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Category: BIBLE STUDY AND MEDITATIONS

Thinking rightly and deeply about God, and how His word impacts every area and moment of our lives.

  • What ‘Walking Together’ Means For Our Relationship With God

    What ‘Walking Together’ Means For Our Relationship With God

    God’s rhetorical question to the people of Israel, He asks through the prophet Amos, is one we must apply to our relationship with Him…

    Can two walk together unless they are agreed?

    Amos 3:3 NKJV

    God calls out Israel, His chosen people, whom He had freed out of Egypt, on their misalignment with Him. Misalignment with God is disobedience.

    You know how difficult and uncomfortable things get, when you’ve agreed to walk with a friend and you’re facing opposite directions. This is compounded in our relationship with God, the most important relationship we will ever have, where its necessary, and vital that we’re aligned with Him.

    Walking together

    Enoch is often held up as a prime example of someone who walked with God. When we read and take n apart bit by bit, it yields a deeper richer sense of intimacy that this old introvert wants, hopes to get.

    Walking is an idiom meaning fellowship, partnership and shared direction. In the Bible, the people who walk with God are obedient to Him and follow His directions.

    Walking with God is not a casual activity one takes up on a weekend but soon abandons it on Monday morning. No, walking with God is a commitment that is meant to involve your entire life for the rest of your life. It means setting aside everything and anything that threatens to distract you away from your time with God. It means prioritizing time with Him, holding intimate honest conversations with Him through prayer, reading the Bible every day to know more of Him, to truly know Him.

    When deep calls to deep

    God has already set His terms in His Word, the Holy Bible, and through the Word, Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, of how He wants us to relate to Him and what we’re to do. It’s now up to us to follow through and stay the course.

    We begin by surrendering all we are to Him, surrendering our goals and purposes for His, prioritizing Him in our daily lives.

    Reflect on it

    What do you need to do today, right now, to get in sync with God?

    Photo by Jan Canty on Unsplash

  • I Shall Not Want: Thoughts on Psalm 23

    I Shall Not Want: Thoughts on Psalm 23

    Have you ever wondered about the things you will not want when reading Psalm 23:1?

    It’s been on my mind a lot lately when meditating on verse 1 in particular. I read somewhere, sometime ago, that it has something to do with not having any lack in our lives. Because when the Lord God is our Shepherd, we have everything. The best of everything.

    When I think of all the things I won’t lack, all I think about are the things I need, like the air I breathe, clean water, good food, and good health. I’m not thinking about the things I don’t want. I wonder why I’ve not thought much about these unwanted things, or why I’ve never prayed against them.

    The Unwanted

    It’s easy for me to only focus on the good things in my life when life is good and everything seems to be going great. But when problems arise, my focus shifts and I start thinking about all the things I don’t want in my life: sickness, lack of money, rude people, stress, bad weather, and the list goes on.

    When we have all the good, we won’t want any of the bad. When we have God’s goodness, we won’t even think about any bad thing. And that’s a good thing because our minds are supposed to be on God.

    God promises His perfect peace to us when our minds are on Him. Think of God, think of all the good He’s done in, for you and through you. Be thankful, be grateful, and you’ll be content.

  • In Spite Of Present Troubles, God Is In Control

    In Spite Of Present Troubles, God Is In Control

    Have you remained faithful and true to God in spite of the troubles you’re going through? Is it an easy thing to do?

    The Book of Daniel is one of my favourite books of the Bible because of its account of the four friends, who despite being taken captive by an enemy king, remained faithful to God.

    Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his army besieged Jerusalem and ‘he carried into captivity all Jerusalem: all the captains and all the mighty men of valor, ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths. None remained except the poorest people of the land.’ (2 Kings 24:14 NKJV)

    Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were among those ‘young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand’ (Daniel 1:4 NKJV)

    A little history lesson

    To fully understand how and why Daniel and his friends became captives in Babylon, we have to go back to what the kings of Israel and Judah did during their reigns, in particular, Manasseh, whom the Bible says, ‘provoked God.

    Read these verses for context

    2 Chronicles 36:1-8
    2 Kings 20:12-19; 24
    Isaiah 39

    How do you remain faithful when your life is turning upside down?

    It’s easy for people, who aren’t going through what you’re going through, to tell you to just pray to God, pray harder, fast and pray, things will work out, God is faithful and so on and on. And you know that those are all true, but it sometimes doesn’t seem enough, or it feels and looks like nothing is happening in your circumstances, in fact, it’s getting worse.

