Day 39: Talents

What do we do with the gifts God has given us?

Each of us has been given a measure of talents. Some have them in arts, others in science. Some have them in speech, others in writing. Some have them in math, others in music. Some have them in sport, others drama. Everyone of us is different and God has given to us a different measure of talents. But we all still have talents, and we are all required to use our talents, to work with them, and so bring glory and honour to God's holy name.

"Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them..." (Romans 12:6)

Our purpose here on earth is to bring glory and honour to His name, and how can we do this besides working with the things that He in His mercy has given us.

I think the problem in our world today is that we tend not to think that all that we have, both our possessions and abilities, is given to us by the grace of God, but that we have earned it and deserve it. That, at-least is the attitude of the world we live in. Man in the centre of the world and he decides how he lives and what he does with his possessions. Man works for himself and reaps the produce of what he has earned; its up to him how he decides to use it.

We, however, must remember that we don't deserve anything. We don't deserve to be living right now; that in itself is a blessing. In addition to this God has granted us gifts to work with in this life. He has given us the house we live in, the car we drive to work, and the money we spend. If it were not for God we would be buried in our sins having no desire at all to work.

Now that we have been given all this we must work with it to show our thankfulness to God for it. Remember the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:25; the man (the 'wicked and lazy servant') who hid his talent in the ground instead of working with it was severely punished, and even what he had was taken away from him. God requires that we work with what we have been given. This means that we cannot be satisfied with half-mast being good enough. Everyone according to his own abilities must use the gifts given Him to his utmost. Then God's name will be glorified in us.

And one more thing, we must use our talents, not for ourselves, and the advancement of our own enterprise, but for the benefit of our neighbour and the body of Christ. There our talents find their 'fulfillment'.

Day 38: Self-control

Isn't it hard to exercise self-control; to tell yourself that what you are doing is wrong and then stop doing it; to refrain from a certain activity because you know that it does not bring glory to God; to stop your tongue before you spread gossip or speak harsh words?

Satan and our sinful nature pressure us to sin and to do the things we ought not.


This text comes to mind:

"For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practise." (Romans 8:18,19)

And yet so often it is almost as though we give up trying to will to do the good because we know so often that all we do is evil. We can then give up trying to do good, we become satisfied with the level of life that we are at; we don't care about trying to attain that goal of perfection. Instead we let our sinful nature have permanent residence in half our life. You do this by allowing ourselves to watch movies with noticeable blasphemy and coarse language; movies which authorise premarital sex. You do this by indulging in too much alcohol at parties so come the next morning and you can't remember what you did last night. You do this by associating too much with friends in the world. All these things, and there's so many, many more things, let Satan have leeway in our lives.

And this is so wrong! We have to realise this; we can not let that happen.

We constantly have to examine our lives to see that which is lacking. We have to exercise restraint and self-control, know when it is best to speak, or leave things unsaid. We have to live our lives with eternal purpose! This means that we cannot live like those in the world. Their characteristics include violence, greedy for money, lack of self-control, quarrelsome, covetous just to mention a few. But we cannot act like this anymore. Our hearts have been changed, and so our lives must also change. We need to work towards that goal of perfection.

And God never promised that it would be easy, and neither did He promise that we would reach that goal in this life, however, He did promise strength to get us through, and His Holy Spirit to renew us each day a new so that we can fight against our sins, so that we can exercise self-control.

"Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me...one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3: 12-14)

Day 37: Gentleness

Oh....I feel so bad for not posting in the last few days. My excuse would be that I've been incredibly busy, but then, its in those busy times that you really should be spending time meditating on God's word, and being with Him. Hmmm...that's something I should work on...

Anyways, I'm up to gentleness with the Fruits of the Spirit.

Gentleness: mild in temperament or behaviour; kind or tender. That is the definition the dictionary gives to being gentle; but gentleness is so much more than just being 'tender' or 'mild'. The bible often associates gentleness with meekness and humility. The greek word for gentleness denotes the generous spirit that rises above offences; a forbearing spirit. Such a person does not insist on his or her own rights, but seeks the interest and well-being of others.

