Assurance

There are many people, who have their assurance on money, on power and everything they posses. They have made their life secure, by insurances and not assurances. In, a place where we live, nowadays we have to live a careful life as there is insecurity and terror all around. If, there is someone to give us assurance that we can lead a smooth life, we will be happy and tension free.

My, 4 and half year old niece, she needs the assurance from her mother, that she slept with her at night, so every morning she asks her Mom "yesterday did I sleep with you"? When her mom says "yes my dear, you slept with me". That is the time she is assured. She wants the words from  her mother. She wants an assurance that mother will take care, she need not be afraid.

 Assurance is the promise or a guarantee given by someone to us. God's promise can be seen in the whole Bible. He promises us;  of His love, security, protection in all aspects of life. As it is said in Heb 10:22 "Let  us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water". Assurance is linked to faith and faithfulness. God wants his children, to have a full assurance of faith in Him. This assurance of God, can only be increased in when there is testing, and trials in life. Like, we see in the life of Abraham, only after frequent test did he have the assurance of God's love.

When, troubles enter our lives like storm, we wait for an assuring hand, to relieve us from the storm. That, is the time we need to cling like a kangaroo on to someone for help, sometimes, people don't need a reason when they're in the middle of a storm. They, just need a reassurance that God will not leave you alone in it. As it is written clearly in the bible, in Heb 13: 5-6 "I will not leave you, nor forsake you". God will always fulfill our need. Though there will be troubles in our life difficult and overwhelming situations but God will be there to help us from those situations. Assurance is based on the knowledge of God's work in our lives.

I like that song "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine. Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of His spirit, washed in his blood." This song assures me with the certainty with God in all situation and it fills me with a confidence, that Jesus is mine, and Assurance of salvation in Him, that one day I will see Him face to face and I will keep praising Him all day long.

I’m just writing a blog post, for you to have more confidence and faith in God, so that you can submit all your problems on Him, and have a assured life. If, you know this article would help someone, or encourage them, please do share with them. I’d also love to hear from you. Please do leave a comment.

Thanks

Ann

Spreading the fragrance

When we smell something, it not only involves our sense organ the nose, but our  body, and mind and we start to act on it. If we sense a sweet fragrance we start looking from where it is coming? Is it from a nice flower, a perfume or if it's a tempting food? If the smell stinks then we look around, if an animal is dead somewhere, or if some food is rotten and stinking or if any drainage pipe is broken? The smell leads us to do the action.

Onions

Being, summer the seasonal vegetables and fruits are very cheap especially in north India. I, remember an incident of my childhood; when the price of Onions and potatoes used to go down in the market, my father used to buy them in a bulk amount and spread the onion and used to keep it underneath the cot as, in those times our houses were small with no store rooms, like that of today. Every week one of the children had the duty to check the spoiled onions, so as to remove them and keep others tidily. Now, it  so happened that an onion was rotten and it was my duty to check which I  did not do. This brought a stinking smell in our house as if some animal had been dead, everyone started searching whether it is a rat or some other thing. The smell was disgusting. In a fear of getting scolding from my parents, I did not utter a thing. That is how the sense of smell comes in action. Action was taken the whole house was cleaned ,mopped, rotten onion was taken out. A sweet smelling incense was lit to remove the odour from the room. As we read in the scriptures in 2 Cor 2:15 " For we are to God a sweet fragrance of Christ in them that are saved  and in them that perish".

Jasmine flower

God uses weak, fragile, cracked, broken vessels for His glory. We should spread the fragrance where we live. A broken pot or a cracked pot, leaks the thing stored in it, thus our fragrance should leak from us and be spread to others. Your odour comes from where you dwell just like, a jasmine flower or a rose flower ;the place where it grows and buds and blooms, that place is filled with its, sweet fragrance. When, we smell the fragrance of God everywhere, that shows we have a close and intimate relation with our creator. Sometimes, we like to be totally lost in that smell. Like a person whom we love wears a sweet fragrance, whenever we smell the same scent we are lost in that smell, and think our loving person is close to us. Same thing happens when we are intimate to God we are just lost in his love. We have a sense of joy and peace and fullness of love for God when we smell God's fragrance. This fragrance, leads us to discern that God is present in all things. When we worship God, it produces a sweet smelling fragrance of God's nature in our lives. We should be spreading this sweet fragrance to the world around us.

I’m just writing a blog post, for your encouragement. If you know this article would help someone or encourage them, please do share with them. I’d also love to hear from you. Please do leave a comment.

Thanks

Ann

Value everything which God gave.

There is a proverb "You only know what you’ve got, when it’s gone".

Every moment, that passes in our life is of a great opportunity.  Many people, only realize the importance, of a thing when they lose that thing. Whatever God has given in our lives should be valued. Unfortunately, people take the blessings, God gave in our daily lives for granted. Whether, it is a big thing or a small thing, it's God who has given; each one valuable gifts in their life. Value, the thing which you have. Instead of that, everyone’s keeps an eye on the things other people have, but they don't have; take it to be a physical thing, or material thing. Like, some complain that God, didn't give beautiful hands or legs, they don't value, that at least they have hands and legs to work, or do their activities, but complain of it to be less beautiful.