    God tests and grows our faith and commitment in different ways. For some, job losses, death of loved ones, poverty, divorce, and for others it might be outright persecution for being a Christian, or for being a certain ethnicity. These are what we like to call ‘the Devil’s work. But, we forget that the Devil, no matter how powerful some people (usually his most outspoken and sadly deluded worshippers) say he is, still has to wait for God’s authorisation to act, especially when it comes to us believers and followers of Yeshua Hamashiach.

    Daniel and his friends knew this. Perhaps they heard or read about what happened to Job and trusted God enough to know that no matter what He would never allow anything to happen to them without also providing a way through.

    It might be easy for us who have never been taken captives or our home and countries have never been besieged by an enemy king like Daniel and his friends, we’ve never been taken hostage like those in Israel who were taken hostage by Hamas, or been persecuted like other Christians in some parts of the world, or even killed for our faith in Yeshua Hamashiach, like what’s happening in Nigeria and Mozambique, to say just remember Daniel and his friends. Do what they did. I think there is a valuable lesson we can learn right from the first chapter of Daniel on we can remain faithful and steadfast in the midst of trouble and tragedy.

    Purpose in your heart to remain faithful to God

    But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested with the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

    Daniel 1:8

    That’s the key. Daniel decided that even with something as seemingly small as what he ate and drank he would still follow the dietary requirements God set through Moses and Aaron. Read Leviticus 11.

    Daniel knew that if he remained faithful in the small things, God would trust him with big things, with bigger assignments. Some of us still eat and drink things we know are bad for us (I know a diabetic who eats sweets and fizzy drinks like coke despite her doctor’s warnings). God did trust Daniel with huge tasks, of helping to clarify God’s plan to Nebuchadnezzar and his successors.

    The point is that Daniel, Hananiah, Michael, and Azariah already believed in God before they were taken captive. Their new and desperate circumstances didn’t make them doubt God’s power, no, they remained resolute in their faith in God despite their captivity.

    If you already believe God when things are going well with you, then your faith must increase when times are bad because you know, that God is, and always will be, in full and complete control.

    Keep those who are also going through hard times, and even harder times than you in your prayers. Pray that God keeps them faithful, and provides a way through their present troubles.

    May the Grace of God be with you always!

    Featured image http://www.plinia.net/wonders/gardens/hgpix1.html, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Happy Rosh Hashanah! Pray for the Peace of Israel

    Happy Rosh Hashanah! Pray for the Peace of Israel

    On Wednesday 17 September, Fiji became the one-hundredth Diplomatic Mission in Israel and the seventh country to open its Embassy in Jerusalem, alongside the U.S., Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea and Paraguay. This further strengthens the very close religious and cultural connection Fiji has with the Holy Land.

    Wooden blocks spelling the name of the nation Israel.
    Photo by Alex Shute on Unsplash, formatted in Canva

    While any move or gesture to support Israel draws criticism from her detractors, we Christians have a Biblical mandate to advocate for the peace of Jerusalem.

    Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces.”

    Psalm 122:6-7 NKJV

    We might not have the political standing or the financial means to endorse Israel, but I think our prayers also help because through them we agree with God’s will and heart for His people.

    May this new year bring you prosperity as you pray for the peace of Jerusalem and the salvation of God’s people.

    The grace of our Lord and Saviour Yeshua be with you all. Amen.

    Featured image by Circe Denyer on Public Domain Pictures, formatted in Canva

  • Psalm 25: A Plea for Deliverance and Forgiveness

    Psalm 25: A Plea for Deliverance and Forgiveness

    Make this, one of King David’s plea for deliverance and forgiveness, part of your prayer, and prayer life.

    A Psalm of David

    1. To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul.

    2. O my God, I trust in You; let me not be ashamed; let not my enemies triumph over me.

    3. Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed; let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.

    4. Show me, Your ways, O LORD; teach me, Your paths.

    5. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day.

    6. Remember, O LORD, Your tender mercies and Your loving kindnesses, for they have been from old.

    7. Do not remember the sins of youth, nor my transgressions; according to Your Mercy remember me, for Your goodness’ sake, O LORD.

    8. Good and upright is the LORD; therefore He teaches sinners in the way.

    9. The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way.

    10. All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth, to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.

    11. For Your name’s sake, O LORD, pardon my inquiry, for it is great.

    12. Who is the man that fears the LORD? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses.

    13. He himself shall dwell in prosperity, and his descendants shall inherit the earth.

    14. The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant.

    15. My eyes are ever toward the LORD,for He shall pluck my feet out of the net.

    16. Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me, for I’m desolate and afflicted.

