The Root cause of all good things!

James 1:17

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

I got acquainted with the words "root cause" so much in my work (thanks to my on-call cycles!), that the connotation it brings with it always has me thinking that something went wrong somewhere. When a Severity 2 ticket dings, especially after I push in a one-liner code change that I thought was too trivial and innocuous to be "tested", I invariably get into panic mode. I hope and even pray, that my little code fix does not turn out to be the culprit, or the "root cause" for the high impact issue. If every negatively impacting issue has a "root cause", what about all those other times when those issues don't occur or when something good happens? Those "good" times should also then have their own good reasons - or root causes. Those potential issues that could've happened, didn't happen because someone took enough care to avoid the pitfalls (In software development terms, I'd equate it with 'some disciplined developer diligently tested his/her code before shipping it!' :)). And those good things that happen, didn't just appear out of thin air, but came into existence because someone made a deliberate attempt through their efforts, to create something of value to those around them.

This led me to thinking about those times, when we tend to feel that there’s nothing exciting happening in life, when in fact there's Someone guarding us from all negative stuff that we're vulnerable to, and that Someone is orchestrating a million other things that we can't see or understand, to cause things to happen for our good as Romans 8:28 says. The Greatest Designer and Programmer of all times - who's never required a QA cycle for even the complex DNA code that He came up with - well, He is the root cause of all good things that are happening and will continue to happen. Take any good thing that's happened - Keep asking the 'Why's' and you'll finally arrive at the Source of all things (John 1:3 - All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made). And all good things we've done in the past or the ones that we're capable of doing in the future – are possible through Him alone.

2 Corinthians 9:8 - And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

Philippians 2:13 - for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

And what a privilege to know this great God - the Grand Designer and the real root cause of every good thing that's ever been - as our Best Friend and as our Guide!

The unseen war - Won through Praise!

“Why does God allow me to go through this pain?”, “Why does God seem to be silent when I need Him the most?”, “Why me, Lord?”, “What did I do to deserve this?”, “I can’t see how You can work out this horrible evil for my good!”. We wrestle with such thoughts and questions, that shake the core of our Faith when we go through difficult times that don’t make sense. We know deep down, that God our Father, is loving, and will never let anything happen to us, that does not include a divine plan of redemption and deliverance, bringing joy to us in the end. And yet, when we face the reality of the painful situations we go through, it becomes difficult to proclaim the truth of the goodness of God.

The moment we see/hear words like Trials/Tribulations, we remember Job, from the Old Testament of the Bible. We learn what “Walking by faith, and not by sight” looks like, when we look at how, Job, unaware of the reasons behind the series of losses he experienced, chose to utter the words, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” This is a difficult form of worship - Glorifying God right in the midst of fiery trials, through the very pain that the enemy purposefully inflicts upon us, to cause us to doubt the goodness of God. Little did Job know, that behind-the-scenes, God had His great victory and Satan his worse defeat – when Job uttered those words of “Praise” from the depths of His heart – that proved once and for all, that Job worshipped and pursued God for who He is, not for the good gifts he received from Him.

When we are pushed to the edge, when we feel like there’s no hope, when we assume that God has probably forgotten us and has ceased to answer our prayers – it’s a prime opportunity to praise Him in the storm, to glorify His Holy Name through the trials, and to prove that our love towards Him is not shallow.

A great quote from Rick Warren:

The deepest level of worship is praising God in spite of the pain, thanking God during the trials, trusting him when we’re tempted to lose hope and loving him when he seems so distant and far away. At my lowest, God is my hope. At my darkest, God is my light. At my weakest, God is my strength. At my saddest, God is my comforter.

Praise His Name - By Jeff and Sheri Easter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgqAN2i7GM0

A Reminder of God's goodness.

Sometimes, when we complete a simple task at work or a mundane chore at home or cross-off a to-do item for an errand, we begin to wonder if God could ever be involved in such an insignificant work that we just got done, and if it even required God's strength or enablement at all. But if we pause, and look around, we will realize that there were a host of different internal and external factors working together in the right measure and in the right order, that was conducive to accomplishing the task (however insignificant it might seem on the outside).

