you been presented with so far? A trophy, a substantial sum of money, a scholarship—what else? Can you imagine having been given something larger than life itself as a reward? In Genesis chapter 14, Abram chose not to receive anything from any man. After this, the Lord showed up again to Abram. This time, in Chapter 15, verse 1, the Lord said to Abram, "After these things, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying: 'Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield🛡, your exceedingly great reward.' Can we find any shield better than the Lord himself? Can you imagine your enemy trying to touch God? It can never happen. For Abram, God was the shield. No one can imagine touching Abram. We live among powerful people, politicians who have escorts to protect them with their lives—they will always travel with him/her. In danger, they surround him/her like a shield. Here, God is Abram's shield. To my limited understanding, it means the enemy can never ever come near Abram. The other half of the verse is more challenging, where God says, "He is the reward for Abraham". God is someone who lacks nothing in Himself. Whatever we need is in Him—emotional, physical, or spiritual needs lie in Him, or He himself is what we need. No things of this world, no relationships, no feelings of ours could ever satisfy us but God. He is the one person who makes us full. May the God of Abram be our reward and shield, as He was to him. Poor Abram, when God spoke these powerful, matchless words to him, said he needs a child. God didn't reprimand his worries but addressed them by coming down to him and showing a practical example that he will have descendants like stars. Abram asked for a child, but in God (Abram's reward) lie the descendants of Abram who are like stars. Dear God, help us have a wide perspective. Help us understand your heart. Be our reward, Lord. As children, help us grow in faith in you. Let us not be troubled by the small view we have of our life. May we be assured that the God who is much bigger, greater, and more real than anything in this whole world is our reward. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Is it wise to receive everything from everyone? The Bible says it is better to give than to take. Acts 20:35 says, "I have shown you in all things that by working hard in this way, we must help the weak, remembering the words that the Lord Jesus himself said, ‘There is more happiness in giving than in receiving.’" We can see Abraham fulfilling the above verse. His men, whom he trained, went and saved Lot and his people. But when the king of Sodom said to Abram, "Keep the loot" (verse 21), Abraham said, "I solemnly swear before the Lord Most High God, maker of heaven and earth, that I will not keep anything of yours, not even a thread or a sandal strap." Then you can never say, "I am the one who made Abram rich." Abram was careful not to get anything from the king of Sodom, who is a mere human pretending to have given Abram all he owns. We can learn something crucial from Abram here.Abram left his place and followed God with his all when God told him that He would bless him. He humbled himself before God because he clearly knew it is only God who can lift anyone. No man can make anyone rich. Such words will come out of people who are simply proud at heart, as no one has anything that is eternally his to say that he can make another person rich. We can't even say we can give something to someone and be proud about it, as all belongs to God. Abram was careful to give glory only to God for all he had. At the same time, he made sure his workers received their share. As a leader, he was careful to give what is due to them for the work they have done. May God give us the wisdom to get the share we have earned by working. Also, let God take the glory for everything we have.Dear God, may we be wise like Abram to discern people when they are trying to give us something. May we receive anything only from Your hands. We praise You for all You have given us already. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Melchizedek is one of the persons in the Bible about whom we might have some vague ideas. It may be because he has not been introduced in the Bible with the genealogy by the author; this is to distinguish him and compare him with Messiah. However, he is a normal person. He has been compared with Messiah because he was the king as well as the Priest. He was the king of Salem (Jerusalem) who worshipped El, the one true creator God. Abraham gave him tithe as he worshipped the same created God who is referred to as Father God in the Bible. Biblical History has people like Job and Melchizedek who lived during Abraham's time and worshipped God as he worshipped Him. In Jesus, the Messiah, we have the priest, and the Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek’” (Psalm 110:4). In Revelation 19:16, we see on Christ's robe and his thigh a name which is King of kings and Lord of lords. The earthly priest will offer sacrifices after sacrifices and will die one day. However, Jesus himself is the sacrifice and the priest who is eternal. He stands in the presence of the Father to show mercy to the sons and daughters of God. He is an eternal king too who rules forever. In Him, we have forgiveness, love, protection, and everything. May we run to Him as every day we need His grace and His protection. Revelation 1:5-6 To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Thus, Christ has become king and priest, making us kings and priests. We are to intercede for our country to Christ. We have to live in authority with the power that is in our Christ for us. Dear God, we praise you for being our king and our priest. May we always find solace, peace, and security in your presence. May we never sit alone and cry in our desperation; may we know that you are always there for us to help us. Strengthen and equip us, Lord, to be kings and priests in your presence and live in grace and power. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