    17. The troubles of my heart have enlarged; oh, bring me out of my distressed!

    18. Look on my affliction and my pain, and forgive all my sins.

    19. Consider my enemies, for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred.

    20. Oh, keep my soul, and deliver me; let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You.

    21. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for You.

    22. Redeem Israel, O God, out of all their troubles!

    This is from the New King James Version.

  • Is ‘the Conflict Really Only Between Truth and Lies, And Not Good and Evil?

    Is ‘the Conflict Really Only Between Truth and Lies, And Not Good and Evil?

    People like to say that the conflict is between good and evil. The real conflict is between truth and lies.

    Don Miguel Ruiz

    Does that quote make sense to you? It sounded smart to me the first time I heard it quoted on a Criminal Minds episode. But now, after I reread where I’d copied it in my diary, it sounds simple, unwise and false.

    Sidenote: Don Miguel Ruiz was quoted in the Criminal Minds episode “Lucky Strikes” (Season 5, Episode 5)…

    where the quote “People like to say that the conflict is between good and evil. The real conflict is between truth and lies” was used by David Rossi. Click here for more quotes from Criminal Minds. If you’re a Criminal Minds fan, explore the genre further with these books written on the subject, and cute Criminal Minds merchandise.

    How can you separate good from truth or truth from good? How can you separate evil from lies or lies from evil? You can’t do good or be good without having truth. You can’t lie without manifesting some manner of evil upon yourself and others. What is good, truth, lies and evil? Are they what you are, something you become, are they things that you do, but you don’t necessarily have to believe in them? What is this conflict?

    What is the conflict about?

    I’ve heard a few sermons about the ‘eternal conflict between God and Satan’ and how we’re in the middle and have to choose sides. One US preacher used the analogy of a chess game to show God’s and Satan’s strategies. God made the first move, then Satan made his move, and so on. The preacher said that the chess game or the moves began in the Garden of Eden and ended at the Lord Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. But it seems that all these sermons give Satan more power than he actually has. From what I understand from the Bible, God is the one with all power, and He is more powerful than anyone and anything in all the universe.

    If God is all-powerful, then there’s no conflict at all because anyone who stands against God is bound to lose. Maybe it’s a tug-of-war where these two supernatural beings, God and Satan, are pulling at opposite ends of the rope, and we’re the rope. Are we then at their mercy? Don’t we get any say in the matter? It might seem that way when you look at how things are right now in the world; it seems as if a hidden power is pulling all the strings, and everyone you think is a bad person is living the kind of best life you can only dream of.

    If there is a conflict, what is it about? According to the Bible, it’s for our souls, it’s about us choosing and obeying God. God has already established His sovereignty; it’s now up to us, who say we believe in Him, to stand up and testify for Him. He’s already laid out the steps, the plans, and the rewards in the Bible; we must obey.

    Good and evil, truth and lies

    So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.”

    Mark 10:18 NKJV

    God is inherently good and always speaks truth; Satan is the father of lies and is quick to do evil because that’s his nature. The Bible is full of people testifying to the goodness of God. The devil only leaves destruction and pain.

    You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

    John 8:44 NKJV

    Didn’t God create Lucifer, who’s now the devil, in the first place? Yes, He did. And like He did to us humans, God also gave Lucifer and the rest of the angels in Heaven free will. He gave all of us the right to choose Him or turn our backs on Him. And I think that’s where the conflict is; it’s inside of us and outside of us. It’s the struggle we face each day, whether to be nice to rude people, smile at unbelievers and pray for them, or make time to pray and read the Bible.

    Am I being biased because I’m a Christian? I know God is good because I’ve experienced His goodness myself. I’ve tried the anti-God way, in youth’s ill-informed rebellion, and all I got was confusion and shame. I’m not saying that becoming a Christian instantly made me a good person, or turned me holy and pious. Not at all; I’m still learning; the Holy Spirit leads me, slowly but surely, into God’s truths. And I hope that I reach that ‘all truths’ the Lord Jesus promised. I must say here that the pace at which the Holy Spirit leads me has been delayed by my own disobedience and immaturity, and not by any lack on His part.

    Even after years of being a believer, I still wake up some mornings rushing through a quick prayer and jumping right into the day. There are still some evenings when I turn to YouTube to unwind instead of talking with God about my day. Maybe I’ve made the mistake of holding on to this struggle, this conflict, instead of releasing it into God’s hands. Perhaps God is waiting for me to choose Him daily. Allow God into and to be part of my day.

    Who wins?