It’s human nature to disregard these minute details, and take them all for granted. If you’d ponder more, and then list down those factors that were but a direct result of God's goodness towards us, we would be surprised how blind we’ve been to God’s goodness.

I came up with the following short list to help me get deeper into the awareness of God’s goodness over my life, when I completed a task that’s not even worth mentioning!
- I had the desire to complete the task
- I was healthy to be able to do the work at hand
- I had the sane and right mind to be able to know what to do and how to do it
- I had all my physical body parts working well and in sync with the brain, that aided me to do the actual work
- I had the right circumstances and other external factors, that helped me stay focused and undistracted
- I was breathing and I was alive!
and the list would continue if we looked more closely into the situation...
Then it occurred to me, that if not for God, I couldn't even be alive, let alone accomplish a task!

It doesn't take even a split-second, for God to withhold His goodness, and I could be as useless as anything inanimate. A healthy dose of gratitude towards God, is required to keep us focused on God's goodness and to keep the negativity and a sour attitude at bay. Every morning is a wonderful opportunity to take time to cognize all the wonderful gifts we are bestowed with (which we often take for granted) and to thank God for them. Not many had the privilege to see "today". And there are many who consider it a far-fetched dream to live a life that you now live. It's all a matter of God's goodness and His mercy, that we are here in the now, alive and well. We have all that we need, to live a life that God wants us to live. Let's thank Him for enabling us every single day for the tasks up ahead of us. God is not just in the mighty things He does through us, He is also in the every-day stuff we do, for He controls the minute details of our lives!

Whenever you think something could've been a mere coincidence, remember that you might be overlooking a miracle!

We are a people who believe in Grace and not luck! ☺

Don Moen’s song – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8BEOHy9qBo

Where would I be
If You had not been by my side
How could I rise to meet
The morning of the day
Your tender mercy
Always calling from behind
At times I could not see You
Even though You were close by

Lord You are good, You are Good
And Your mercy forever endures

Help me to see Your loving kindness
Help me to see You as You are

As You really really are

And Your mercy forever endures

If life is a trekking..

Psalm 32:8
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye.

I had an interesting conversation with one of my friends, who identifies himself as an atheist. We usually chat about the philosophies of life and shared our views on the “purpose“ of life, about the morals that govern what's good and what's evil, and the million dollar question that's been intriguing humanity all through history - "Does God exist?". He introduced to me, a new school of thought called "existentialism that he had found to be very persuasive and reasonable. The essence of existentialism is that there is no inherent purpose for our lives; we create our own by exploring our passion. The sense of "fulfillment" is when you pursue and excel in your passion and start making valuable contributions to your field of expertise, making the world a better place, and leaving behind a legacy for others. When it was my turn to express what I believed, I told him how I found no meaning/satisfaction in what this world could offer, and that I found fulfillment in aPerson, and he quickly figured out that it was Jesus I was talking about. I told him that life didn't make sense to me a lot of times, and I saw a lot of evil in the world, and if I try to define my own purpose and try to pursue it, I'd mess up big time as I have no idea of how life works, as I am confined by the physical parameters of the natural world, and I have no foreknowledge of what can unfold in the future. Given these factors, and given the truth of my belief in the existence of Highest Wisdom called God, I'd prefer walking this journey with a Guide with unlimited wisdom, who defined the physical constraints of time, matter and energy, who knows the beginning from the end, who also lovingly offers to help me navigate this world. He wasn't very convinced of this belief system as it's not based on anything tangible. It all sounded like a fantasy and for a rational person like him, it's silly to believe in anything that lacked solid proof.

