In search of God

Romans 8:28, "   And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to  His  purpose." I have been offered these scripture countless times whenever I'm going through a hard patch and I have offered it countless time to others still as a way of comfort. I must confess though that whenever this statement is said to me by well meaning friends, at that moment of unimaginable pain and trouble that seems too much to bear, when the wound is still fresh oozing with blood, and when the eyes are blurred by tears, at that moment I must confess, the above scripture does less than comfort me. I guess that when our perspective is so focused in the moment, so focused in the trouble or pain, the above scripture won't make sense to any of us. But if you read the scripture in its context, then you understand that what God is telling us is to look at the bigger picture. When you understand what God has in store for the CAL

Psalm 121, 'I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip - He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you - the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm - He will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and for evermore.' Are you in despair, do you feel overwhelmed by the trials and tribulations you are facing, does it seem like the barrage of bad news, bad breaks and bad luck is unyielding, do you feel like giving up. well friend, am here to tell you that you are not alone. that there is one who loves and cares for you so much and has never stopped loving you, no matter what you have done. It is the LORD God our Savior and refuge, the maker of heaven and

Exodus 34:6, 7, ‘And He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished; He punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.”’ Our God is compassionate and gracious in that even though we were sinners who had rebelled against Him, He loved us so much that He crafted a divine plan to redeem us to Him by giving us undeserved mercy and favour. His love for us is so pure, so true that we are called unto Him not because of our love for Him but for His love for us, His faithful love that never wavers or changes. Let us take advantage of the mercy of God by approaching the throne of grace through Jesus Christ our Lord and saviour through whom we have been redeemed to God and we are now free from the yoke of sin but are now

Job 35:2-8, ‘Do you think this is just? You say, “I shall be cleared by God.” Yet you ask Him, “What profit is it to me, and what do I gain by not sinning?” I would like to reply to you and to your friends with you. Look up at the heavens and see; gaze at the clouds so high above you. If you sin, how does that affect Him? If your sins are many, what does that do to Him? If you are righteous, what do you give to Him, or what does He receive from your hand? Your wickedness affects only a man like yourself, and your righteousness only the sons of men.’ Most of us think that when we are doing good, we are doing God a favor, but ask yourself, how does He profit when you care for the needy, when you love your neighbor as yourself. How does it affect Him if you decide not to love your neighbor, when you live a life of selfishness and greed? Not one of your deeds affect Him. It is only people, fellow men and women, that are affected by your deeds here on earth and will either be uplifted, enc

Psalm 51:1-13, ‘Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to yo

John 15:9-13, 17, ‘As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends. …This is my command: Love each other.’ Jesus wholly depended on God the Father while He was on earth, and whatever He received from Him, He shared with us, His love, His power and authority. He showed us a perfect example of humility and obedience submitting to the Father’s will to die at the cross as atonement, a sacrifice, for our sins and to provide a way for our salvation. His love for the Father was selfless and unconditional, obeying to the point of shedding His divinity and living as a servant. His love for us was also selfless and unconditional in that He

John 13: 34, 35, ‘A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’ The world today is very cold. A video about Chinese insensitivity went viral awhile back showing how over ten ordinary people went by a young girl who had been run over by a truck before someone cared enough (ironically it was a person looked down upon by the society) to call for help for her to get medical attention. Unfortunately the young girl did not make it through. Am sure many of us think that if we had been in a similar situation we would have reacted differently, but is this really the case? How many of us when faced with a situation where our fellow human being requires our assistance shrink away, pretending not to have seen them, or move to the other side of the road to avoid coming into contact with them? This is even evident in the church. How many take time to visit with that new