    Good and truth always reign triumphant over evil and lies. It’s the natural order of things. And I believe it’s so because before He created us, God already triumphed over Satan.

    Before Eden, God already had a plan in place. He knows all the moves that would be taken, all the evil visited, and all the lies told. God knows all and has a strategy, a move, a plan, a solution in place for it all.

    If we want to preserve our souls and prefer to spend eternity with God instead of in Hell with Satan, then it’s on us to choose God’s side. As our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, made clear in the Gospels, it’s on us to seek God’s Kingdom first, obey His commands, submit and surrender to Him. In that obedience, submission and surrender, we will learn more of Him, know Him more, and we’ll grow in deeper intimacy with Him.

    Let unbelievers rage on about what the conflict is about, or who’s at war, we believers and followers of Jesus Christ know the truth. The LORD God, source and embodiment of all that’s good and true, reigns victorious, forevermore, world without end. Amen.

    Image from Canva

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  • The Getting of Wisdom and Your God-Given Personality

    The Getting of Wisdom and Your God-Given Personality

    Reading Proverbs 31 led me to search online for the identity of King Lemuel, and theories abound about who he is or his parentage. One thing led to another, and I stumbled upon a personality test that interested me so much that I took a free one, and found that it classified me as an ‘INFP’ or a Mediator.

    Which got me thinking once again about King Lemuel’s mother, whom the Bible credits as giving him the words of wisdom recorded in Proverbs 31. If she were to take one of these personality tests, I’m certain that she’d score as an INFP.

    INFP stands for (I) Introverted, (N) Intuitive, (F) Feeling, and (P) Prospecting (Perceiving). Discover more about this by clicking here.

    King Lemuel’s mother treasured wisdom and wanted her son to have that same knowledge and understanding. She intuitively knew that a king needs a virtuous woman as a wife, and instructed her son on what kind of woman to look for.

    She knew that the right personality was needed to be king and queen. The right personality would know that to fear God is the beginning of wisdom, and worshipping Him is the path to deeper intimacy.

    Knowing yourself begins with knowing God, not just knowing about Him. To know God, you must, first of all, believe He exists and lives. We come to know God more by reading His Word, the Bible, spending time with Him in prayer and quiet reflection, and aligning our will, values, and personalities with His own.

    Have you taken any personality tests? What did you find out about yourself? Did it align with what you already know about yourself? Are you a fellow INFP? Share in the comments section below.

    Whatever your personality, I pray that you will prioritise more time in God’s presence this new month and use your personality to love Him more.

    Image from Canva

  • Embrace The Living God And Overcome Spiritual Idolatry

    Embrace The Living God And Overcome Spiritual Idolatry

    Memorials and keeping records are meaningful ways we remember the important moments of our lives. I wonder if you also take the opportunity to remember the Lord God and all He has done in your life.

    Remember this, and show yourselves men; recall to mind, O you transgressors.

    Remember the former things of old, for I Am God, and there is no other; I Am God, and there is none like Me,

    declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure’

    Isaiah 46:8-10 NKJV

    And it can be hectic worrying about getting things just right: planning a birthday, an anniversary, or a weekend away, and getting caught up in the emotion of the events, that we sometimes forget that God brought us through.

    The Danger of War Memorials and the Temptation of Idolatry

    Take war memorials. While they serve as solemn remembrances of those who sacrificed their lives, if we’re not careful, we can venerate the dead to the point of idolatry. These memorials and the memories of the dead can inadvertently become objects of worship, shifting our focus away from the true Lord God, the only one who deserves our worship.

    War’s True Culprit: Deception and the Spirit of the Enemy

    Remember, wars don’t simply appear out of nowhere, like a whirlwind, and catch people unawares in their wake. People wage war. People take up arms. People clash with one another, and people die.

    Everyone suffers and loses in war: the fallen soldiers, displaced families, refugees, and all those left behind – carrying wounds, trauma, and memories of loss.

    Correction: The warmongers benefit. I call them ‘the deluded ones’. Driven by greed, power, and deception, they’ve deceived themselves into believing Satan’s lies – that riches and power can be gained through violence and destruction. They believe they are advancing their interests, but the sad reality is that they’ve fallen into the Devil’s clutches and are blindly following him into destroying their fellow humans.

    Do not be deceived. There is spiritual warfare, and we engage in it, even if we don’t want to. This manifests in physical battles, whether in our relationships, health, finances and more.

    Keep God At The Centre

    As Christians and followers of Christ, we must not allow our remembrance practices to lead us into idolatry. Always keep God at the centre.