The conversation continued, and he narrated his experience on a solo trip he'd just been to, and how he loved the freedom of having to make his own decisions with no external influence or need to compromise. We discussed how life was, in a sense, like trekking - finding your purpose is like finding your mountain and the fulfillment is when you get to the mountain top. I asked, "What if you chose your own mountain, and once you make it to the top, feel empty on the inside and regret that you climbed the wrong one?" and added, "That's one of the reasons why I think having a Guide is so vital for me, for He knows all that could be known. I don't have to fret about choosing the right mountain, I only need to yield to His loving instructions, for His plans are greater than mine". My friend responded that making mistakes was okay, for you can always try again, a mountain at a time. He felt that it was okay to keep experimenting, but I stated that life was too short for such experimentation, and there's always a possibility that we could end up "unfulfilled" when we hit the finish line. To him, having to abide by the Guide's plans, and having to obey His instructions meant sacrificing his cherished "freedom". He then asked me, "What if the Guide made you to climb the mountain that he wanted to, and not the one that's necessarily the right one for you?". And I did not answer that one. I knew things about my Guide that He didn't and I couldn't find the right words for a satisfactory explanation. I knew that my Guide - the One who gave His life to save me from this dark world of sin and evil - always had the best in store for me, for am not just someone that's going on a trek with Him, am also His beloved child. I thought to myself, if only he knew my Guide and experienced His love, he'd know why I trust Him with my life, as He is not just a Guide, He is also my Father and also my Savior. As I pondered upon this, he kept the conversation alive by suggesting that I take a trek myself so I could know the beauty of traveling to unknown places. He said, "There are organized groups that travel together for fun, and there are "Guides" too. They help setup tents, show you the path, warn you of leeches. So it's safe, adventurous and really beautiful.". Hearing those statements, I knew that he knew what a Guide's role was, more than I did. And I said, "That's true. And that's why I trust my Guide, to help me wade through life.". I believe that he got the answer for why I trusted my Guide for he himself gave the best possible explanation for who a Guide really is.

So, to re-iterate on what Jesus, our Guide, does for us:
1. Setup tents - Divine Providence for this "temporary" life
Philippians 4:19 

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

2. Show us the path - Guidance and Correction

Proverbs 3:6
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.

3. Warn us of leeches - Safety and Protection (Psalm 91)
Psalm 91:10-12

10: No evil shall befall you,

Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;

11: For He shall give His angels charge over you,

To keep you in all your ways.

12: In their hands they shall bear you up,

Lest you dash your foot against a stone.

Let's remember that we're not going through life alone. We have a Guide, who is also our Father, our Provider, our Comforter, our Coach, our Healer, our Savior, our King, and our very best Friend. He promises to take us to beautiful places, to keep us safe, if only we trust Him. It doesn’t matter if we didn’t know where we’re heading in life; for it’s part of the thrill in this adventure called life.

One of my favourite songs from Tobymac, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFPq9p559II

Call it a reason to retreat
I got some dreams that are bigger than me
I might be outmatched outsized the underdog in the fight of my life
Is it so crazy to believe

That you gave me the stars put them out of my reach
Call me to waters a little to deep
Oh I've never been so aware of my need
You keep on making me see

It's way beyond me
It's way beyond me
Yeah it's out of my league
It's way beyond me
It's way beyond me 

It's way beyond

Anything that I got the strength to do
In over my head keeps me countin' on you
I'm leaving the sweet spot sure shot tradin' it all for the plans you got
Is it so crazy to believe

That you gave me the stars put them out of my reach
Call me to waters a little to deep
Oh I've never been so aware of my need
You keep on making me see

It's way beyond me
It's way beyond me
Yeah it's out of my league
It's way beyond me
It's way beyond me

You take me to the place where I know I need You
Straight to the depths that I can't handle on my own
And Lord I know, I know I need You
So take me to Your great
Take me to Your great unknown

It's way beyond me, way way beyond me
It's it's way beyond me, way way way beyond me

From the miry clay to the Solid Rock of Salvation

Every decision we make without involving God, can bog us down with guilt, shame and regret. This is a lesson am learning over and over again. We rarely see the consequences when we make a choice, for we’re so obsessed with the temporary gains that we’re blinded to the permanent effects it could bring about in our lives and in the lives of those around us.