When we were young and asked to share cake or chocolate with siblings, friends, or cousins, how did we choose? At least once, we measured the portions to get the biggest one. However, when our parents shared something with us, the outcome was different; they ensured we received the best. Here, Abraham and Lot decided to separate, and Lot, like an immature person, didn't want to give the best to Abraham. He didn't want him or his family to have less comfort at the cost of giving the best to his brother. Genesis chapter 13, verse 10 says, "Lot looked around and saw that the whole Jordan Valley, all the way to Zoar, had plenty of water, like the garden of the Lord. So Lot chose the whole Jordan Valley for himself and moved away towards the east." What a cunning fellow our dear Lot must be! Considering all that happened to Abraham and how Lot took the best, leaving the rest, God, with the heart of a father, comes to him directly and asks him to look in all directions. Just as Abraham gave Lot the freedom to choose, and Lot looked around, now God is giving Abraham the choice to look around in every direction and giving everything to him forever. God said he blessed Abraham to have countless descendants, like the number of dust on earth. Abraham definitely got moved when Lot moved away, but God started moving things in his favor. The next verse says, Abraham built an altar to God, worshiping Him for the mercy shown not only to him but to his generation. Hey friend, if you feel broken and betrayed by someone close, if you think they took the best portion, choose God as your portion, not any mere land or a house. God will immediately see your heart, bless you, and your generation. In Isaiah 44:3, God says, "I will pour... My blessing upon thine offspring." May God bless us all with the promise he has given in the above verse. Dear God, thank you for being our portion. All we need is you. Thank you for looking at our hearts when we felt betrayed. Thank you for taking our case into your hands, and thank you for going to bless us beyond our imagination. May your mercy be upon us and our generations forever. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

We have seen the heroes of faith listed in the Book of Hebrews. Most of the heroes there had their own flaws. Here, the man known for his faith(Abraham) in God is making a mistake from which we can learn a lot. Many times, we can see God commanding His people not to be afraid but to be strong. (This surely is an essential trait needed for anyone to stand against sin.) An example is the word of God to Joshua after Moses' death. Here too, Abraham is afraid of the harm people could do to him. The fear made him tell a lie, which he might have considered a white lie. But, in order to protect his life (selfish motive), he risked his wife's life. He made her stand before the enemy and hid behind her in disguise (which is not necessary). This is why the Lord not only asks us not to be afraid but commands us not to be. This is the trait the Lord expects from any leader. In Joshua 1:9 God says, "This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” The nation was as bad as Abraham expected. When they saw a beautiful woman, they took her to their palace. We have nothing here to justify their culture. But, instead of hiding away from such culture, it would have been great if Abraham had stood against it boldly. There is no way to stop a sinful culture by bearing it. Nothing will change when it is not addressed. May God give us the wisdom to handle the cultural challenges we face in our day-to-day life. May we be bold and not afraid of anything when the enemy tries to instill fear in us to make us fall for it. Dear God, help us to be fearless. Let us not disguise ourselves behind anyone and sin against you. Guard us, Lord. Keep us bold and courageous always. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