 I, recently went through a very nice, motivational story of an orphan blind boy. A blind boy, used to beg near a crowded roadside. He, had a board in front of him " I am blind  please help" . Many passerby used to just see, him begging and go away. One day, a young man came to him looked over his board dropped a few coins in his bowl and did some corrections on his board and went his way. The boy noticed a change, all the passerby stopped, and used to put money on his begging bowl. The blind boy, was very happy. After, few days the blind boy could recognize, the footsteps of the same young man, who had changed his board. He, thanked the young man and asked, Sir what did you write on the board, as after you wrote the money came pouring in. The young man, said I just wrote "This is a beautiful day but I can't see".

 That was the moment, people recognized the importance of eyes in their lives. They came to know the value, of their own eyes. Such, is the case of many of us nowadays. We, forget the value of things God has given, we do not realize the true blessings in our lives. God, has told us in many places in the bible that "you are of more value than many sparrows", Matt 10:31. We are made in God's own image. You and me, are precious in His eyes. In, Ps 139:14 David says, "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well".

I’m just, writing a blog post, for your encouragement. If you know this article would help someone or encourage them, please do share with them. I’d also love to hear from you. Please do leave a comment.

Thanks

Ann

Satisfaction in Life

Where are we running? Have you ever stopped and thought about it? Did you ever feel as if you are on a treadmill just running with no end?

 We are so busy nowadays, that we even forget to smell the beautiful roses in our garden, or pause to see the beauty of the flowers on the roadside. Is, there any way to find joy, peace and satisfaction in our life. We are desperate in seeking the answers to these questions. Some, people think they will be satisfied  if they have enough wealth or material gain. Some think, a time will come when they will just relax back, and enjoy the fruit of their hard work. But, most people don't understand, that they will have to leave this world, before they can be fully satisfied, in their life.

 I, have read an article that most of them in their life, be it a child, a school going teenager, an adult, or an old person; wants to be satisfied in life. A child thinks, if he has lots and lots of toys and chocolates, he can be happy. A teenager, thinks if he gets good grade in school or  is good in sports then, he will be happy and satisfied. An adult thinks, a good house or a good job or a car will make him, happy and satisfied. An old person, thinks if his children  get good job or if he has enough bank balance he will be, happy and be contend in life. But, all of them will never be content rather they will be discontent, or dissatisfied as they always want more and more.

Apostle Paul, says so wonderfully in, Phil 4:11 "Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need".

I read a story of Leo Tolstoy which came in the times of India on 03/06/2019: Once, there was a peasant in Russia, who owned  a small land. He led a peaceful and satisfied life, until one day he started envying, a rich landlord. He, started desiring to have more, land like that, of the landlord. He started saving money. He travelled to see a land and found out the people living in that land led a nomadic life.  He, made an agreement with the chief in charge of that land. Agreement was that, the peasant has to walk from the morning, till sunset. The distance, he walked; that land he could keep for himself. The peasant was overjoyed. He, started walking extremely fast, so as to cover more ground. When, the sun was extremely hot and high in the sky, he did not stop even for food or water. His leg grew weaker and tired but, he refused to rest even for a moment. The sun was about to set, and this peasant because of his discontentment and greediness; fell down exhausting and before he could acquire that land he was dead.  

" Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Heb 13:5

I’m just writing a blog post, for your encouragement. If you know this article would help someone or encourage them, please do share with them. I’d also love to hear from you. Please do leave a comment.

Thanks

Ann 

Splendid creation

I, carefully observed how wonderfully my, 4 year old niece was coloring a picture, in her picture book. With great caution she was coloring the right colors keenly and patiently to complete her picture with no mistakes. So, that at the end I can put a remark; it's good, splendid. I wondered, on to the creation which God made, indeed so wonderfully and carefully that no one can say there was a mistake. Everything in it's proper place, everything good. How beautiful and magnificent nature is; infact God who is the original architect and creator, made everything splendid in the places they should be. Sun to rule by day and moon to rule at night. Both have it's importance in it's place. He has made the beautiful valleys, mountains, flowers, fields, trees. The forest made so wonderfully with different types of trees in it. Trees with different flowers, leaves and fruits which are so pretty to see. When we look at the ocean the vast sky, it is God alone who created the heavens, fashioned and made the earth in such a marvelous and splendid way. It's written wonderfully in the Bible in Ps 19:1 "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork."

I, just happened to stand outside my house in the night time, as it was summer, good to be on the terrace, when cool breeze blows saying just one message that: God is glorious! God is glorious! God is glorious!, I started singing an old song,...

" My God is so big,  so strong and so mighty there's nothing that He cannot do.

 He made the mountains, He made the rivers the stars are His handiwork too".

In the dark, when we see countless number of stars, lit up on the sky it seems as if, somebody has sprinkled the stars on the sky; to illuminate the earth. Day and night the flowers, the stars, the wind, the rivers, the mountains; keep telling about God and his splendid work.  How splendid the work of our God. I paused for a while to peep into myself and just could not stop praising Him when I realized my importance. This human body which he formed with a brain, a heart, kidneys, lungs, liver to function the full structure. Our small brain having so many blood vessels, neurons, white and grey matter, which regulates our body and brings the temperature under control, coordination and so many other functions. Splendid in deed... I marvel at the majestic work of God's creation, the more we magnify God the more we amaze the beautiful and splendid creation He made. When we see God's invisible qualities His characters the nature of His love we understand one thing, because He loved us so much, He made this universe and all the things in it for you and me to enjoy. As written in the scriptures Rom 1:20 we ought to glorify God for this wonderful and splendid creation.