After a series of such foolish choices, we suddenly realize we are struggling in a miry clay, where we’ve lost our joy and peace, where we’ve lost sense of our purpose. As I reflected upon the times I felt in such a messy place, the pattern was the same: I had left out God in the decisions I made, for some of them (I thought) were too petty to be brought before Him. And after such decisions, another pattern followed: self-justification. I knew I had not done the right thing, but I was so focused on making it look right (by blaming the circumstances or trying to justify with other unreasonable reasons) that I hardly came towards God with a repentant spirit. But here’s the good news: God’s never done with us; and we can never get too far for His reach. He loves us too much to leave us prey to our own foolishness. He will gently convict us and lead us towards genuine repentance and reconciliation. Oh, what a God we serve! ☺

I’ve noticed that my decisions tend to be controlled by one of two things that make up the soul: the mind and the heart.

• Using the mind - Rational decision:
  • We tend to always lean on our own understanding, overthinking the situation and giving space for the enemy to build strongholds in our minds that can keep us captive to his lies. (Proverbs 3:7 - Do not be wise in your own eyes). But, there’s hope for us, for the Bible says in II Corinthians 10:4,5: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, ⁵ casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”.
  • We need to identify those strongholds (mental ideas that are not from God) and pull them down in Jesus’ Name by declaring and believing the Word (Truth) of God. If what God says sounds irrational and impossible, we should remember that that’s what walking in Faith is all about; knowing it doesn’t make sense and yet believing the Word because the One who uttered it never lies. (Numbers 23:19 - God is not a man, that He should lie)
• Using the heart - Emotional decision
  • We tend to be swayed by our emotions sometimes, and make quick decisions that seem to temporarily soothe our emotions.
  • We ought to fix our eyes on Jesus, and build our lives on the solid Rock of Salvation, asking God to lead our hearts into His will, and ask Him the strength to stop living based on the whims and wishes of our deceitful and self-obsessed heart (Jeremiah 17: 9 - The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked;)

Wherever we are right now, if we think we aren’t as close to God as we desired, let’s remember that we’re just a prayer away from His beautiful presence and comforting arms!

Here’s a beautiful song “One step away” by Casting Crowns: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hktP9LHaRI0

Through it all...

A Faith-filled perspective in the storm

We all go through the storms of life, when the failures of the past haunt us, when the present circumstances are discouraging, and/or when the future looks hazy and uncertain.

During these storms, that threatens to capsize our boat called “life”, we have a choice to make: Linger in fear or stay in Faith.

• While Fear looks at the circumstances, Faith looks at the omnipotent God, who is right inside the boat! (He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world – I John 4:4).
• While fear cripples us, Faith enables us to draw strength from God (I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me – Philippians 4:13).
• While fear focuses on worldly statistics, faith shows us the miracles God has done in the past (Thus far the Lord has helped us – I Samuel 7: 12).
• While fear believes the bad reports, Faith believes in the Word of our God, that stands forever (Isaiah 40:8)
• While fear anticipates the worst, Faith makes us trust in God’s goodness and mercy. (Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; - Psalm 23:6)
• While fear magnifies our weakness, Faith magnifies the unmerited grace from God, that has the potential to raise the poor from the dust and lift the beggar from the ash heap (I Samuel 2:8)

Looking back at past struggles and God-given victories…
"Why does God allow me to go through these valleys of sufferings, if He loves me?" is a question that that we cannot attempt to answer completely, because of our intellectual limitation to understand an infinite God. But looking back at past struggles, we can all testify that if not for those tough times, we couldn’t have gotten closer to God, couldn’t have tasted the sweet intimacy with our Savior that mitigates every pain, wouldn’t have learnt to trust in the unfailing love of the Father, wouldn’t have known the power of the Word of God and the comfort of God’s Healing presence through His Holy Spirit.