We can see people around us saying God has called them, and soon they leave all they own to go after the Lord. Here is an example of one such thing: God said to Abraham in Genesis chapter 12, verses 1 and 2 as follows, "The Lord said to Abraham, 'Leave your country, your relatives, and your father's home, and go to a land that I am going to show you. I will give you many descendants, and they will become a great nation. I will bless you and make your name famous, so that you will be a blessing.' "People read a beautiful verse about the bride of Christ on the day of the wedding, asking the daughter to forget her family and go after the Lord. (As explained by a pastor in a wedding ceremony recently: This means that the wife should forget the sadness of being separated from parents when she sees the love she receives from her husband, nothing else!) Very similarly, God calls Abraham. He is a family man, yet God wanted him for Himself. God told him to leave all and go after the Lord to the place where He leads to stay blessed and beget children. God wanted him to untie everything that burdens him from following the Lord. The Lord emphasizes again and again that He Himself will bless Abraham. It is like how called the Levites( though not in every way!). He is their everything. We know how Abraham ended up as a blessing when he gave himself to obey the calling of the Lord. He was separated unto God and for His plans. Hey friend, how do we react when God calls usto leave some things and follow Him and His plans? Abraham was our father because of his unwavering faith. May God bless us, Abraham's children, to move where He leads with His strength. May we be a blessing like him to many. Dear God, thank you for calling us. Lead us in your ways. Equip us with strength and faith to follow you where you lead, even though we can't see what is ahead. We commit to trust and obey you fully. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen

The Bible talks about many talented people; none of us came into the world with anything that was our own. God sent us into the world with unique sets of gifts and abilities. Some became great at their talents with God's help. Nimrod is one such person known for his hunting skills (Genesis chapter 10, verse 9). By the Lord's help, he was a great hunter, and people say, "May the Lord make you as great a hunter as Nimrod." He built and ruled many cities, appearing as a man considered blessed and harmless. However, in the next chapter, we see the rise of the Tower of Babel, built to establish globalization. God's plan for human beings was to spread over the earth and multiply. Yet, here we see men joining together to make a name for themselves (verse 4). The Bible records many people's names, but there is no space for these men's names; it simply says the Lord made them babble and made fools of them. Though researchers say Nimrod was the mastermind behind building the Tower of Babel to create a great name for himself, comparing himself with Lucifer, who rebelled against God and His plans, the Bible doesn't credit anyone for building something with such intentions. When God lifts us up, let us not try to create a name for ourselves. Instead, strive to lift the name of Jesus, the name above all, in everything you do, and you will marvel at how God honors those who honor Him. Hey friend, stop a second and think about what we are building and why we are building. God sees our intentions. Dear God, thank you for every gift you have showered upon us. May we never be proud of anything in our lives, and may we never fail to lift your name always through everything we do. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

One of the most beautiful things in the Bible is the rainbow and the reason behind it. God made it appear so that it would be a sign of peace between men, living things, and God. In Genesis Chapter 8, verse 21, God says, "Never again will I put the earth under the curse because of what man does." God blessed Noah's family and The rainbow was a calming sign from God to all living beings. We are living in the end times where we can see men corrupt not only their thoughts but the meaning behind God's creation. Once the people of the world lost their salvation when they didn't listen to the words of Noah and drowned in the flood. Now, our generation has increased its tendency of mocking God by giving another name to the rainbow and making it stand for sin. (Good their symbol have one less color than the real rainbow, beware of the deception).Let us not be deceived by such deception. May we guard our families and generations by grounding them in God's words. Hosea 4:6 says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children." The world is now like a small village connected by technology. Our generation is not safe from the corrupted ideas that come out of the corrupted thoughts of men who live in sin. May we be the guardians standing in the gap, so this will have no power over our families and generations. Let our children,youngsters, family members be filled with the knowledge of God. There is nothing about love in the sinful rainbow like symbol that the world has. May God help us to crush the deceitful thoughts with the power of His words. Dear God, thank you for your covenant with Noah. May that be the covenant you made with our families too. We commit this generation who is trying to corrupt the reason behind you bringing the rainbow. Let them (human beings) do not lose their chance of being saved this time. May they come to know Jesus and His ways. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Someone wise once said, "It is better to give than to receive." We must have received numerous blessings from God that are blessing us every day. In turn, what is our gift for Him? Genesis 8:20 says, "Noah built an altar to the Lord; he took one of each kind of ritually clean animal and bird and burnt them as a whole sacrifice for God." We must have heard that we should burn our anger, ego, selfishness, etc., at the altar. Those are unclean. But here God is pleased with what Noah gave. Noah gave something that was clean. Do we have anything in our lives that we can give unto God that is "clean"? It may be your musical talent. It may be a room in your house. Have we dedicated anything in our lives for God and God alone? Let us learn from Noah to give to God a clean sacrifice. Yes, you heard it right. It is a sacrifice. It will not come easily, but with dedication alone. If you have not had anything like that so far, dedicate one now. Not for the world but for God alone. 2 Timothy verse 20 says, "If anyone makes himself clean from all those evil things (evil and foolish talks, arguments, Verse 16; passions of youth, Verse 22), he will be used for special purposes because he is dedicated and useful to His Master." May we take care to be a useful vessel for the Master. Dear God, we love you, and we dedicate this (...) in our lives for your glory. May we be of good use for your work. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

