Friday, May 25, 2012

A season of rest

Summer is here, the grass is green, the birds are singing, and the flowers are blooming. I pray the Lord will give you rest, rest from all your battles, rest from all the assault against your spirit, body, and soul.

Joshua 21:44-45

The Lord gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand. Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.

Wishing you all a restful summer.

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Poverty through sickness and diseases

From my experience of being sick, I learned that sickness can be very expensive and costly. Sickness and disease often lead to poverty. In fact, sickness, disease, and poverty can become a cycle. Medication and accessing treatment can cost lots of money. Being unable to work means you are spending while not earning. Medical insurance can go a long way in covering some of your expenses, but it does not always cover the 'new' costs of living. If through sickness and disease you become disabled, i.e. now limited in what you can do, it can be difficult to get a higher paying job. Your costs of living can go up while your income stays the same. Your costs of living can also go down or even become zero. New insurance policies typically will not cover existing or on-going medical conditions, and the cycle continues. This can leave you stuck in a rot and perhaps a helpless position.

The good news is that we have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus!

1 Peter 1:18-19 Amplified Bible (AMP)

18 You must know (recognize) that you were redeemed (ransomed) from the useless (fruitless) way of living inherited by tradition from [your] forefathers, not with corruptible things [such as] silver and gold, 19 But [you were purchased] with the precious blood of Christ (the Messiah), like that of a [sacrificial] lamb without blemish or spot.

We have been redeemed from sickness, poverty, and diseases. Have faith that God will take care of all your needs regardless of what they are. God will cover everything that your insurance will not cover, God will provide for you to cover all your new costs of living. He will make a way for you in your career where there seems to be no way. He will even top up your pension funds. He will take you to new heights and give you new wisdom. He works in ways that we can not see. He knows the end from the beginning. Have faith and live by faith.

Friday, May 11, 2012

Everything has its time

Ecclesiastes 3

1To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
2 A time to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;
3 A time to kill,
And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
And a time to build up;
4 A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to gain,
And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;
7 A time to tear,
And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
And a time to speak;
8 A time to love,
And a time to hate;
A time of war,
And a time of peace.

The God-Given Task

9 What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? 10 I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

12 I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, 13 and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.

14 I know that whatever God does, It shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, And nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him.

What time is it in your life?

Knowing what time or season it is in your life is important. It guides the decisions you make, the seeds you sow, the actions you take, and the choices you make. Coping with a life changing illness has caused me to re-evaluate my worldview and perspectives. From being a driven and high performing person, I have become more cautious and less inclined to take the lead at things. I take every day as it is given and no longer have long-term or medium-term plans, knowing that nothing is better than to rejoice and do good on a daily basis.

There is a to lead and there is a time to follow!
This is a time in my life to follow the leader, Jesus Christ.