Through every trial, through every season, God through the Holy Spirit, molds us into the image of Jesus, teaching us wonderful truths about Himself and reveals to us His Holy ways and His beautiful Heart. He also

• refines us through the fire (Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. – Isaiah 48: 10)
• strengthens us through the tough times (But may the God of all grace, who called usto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. – I Peter 5:10)
• deepens our root in Him (Colossians 2:7 - ..rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving)
• trains us to fight a good fight for the Kingdom of God (Psalm 144: 1 - Blessed be the Lord my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle)
• comforts us, so we can comfort others (Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. – 2 Corinthians 1:3,4)

What more do we need than this beautiful promise that God gives to each of us:

Isaiah 43: 2

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.

Am reminded of this beautiful song by Andrae Crouch:

I’ve had many tears and sorrows,
I’ve had questions for tomorrow,
there’s been times I didn’t know right from wrong.
But in every situation,
God gave me blessed consolation,
that my trials come to only make me strong.

Through it all, through it all,
I’ve learned to trust in Jesus,
I’ve learned to trust in God.

Through it all, through it all,
I’ve learned to depend upon His Word.

I’ve been to lots of places,
I’ve seen a lot of faces,
there’s been times I felt so all alone.
But in my lonely hours,
yes, those precious lonely hours,
Jesus lets me know that I was His own

I thank God for the mountains,
and I thank Him for the valleys,
I thank Him for the storms He brought me through.
For if I’d never had a problem,
I wouldn’t know God could solve them,
I’d never know what faith in God could do.

Breaking free from secret sins!

Biblical Answers for questions related to overcoming secret sins

Q: Are we always perfect and can we ever be without sin on this earth?

A: No. I John 1:8 says: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Q: Is sin done in secret?

A: Mostly yes; John 3:20 - For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

Q: What impact does willful secret sin have in a Christian’s life?

A: Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death. Spiritual “death” can occur to a person in continual willful sin that can cut him off from God. Satan wants to extinguish the Light of Jesus that's within us; And he uses secret sins as weapons to make Christians spiritually ineffective.

Q: Can we overcome secret sins by ourselves?

A: No. Will power has limitation and cannot help in the long run; For Paul talks about our “natural state” in Romans 7:18 - For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.

Q: How do we receive forgiveness for what we’ve already done?

A: I John 1:9: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Q: How do we start living a life that pleases God?

A: A genuine desire in the form of a prayer: Psalm 19:12,13 Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me.

Q: Will we have temptations, once we’re cleansed by the blood of Jesus?

A: Yes; I Peter 5:8 - Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Q: Will we ever be tempted more than we can bear?

A: No; I Corinthians 10:13 - No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Q: How can we overcome temptations that seem to always triumph?

A: Dependence on God’s strength: Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me; Resist and rebuke the devil: James 4:7 - Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Sufficient for you today, is His amazing Grace!

2 Corinthians 12:9
My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.

Proverbs 3:34
God gives grace to the humble.

How Grace works

From Fear to Love

Proverbs 1:7 - The fear of the Lord, is the beginning of wisdom.

What is fear?
- Fear is the acknowledgement of the existence of something or someone who has greater power than you do, and can impact your life directly or indirectly.

But, what is fear of God?
- Fear of God, is not a negative emotion (like fear of future or fear of loss); It's rather a positive declaration of God's Sovereignty and power over everything.
- Fear can take the form of respect, given to the One in authority.
- Fear of God could also mean an unconditional submission to God's plans
- The fear of the Lord is the attitude that enables us to seek God's will

How do we know that the "fear of God" manifests in us?
- When there's an increasing tendency in us to move away from places or things or people or practices, that can negatively impact my relationship with God. (Proverbs 3:7 - Fear the Lord and depart from evil)
- When we lean on the Holy Spirit all the time, in order to please God through obedience to His Words, which are in accordance with His perfect will.
- When we fear the prospect of missing out on God's will (when I lean on my own understanding).
- When we value obedience to God; and do not compromise with the world.

- When we fear God, we fear nothing (and no-one) else.