The Lord God always has a good plan for those who respect and obey Him completely. In Genesis 7, verse 16 says, "Then the Lord shut the door behind Noah." Before that, He gave instructions to gather food for his family and for all the birds and animals that were with Him. When we are surrounded by rain, flood, and storm, the Lord keeps the doors shut. We, the Chennaiites and the Tutucorians, Tirunelvelian people, had a firsthand experience of facing the storm, and nothing felt safer than the closed doors with enough food without rain invading the home. The Lord God shuts the door sometimes to keep us safe. We pray for open doors, but when we look back, the doors that were shut by Him are for greater good. Genesis Chapter 8, verse 1 says, "God had not forgotten Noah and all the animals with him in the boat. He caused the wind to blow, and the waters started going down." After He shuts the door, He cares enough to work on your behalf, to make you come out and live. When He opens the door again(a new beginning), like Noah, let's build an altar and sacrifice that which pleases Him. Dear God, thank you for the doors you have shut to protect us. Thank you, Lord, for the open doors you have for us. In Jesus' name, we thank. Amen.

The world can never forget the Titanic, the unsinkable ship 🚢. It was built by experts of this world, yet it drowned and killed almost all, leaving only a few. Here is another story about the real unsinkable boat built by an amateur, but it was constructed as God had instructed—the master builder of the universe. It stood when the world drowned. We, the people of God, are living in the world, witnessing the majestic lives people create with their expertise. Surely, many successful experts in the world do not know or care about the Lord God. When we see the world, we often drift from setting ourselves apart for God. We find ourselves compromising God's way of living. However, Noah never compromised a single bit. He set himself apart for the Lord, obeying every syllable uttered by God while building the boat. He dared to be different, lacking expertise but constructing the boat exactly as instructed by God. Are we irritated when God's word gives us rules to follow to stay holy and keep ourselves in the altar of God? Or are we giving our hundred percent to God? Hey friend, build your boat as per His instructions to save yourself and your family. Verse 22 says, "Noah did everything that God commanded." Are we willing to follow Him with our everything? You may say your friend is a good man, yet he isn't fully following God's word. Dear believer, we ought to obey the greater calling to fulfill the greater purpose. Being good is not enough. Being holy, aligning your life with God's word, following Christ, and allowing yourself to be molded by God to become like Christ is the essence. By doing so, you will build an unsinkable boat that safely reaches its destination as destined by God. Be ready to be looked at as strange by the world, as we are not of this world. We are His people. Dear God, give us the courage, determination, and the fire to follow you like Noah followed you, obeyed you. May we obey every syllable that has been uttered by you. May we be set apart holy unto you. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

