When you've reached the edge of all reason....

Are you tired of it all? Find yourself in a circumstance without hope? Feel all doors and windows are shut and you're getting claustrophobic?

Do you think no one else understands what you are facing? That's probably true, you know.

When viewed through human eyes, no can usually empathize that well with a desperate situation. Even though we've all been there,done that; a desperate situation is still just that- desperate and without hope.

Let me tell you about a woman I know. She found herself in a frightening, pathetic, painful situation just as you are right now. Where, how and who are not important- it can be anyone, anyplace in a desperate situation. But this woman, who was in a situation so hopeless that death was certain, dared to risk enough that she stepped out in faith and obeyed in spite of the obvious.

Because she was obedient, a ray of hope came into her life.Read up more on this woman in 1 Kings 17:8-16. Obedience is the key;when you are at the edge of all reason to hope, obedience unlocks the door for blessing and hope to follow.

Perhaps right now, your life's hurtling at breakneck speed to a dead end wall. Do you want to just get off this particular journey and end it all? but Your God has a message for you," I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too difficult for me?" Jer 32:27.

If you are thinking,"Yea right! My situation is different,nobody can help me out here." know that God is God and nothing is too difficult for Him. Look back to the woman in the story- she obeyed faithfully in a situation where sucide was the only answer and God supplied! Ask yourself today,"Is my __________ too difficult for God? (fill in with your own burden.)
No matter how impossible it seems to you, the answer is always the same from God," Nothing is too difficult for me!!"

Why me,Lord?

Ok, all hands up those of you who have asked this at least once! I have news for you people - even Jesus did this! He knew He has sent to earth fwith a single purpose.Yet hours before the ultimate act of obedience, He asked His Father," Why me? Do I really have to do this? ( Matt 26:39)

Consider the scenario of guy yappin' away on his mobile while navigating heavy traffic. A lady jaywalks. He loses control of his vehicle and rams into a crowd of pedestrians. She made a poor choice. He made the wrong choice of time to be on his phone. Either way, people hurt all over. The ripple effect...
Bad stuff can also happen coz we live in a world that isn't perfect.

So are you telling me that either way I'm a goner??

Not by a long way! There's Someone who has promised to stick with you thru thick and thin. Read it all over again in Matt:28:20.You can count on Him anytime. Bad things are bound to happen on earth.That's the way of the world.

But keep in mind, there are no tears or sadness in Heaven. He will wipe away your tears. Don't we,loving parents, go out of our way to comfort and console a crying child? Do we not wrap them in our arms until the pain subsides? Are we above and better than our creator at Godly parenting? (Read Psalm 56:8, Rev 21:14,Matt 5:4)

For those of you still singing the chorus at the pity party-Two wrongs do not make a right. Learn to ask for His decision before consulting self. Even Jesus did this. The world is most often wrong.

Wheat and Weeds

In Matthew 13:24-30, we read the Parable of Tares . Here, the Kingdom of heaven is compared to a field of wheat and weeds.

The wheat in this parable are the believers and God is the Sower. The devil comes in the night to plant the weeds-thoughts and practices that distract us from being true wheat.

As wheat, it is not our job to point out the weeds in our field. Our only responsibilty is to grow as tall as we can and bear as much fruit for the Sower. I know I needed to hear that. I am one of those people who tends to be a litttle too self-righteous sometimes. I see people not conducting themselves "in a manner worthy of the gospel" (Phil. 1:27), and I am so quick to judge. But guess what? I'm not the harvester, so I have no right to pluck the weeds. It's not even my business to find out whether they are truly wheat or weeds. I am here to glorify the Father and Him alone.

Pay attention to v 30: Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.

That's right! Ignore the weeds and concentrate on becoming strong wheat.

Does suffering and affliction come from God?

An oft asked question which Ravi Zachrias answered beautifully in many many ways during his visit here in Cochin...Here's what I understood..
1) If you can accept blessings and gifts from God, how can you turn up your nose at all that comes from Him?
2) Suffering, affliction, perfection, and strength these are all parts of God's ultimate purpose for us. Satan—despite his incredibly cunning intelligence, cleverness, and power—is still only a puppet in God's hand to bring about His purpose. We see this clearly in the Book of Job. God is far more powerful than Satan. Though Satan boasts about His power on us (and that too because we let him!), God's power and might is far greater over Satan.