Enter Love
Perfect love casts out fear (I John 4:18)
- Fear -> Wisdom -> Love: Fear is the beginning of Wisdom; And the Highest form of Wisdom is Love.
- Love is all-inclusive and overshadows everything else; For God Himself is LOVE.

- When you value God's will in every aspect of your life => You fear God
- When you seek God's will in every area of your life => You are wise
- When you're ready to pay any cost for following God's will => You love God

- When you know God's power => You fear Him
- When you know God's heart (His character) => You love Him

When we love God, do we stop fearing Him?
Psalm 2:11
Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling.
- Even though we love God, there are times we worship Him with absolute awe and adoration.

- It takes wisdom (given by the Holy Spirit), to know when to love God and when to fear Him.

Being a vigilant Christian

Hebrews 12:1

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

I came across this article a couple of days back,"When Roberto Goizueta took over as CEO of Coca-Cola in the 1980s, he was faced with intense competition from Pepsi that was eating into Coke's growth. His executives were Pepsi-focused and intent on increasing market share 0.1 per cent a time.
Roberto decided to stop competing against Pepsi and instead compete against the situation of 0.1 per cent growth.

He asked his executives what was the average fluid intake of an American per day? The answer was 14 ounces. What was Coke's share of that? Two ounces. Roberto said Coke needed a larger share of that market. The competition wasn't Pepsi. It was the water, tea, coffee, milk and fruit juices that went into the remaining 12 ounces. The public should reach for a Coke whenever they felt like drinking something.

To this end, Coke put up vending machines at every street corner. Sales took a quantum jump and Pepsi has never quite caught up since."

Well, that was quite a strategy! 

But when I read this, I could sense that this principle of “gaining” market share applies to our spiritual lives as well. The enemy's goal is to increase his market share in our human "hearts". To this end, we see that every aspect of human life in this fallen world, is heavily influenced by the devil, which is a deliberate attempt to trap not (just) the unbelievers, but rather the elite warriors of God's kingdom. From sinful addictions, all the way to seemingly innocuous entertainment and luxury, we see the crafty setup that has the potential to pull us away from pursuing the things of eternal value.

Some might think that these worldly pursuits will not affect our spiritual walk, as long as we believe that the One who is in us, is greater than the one in the world. While I genuinely believe that there's no force that can defeat us because of the power we have through Christ Jesus, I also believe the reality and the craftiness of the enemy and that he will try his best to pull us into his territory through subtle means. As Peter says, we ought to “ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (I Peter 5:8)

Samson was a man of God, and he was a strong warrior, who single-handedly brought victory after victory for Israel. When the enemy camp (Philistines) knew they couldn't overpower him through direct attacks, they devised a scheme and used Delilah as a trap. The Philistines (who symbolically represent the devil and his army) said, "Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to afflict him;" (Judges 16:5)
Was Samson not a man of God? He certainly was! Did he not have God's power dwelling within? He certainly did! The devil was totally aware of the power given to him, but what he also knew was that he had to employ a different strategy to defeat Samson. If he can't come as an enemy assaulting us, (for He knows we'd use God's power to overthrow him), he'll come as an angel of light to deceive us! All he needs, is to turn our hearts away, little by little, not merely towards sin, but to ANYTHING (even the good things in life!) that can keep our focus off God. The enemy will try and do everything in his ability, to keep us from running the race. As the author of Hebrews says, we ought to lay down every weight (and not just turn away from sin) that can bog us down and interfere with our race.

How do we know what's keeping us from running the God-given race? "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things" (John 14:26). We ought to rely on the Holy Spirit, to know what is it that's keeping us from doing God’s perfect will. As He reveals and convicts our hearts of anything that's adding unnecessary weight and slowing us down, let His grace lead us into repentance and obedience to His Word that purifies and edifies us, as we live our lives in surrender to our Holy God. Let the Psalmist’s prayer be ours as well,

“Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way.” (Psalms 119:37)

The MSG paraphrase puts Psalm 139:23 this way,

Investigate my life, O God,
    find out everything about me;
Cross-examine and test me,
    get a clear picture of what I’m about;
See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong—
    then guide me on the road to eternal life.