    Here are biblical and practical ways to remember the Lord God and keep Him at the centre of your daily life:

    • Pray and read Scripture daily to remind yourself of God’s sovereignty and faithfulness. Incorporate prayer and Scripture into your daily routines to centre your life in Christ.
    • Reflect on God’s love, mercy and justice and celebrate God’s goodness and faithfulness when reflecting on your personal and collective history.
    • Use memorials as opportunities to share the Gospel message, emphasising God’s eternal Kingdom over earthly achievements. Memorials and remembrances are to point us toward God and not worldly idols or false gods.
    • Teach others about the dangers of idolatry. Be cautious of cultural practices that may inadvertently elevate memorials or historical figures above God.

    Honour The Sacrifice Without Falling Into Idolatry

    Remembering the Lord God and putting Him first in all areas of our lives is essential for our spiritual growth and faithfulness. While honouring those who sacrificed for us is important, we must be careful not to idolise them. And not turn their memorials into shrines or objects of worship.

    Worship and our highest praise belong solely to the Lord God, His Son Jesus Christ, and to the Holy Spirit. We show our love for the LORD God by putting Him first in our lives.

    Image by PICRYL.com

  • The Miracle And Mystery Of The Resurrection

    The Miracle And Mystery Of The Resurrection

    The resurrection, although mysterious to our earthly minds, had to occur to seal the death and burial of Christ. What good would Jesus’ death have been if it didn’t end in His rising from the dead? God’s plan has always been for Jesus–Yeshua to die, and in a public manner as happened on the cross on Calvary, so that everyone–believers and non-believers alike–can see that he did die, that it wasn’t a show. The enemies of God needed to see and (wrongly) believe that they had killed Jesus, or had Him killed, and think that they had destroyed that so-called son of man forever. Gone is his mad teaching and his accusations about their lies and deceit. They didn’t plan with God, who knows the future and what would become of humanity with different belief systems drawing people farther away from God.

    The Empty Tomb

    Yeshua is alive again. Did God call Him out of the tomb like Yeshua did with Lazarus? Did the Spirit of God move over His body like it did over the waters at the beginning of creation? Or was that come-alive Spirit already there within Yeshua and was activated when His body died physically? In whatever mysterious way it happened, Yeshua did rise from the dead. He is risen.

    John writes that Mary Magdalene went to the tomb where Yeshua was buried while it was still dark. As soon as she saw that the stone had been removed from the mouth of the tomb, Mary ran back to the disciples and told Simon Peter and John about it. Mary hadn’t even looked inside the tomb but assumed that Yeshua’s body had been removed—from this, we know that Yeshua’s followers were aware of the Pharisees’ plot to move Yeshua’s body as a precaution against His prophecy coming true, that He would rise from the dead.

    Only when Yeshua physically appeared to them did the disciples and other followers believe what He had already promised them that He would rise again on the third day. Don’t we sometimes waiver like that, demanding tangible proof before we believe?

    Paul writes to the Colossians what Yeshua’s death accomplished, which was more than our sins being forgiven and washed away, there is more – ‘And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.’ Colossians 2:13-15

    So much more was going on behind the scenes while everyone was watching Yeshua’s unfair trials, torture, and the cross. While everyone was looking at what was unfolding in front of their eyes, God was moving in the unseen world, conquering, prevailing, and vanquishing evil. Yeshua testified that He had overcome the world.

    Restoration

    Yeshua wasn’t idle after He rose from the dead but continued His ministry, fulfilling God’s purpose to restore people to Him.

    Simon Peter denied Yeshua three times, and Yeshua asked Peter three times if he loved Him. As He restored Simon Peter, Yeshua restores us to Him and the Father when we repent. And He asks us that same question – do we love Him enough to be committed to Him?

    John doesn’t write about Yeshua’s ascension to Heaven. Did his heart long to always keep the Saviour close? Did he now want to let Yeshua go? I know I wouldn’t want to let Yeshua go either, especially knowing that He died in our place for the cleansing and forgiveness of our sins, was buried and is now alive again. Yeshua had to return to God so that the Holy Spirit could come in to live in us, getting near to completing the cycle – God above us, Yeshua lived and walked among us, and the Holy Spirit in us.

    Christianity alone offers forgiveness of sins when we confess and repent to God, transforms us through the power of the Holy Spirit, and guarantees our salvation into eternal life with God. Christianity is the message of indestructible hope in the person of Yeshua Hamashiach – Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

    Photo: Painting by Peter Paul Reubens – The Resurrection of Christ. Formatted in Canva