But why is gentleness of such importance? Why is it a specific fruit of the Spirit, when aren't some people  just more 'gentle' than others; isn't this just a personality trait which some have and other's don't?

Gentleness and meekness, in the spiritual sense, is an attitude of humility and submission towards God. We cannot expect salvation if we are not willing to becomes humble and lay all our sins before Him, knowing that of ourselves we are totally incapable of doing any good. When we come to Him with the humility of little children, when we come to Him knowing that we have nothing to give; only then, once we have humbly laid ourselves at His feet may we receive salvation.

Therefore, it follows that if we submit ourselves to God and His will for our lives, then we must also seek to have a meek and gentle attitude towards our neighbours.

Philippians 4:5 tells us: "Let you gentleness be known to all men." Gentleness is not something which we must keep to ourselves, we must let our gentleness be known. Similarly we have to let others know that we are different in the way that we live. We are citizens of a heavenly kingdom, not this earth, and with this comes the obligation to live as citizens of that kingdom. And what better way is there to show others that we are different by letting our gentleness be made known to them.

Day 36: Faithfulness

"Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:23)

"I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever, with my mouth I will make known Your faithfulness to all generations." (Psalm 89:1)

When you really think about it, isn't it amazing how faithful God is towards us. Over all the years that this world has been in existence, He has remained the same. Though man failed in keeping His side of the covenant, God remained faithful. He keeps His promises, and we can have such a great comfort that He will never leave us nor forsake us, because He has promised that He will forever be our guide. 

Now if God is so faithful we also must be faithful. Another characteristic of the 'new man' is faithfulness. Now this faithfulness, is not that we have faith (even though this is also what you need to be regenerated), but it is faithfulness in the sense that we are loyal, steadfast, and consistent with the relationships and promises that we make in this life. 

Today's world is characterised by non-commitment, where only the present day matters. A motto that sums up such life is: "I can't promise you forever, but I can promise you today." In contrast to this we have to promise 'forever'. Consider the marriage vows one takes. This is a promise that you make to each other that shall last till death part you. You have to be faithful to your spouse and faithful to your marriage relationship. And this goes for any relationship we have; including our relationship with the Lord. 

Let us be faithful, just as He is faithful; let us stand out and be different from others in this world; faithfulness is a virtue which we must uphold. 

Thank God for His faithfulness.

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father,

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not

As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be. 

Great is Thy faithfulness, Great is Thy faithfulness

Morning by Morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided -- 

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,

Join with all nature in manifold witness, 

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love. 

Great is Thy faithfulness, Great is Thy faithfulness

Morning by Morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided -- 

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,

Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Great is Thy faithfulness, Great is Thy faithfulness

Morning by Morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided -- 

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Day 35: Goodness

Goodness. When you really think about it, it seems a strange word. Something can be good, but how do we possess a virtue of 'goodness'? What distinguishes goodness? Or is it just a generic term?

To be honest, I'm not too sure either way. We often talk about things being good, or that we feel good. But is good the right word to use. I know I once had a teacher who taught us never to reply 'good' when someone asked us how we were, rather, we were to reply 'fine' or 'well'. The reason this teacher said this was in the understand that good meant without sin. When God created the earth, it was 'good'. It was without sin. But there is another thing that we can attribute to the word 'good'. Namely, that by being classified as 'good', the things of creation were serving God's benevolent purposes. 

If an attribute of the 'new man' is goodness, then we can conclude that by being good, we submit ourselves to God's service, that we free ourselves from the Devil and his power, and allow God to work in us to produce 'good works'. Of ourselves we could never be good. But because of Christ we have been enabled to do good. We are now able to do 'good works' and things that will work for the 'good' of our neighbour. 

Sometimes I think of the lack of goodness in this world. At present we hear of riots from the continuing civil war in Lybia, we hear of famine and drought in east Africa, and even in Australia we can see the lack of good in the greens proposition to do away with the Marriage Act. Goodness is declining. 

