"You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you...On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night" - Psalm 63:1-6 (NIV).
Are you one of those who wake up to a cup of instant coffee, before you hit the road for the first appointment! Do you love going for fast food, perhaps picked up through the drive way or dropped by a Boda cyclist after ordering on the internet! Of course you need it that way for you have no time and life must be lived hurriedly, before the next appointment.
The instant culture has become one of the most defining aspects of the modern life. In many homes the central cooking appliance is the micro wave, which can get any dish out hot just within seconds. There are what are called TV dinners, which are already prepared and ready to go, once heated up in minutes.
Have you noticed this instant culture long invaded church too! People want "nugget services" where everything is packed in less than hour- praise, announcements, testimonies, sermon, benediction- and church is done. Preachers who cant figure out how to get a message across within that hour, are not up to the job.
Well, all good; but if we look at anyone who developed a close relationship with God, does this instant culture exactly apply? Moses had often to spend long hours away from the crowd to hear from God. "Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights" (Exodus 24:18). Jesus had the habit of starting the day away from the crowd too to have quality time with God. "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed" (Mark 1:35).
Certainly there are some benefits that modern life brings. However, when it comes to extending the "instant culture" to our relationship with God, perhaps we need to pause. Can God really be hurried, the way we all scroll through our social media flash messages, before moving on conveniently to the next project...!
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, today I pray to make time to spend time with you alone, so as to depeen my relationship with you, this I pray in Jesus's name.
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03/05/2024 - 04/05/2024 All day“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10)
Every now and then one could be gripped with fear because of certain events sweeping before one’s life journey. It could be the finances that are stretched and incomes are no longer certain. Perhaps it is one’s job under threat. Perhaps it is a dreaded health report card. There could be fear about outcome of a matter under judgment and what it might mean to one’s future.
Fear has been elsewhere described as “an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm.” Every life will experience fear at one point. Whenever we are faced with fear it is natural to look for something to grasp on. Sometimes we run for shelter wherever we can find. Perhaps we might seek out a friend for quiet confidence.
But there are those situations when there is no shelter in sight. There are also those cases where those we thought would understand our situation once we share our pain return only hurting and critical feedback. In such moments we might then turn and look within ourselves only to find the energy has all been sapped by this gnawing fear. We feel down and the urge to rise and move on all gone!
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10) the word of God through prophet Isaiah assures us. But why? It is because the Lord has been there. He himself was faced with fear before his crucifixion but He looked to God.
Charles Spurgeon once wrote when faced with fear always remember, “Nothing is too hard for Him. He can find a way where there is no way. He can give us the idea that will make all the difference.” Psalm 91:2, says, “I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!” So, when faced with fear, look to God to strengthen you. By looking to Him, the Lord will encourage and lift up your spirit, and make a way out of nowhere!
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, today I surrender to you any fear that is in me for I know by looking up to you, you will always make a way out of nowhere, this I pray in Jesus’ name!