We all have a tendency to feel sorry for many reasons. People feel sorry when their health fails or when they lose their wealth, and so on. But do you know when the Lord feels sorry? Genesis chapter 6, verse 5, says, "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 the earth." Micah 6:8 says, "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, love mercy." The only thing the Lord requires from men is this, and it sounds so simple, yet so hard. Jesus, while he was living on earth, showed how to live and please God. His way of thinking and living was the standard set by God, which we think is unattainable. But when we cooperate with the Holy Spirit, He will lead us; it is us who are expected to make decisions with our free will.The following verse shows the power we have to make decisions and how to analyze before making the right choice: "You say, ‘I am allowed to do anything’—but not everything is good for you. You say, ‘I am allowed to do anything’—but not everything is beneficial" (1 Corinthians 10:23). We can keep the above verse as a base upon which we can try to build the decision. Here is a wise leader taking a decision and setting a model for a whole nation (Israelites): "But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:14-15). When we understand that we are responsible for our choices and the consequences that follow us on earth because of it, we will surely consider what is good for us and beneficial for everyone. As owners of our free will, we should be like Joshua in taking a firm decision. Dear God, help us to be a source of joy to you. May we not bring sorrow to your heart. May you strengthen us to make right decisions consistently in every choice we make every day. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

There is a Lamech mentioned in Genesis 5 who is the descendant of Seth, Adam's third son. He had a son and named him Noah. He had huge hopes about him. In Genesis 5, verse 28, he says, "From the very ground on which the Lord put a curse, this child will bring us relief from all hard work." It is amazing that the Bible captures important statements uttered by common people; here, it is from a normal parent. We humans have to put our hopes on God alone for the provision of everything. Like how God himself gave us children. He himself will provide for all our needs. Parents, when they beget children, should rely on God for every provision; Are we considering our children to be our saviour? Young men and women should rely not on each other's financial strength or properties but on God for a hopeful future. Though Lemech stated the above statement, his own son proved him otherwise. Noah became an example of trusting God's word and hoping in Him alone for everything. May we consider the Lord as our inheritance, as the Psalmist says, "Our God is our inheritance, our possession, our treasure, and also the portion of our cup for our enjoyment" (Psa. 16:5). May He be the source of your hope, joy, security, and enjoyment both when you are young and when you are old. Trust not in mere men. God is able to provide all your needs faithfully. He is the one who can satisfy any need of yours, not your parents, children, or anyone. May God help us to completely rely on Him. We should thank God for everyone who helps us. But they should not be our hope when we are in need. Dear God, you deserve all glory for everything we are now. We believe you are our provider, our secure future, our inheritance. You will provide all now and till the end. Thank you, dear Lord. In Jesus' name, we thank. Amen.

When we read the Bible, we used to ignore some minor characters just like that. Here is such a man (Lamech) from the family line of Cain. He had three gifted children. One is the father of music, Jubal, who was well praised in English literature. Lamech killed someone for striking him and boasted that he should never face consequences for his sin. He is boasting about his forefather and his sins too (Genesis 4:23,24). No man can be a role model except Jesus; keep none as your idol. The Bible in Matthew 26:52 says, "Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword." We can be anyone; for any of us, the sword can never be the choice to escape consequences. Hey friend, are we boasting in any such things? It is foolishness to boast about sin, about violence, thinking of it as bravery. It will eventually bring death (separation from God who is life). Let us be careful about what we boast. Psalm 19:12,13 says, "No one can see his own errors; deliver me, Lord, from hidden faults! Keep me safe, also from wilful sins; don't let them rule over me. Then I shall be perfect and free from the evil of sins." May that be our prayers too. May the Lord help us to keep our conscience clear. 1 Corinthians 1:8 says, "He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be faultless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." As said, let the Lord fill us with his strength and keep us firm to stand for Him by shunning evil and sin in any form. Dear God, thank you for the will you have given us. May we always align it with yours. We claim the faultless life that you can give us. Keep us firm, Lord. May we boast about nothing but you. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.