I think we have the opportunity in this situation to show good in this goodness world. Just as we are called to be lights in this world, we can be beacons of goodness. Helping our neighbours, giving aid to war stricken countries, providing financial aid to those in need etc. We have been given the spirit and the will to do good. Let us use it. In our own situations, what ever they may be, we can always help. Just keep an eye out, the opportunity will rise. May God work in us that we may be of goodness to our neighbours. 

Day 34: Kindness

How can we really show kindness to our neighbour?

The dictionary defines kindness as a quality of being friendly, generous and considerate. However, as renewed children of God, we can add so much more to this definition.

Again, we can reflect on the kindness that God has shown towards us. Just like God is love, God also carries the perfect quality of kindness. "But when the kindness of the love of God our Saviour toward man appeared...that having been justified by grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:4)

So, following this example we are to be "kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32)

It's fair enough, though, to say that we have to be kind, and I'm sure that we all know that we have to be kind to everyone; but when it comes to the crunch of the matter, we rarely show true kindness in situations were that's primarily what we should do. I stumbled across this poem which gives a few ideas about what sorts of things are under the umbrella of kindness.

Kindness

Kindness looks for ways to help. 

Kindness lets a friend go first. 

Kindness tries to keep the peace,

Kindness never thinks the worst. 

Kindness plays with everyone,

Kindness gives a loving touch. 

Kindness speaks with gentle words,

Kindness never takes too much. 

Kindness cares and kindness knows,

Kindness shares and kindness shows. 

- Lara Krumwiede

This list is by no means exhaustive, but one point I like to make is that, kindness shows. Like the rest of the fruits of the Spirit, kindness must be something which other people can see in our lives. Kindness is a doing thing. It requires interaction with people, it requires doing things for others, it requires self-sacrifice. Kindness is not easy, but kindness is the fruit of a renewed heart. 

Day 33: I'll Thank Thee

I'll thank thee O my God and Saviour,

And praise Thee in my even song.

The sun may set, but Thy great favour,

Shalt Thou through darkest night prolong. 

Thy help and grace where ever near us,

More than a father didst Thou care. 

Thou Fount of blessing, Thou dost hear us,

Thy wondrous mercies, I declare. 

I know in whom my hope is founded,

through ever changing day and night. 

Thou hast me with Thy love surrounded;

Thou are my Rock, I trust Thy might. 

When once life's evening veils enshroud me,

I'll bring, though worn by ills and strife. 

For everyday Thou hast allowed me,

Thee higher praise, O God of life! 

Evensong

Day 32: Patience

"Patience is a virtue". So often we hear this statement, or even say it ourselves, without really thinking about it. What does it mean, that patience is a virtue? Why do we say to people who are lacking patience, 'patience is a virtue'?

By saying, patience is a virtue, we are basically saying that patience is a quality that is desirable in a person; it is considered morally good. But how then are we to have patience, and bear it as a quality of the 'new man' that grows within us.

Firstly we have to understand exactly what patience is. We often tend to think of it in its simplest forms, such as waiting for turn at a game instead of pushing your way first. How often, however, do we think of patience as 'long-suffering'. Long-suffering is showing enduring patience in spite of troubles, especially those caused by other people. If we think of patience in this sense, then we have the perfect example of Christ to follow in this respect. 2 Peter 3:15 tells us to "consider the long-suffering of our Lord as salvation". We can also think of the patience God showed in dealing with the Israelites in the Old Testament. Despite the many times they turned away from Him to serve other gods, He always remembered the covenant; He dealt patiently with them and brought them back. Today we are no different than the Israelites of old, and God continues to remember His covenant, He continues to deal patiently with us.