Unconditional Surrender

Luke 22:42
..nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.

"God, if you do this for me right now, I promise to serve you for the rest of my life!", I've mumbled to God, when I found myself in situations, where I saw that there was absolutely no escape route. There may not be anything inherently wrong with making such promises to God, but there’s a hint of "conditional" commitment in it. But as I grow in Christ, as the Holy Spirit deepens my root in the Father’s unfailing love, I've come to understand that the only appropriate response to "Unconditional Love" is Unconditional surrender. When we introspect our lives and see how, in-spite of our selfish motives and proud demeanor, God chooses to fellowship with us through His Spirit (as we repent), and guides us (when we ask Him to) with His love - that's when we experience the beauty of the Agape love of God. We learn through every season of life (particularly the dark ones), that God loves us no matter what, and His plans are always the best. Along the journey of life, I learn that He turns water into wine, mourning into dancing, and gives beauty for ashes. When that gets deep in my heart, I slowly let go of my own will, my own plans, and surrender to the perfect and Holy will of God, even if it meant momentary pain and suffering, even if it meant venturing into the unknown and the unsafe.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did not know what was on the other side of surrender and obedience to God. They did not allow "fear" that could've led them into thinking "What if obedience to God means death??", but they surrendered to God through "Faith" saying "..even if He[God] does not [deliver], we want you to know, O King, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.". Faith is an essential ingredient in unconditional surrender.

In life, I've learnt that we might go through troubles which might seem unnecessary to us, but we will never know what lies on the other side of “suffering”, until we get there. During times when we are tempted to quit or even grumble, let the Holy Spirit remind us of Jesus' prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."

For,

It took "unconditional surrender" of three young men, to bring a pagan king into God's kingdom. It took "unconditional surrender" of Jesus, to bring the whole of humanity into God's kingdom.

Such is the power of complete surrender to God, when our "What if.."s become "Even if.."s. Surrendering to God - is not an indication of weakness, it is the most courageous act of a human who chooses to let go of his own plans, disregard his own calculations, and follow-through the painful situations – by choosing to trust the Highest Wisdom and rest in the Unconditional Love.

No life is more secure than a life surrendered to God (from the internet; not sure of the original author).

And Minnie Louise Haskins's poem "God knows" goes like this,

I said to the man who stood at the Gate of the Year,
"Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown."
And he replied, "Go out into the darkness, and put your hand into the hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light, and safer than a known way."

Too broken for a fix? Too late for a miracle?

Genesis 18:14
Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

Living in a world where we have instant coffee, instant messaging, instant payments, it's hard to digest the fact that God's timelines are not how we'd like it to be. I watch encouraging sermons, listen to uplifting songs, read promises of God's deliverance and blessings from the Word - to carry the hope of the promise of deliverance as I plod through every day of my life, waiting for God to come through. "Is there a deficiency in my faith? Am I not praying according to God's will? Why do I feel like my prayers are bouncing off the ceiling? I have been patient for months and years now, am I waiting on God for the right thing?" - These are some of the thoughts I struggle with every other day.

What do we do when we feel too broken to be fixed? When it seems like it's too late for a miracle?

We look at the great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12) in the Bible, the ones that have gone before us, who've gone through some amazing waiting periods, yet hanging on to the truth that the unchanging and ever-loving God, will never leave them nor forsake them. Somedays I think, is it even possible for someone in the right mind to wait for the promised child at the age of 100? How heartbroken would Martha and Mary have been, when Lazarus died, because Jesus chose not to respond quickly to their crisis? But when every ounce of possibility of a miracle is gone, there is still a way for God to bring the best out of nowhere. For, is anything too hard for the Lord?

Isn't it great, when He was four days late, He was still on time?

Four days late - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=se7yAkqu3Ek

But You're four days late And all hope is gone
Lord we don't understand why you've waited so long
But His way is God's way, Not yours or mine
When He's four days late, He's still on time