Now we have been renewed in the Image of God, and in this, we also have to show patience and long-suffering. Following Christ's example, we are to put others before ourselves, to show humility and be willing to serve others, seeking their good first, rather than our own. "Whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave -- just as the Son of Man did not come into the world to be served, but to serve, and give His life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:27-28)

Patience is all about considering the 'other' person first before ourselves. Patience does not put ourselves first; it puts our neighbour first. Patience means that we do not get angry with others because of troubles they may have caused us; patience means being able to accept suffering or hardship without getting upset.

Patience is a virtue we all ought to have. At times it is easy to excuse our impatience as a character trait we have. We tend to excuse it, because its just who we are. Some people don't have much patience, and think that this won't change, because that's who they are. But you can change this, and you must change this. Impatience is a sin; it is a characteristic of the old nature we are trying hard to put off. So we must work to have patience in all situations; its not easy, but the Holy Spirit gives us the strength to bear this fruit.

Patience is indeed a wonderful virtue; a fruit of the nature of the 'new man'.

Day 31: Thank you Lord

"I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers..." (Daniel 2:23)

Right now is one of those moments where you sit back and re-think everything that happened today. In doing so, the main thing that comes into mind is that I'm so thankful to God for this absolutely wonderful day I've had.

Some times in life I think we neglect to spend the time to thank God for the blessings and experiences that He gives us each day.

This morning I conducted my first ever band performance, with the band I've been directing since the beginning of this year. It was my first performance as a conductor, and for most of the students it was also their first performance. We had rehearsed many a time in the last few months, and were sufficiently prepared. However, at a concert you always know that there are certain things that can always go wrong; things that always went right in the practise room, but when you get on stage, they go wrong.

Some people would see this as an element of chance in a performance. They wish you good 'luck' before you walk on stage. But I don't believe in 'luck'. I know that God has His hand in everything; He is always in control, and He was definitely in control of our performance today. Before going on stage we prayed together as a band acknowledging God's control and asking Him to bless our performance.

And He did!

It is such a wonderful feeling to know that before the performance you commit everything into His hands, knowing that if it is His will, He will bless us; and after doing a really good performance it is also nice to be able to Thank God for blessing us, and giving us the ability to play well.

It is so wonderful to be able to go through life knowing that God is in control, and once you start to acknowledge this, you also begin to 'see' it in life. You begin to see what a great and awesome God we have and then you are driven to thankfulness.

That's why I'm thankful today, it's why I should also be thankful everyday.

Day 30: Peace

 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

(John 16:33)

Peace is another characteristic of a true Christian. True peace is a rare gift; and I think peace is largely based on an element of Trust. We must trust God that He has ALL things in His hands, only then can we begin to experience peace. Once we submit ourselves to His will, in the knowledge that He knows what is best for us, then we are able to ride through difficult situations because we know that God is with us. He has been through this before; He knows what it is like to suffer and He will help us through. That should give us peace.

The world sees peace as something which can only be achieved when there is no conflict, hardships and suffering; however, we must realise that in these situations we CAN have peace. God is in control of everything, He will not allow you to suffer more than what you can, He knows what we can bear and He will give us the strength to bear it. That is such a great comfort, and that comfort gives peace.

I love the words of this Hymn and think they fit so well in this context. No matter what my lot, no matter how much I have to suffer, I can say 'It is well with my soul'.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, 

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,

It is well, it is well, with my soul. 

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,

Let this blest assurance control,

That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,

And hath shed His own blood for my soul. 

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!

My sin, not in part but the whole,

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:

If Jordan above me shall roll,

No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life

Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But, Lord, 'tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,

The sky, not the grave, is our goal;

Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!

Blessed hope, blessed reset of my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;

The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,

Even so, it is well with my soul. 

It is well, with my soul,

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Horatio G. Spafford

Day 29: Joy

Joy is another of the things that characterises a Christian. A true Christian should know how to experience and express joy; they should be joyful because of the love that they feel from God.

It is important to understand the distinction between joy and happiness. Often we understand these as having the same meaning, however, to the Christian, they must be different. Happiness refers to the feelings created by things that happen to us, while joy has to do with the covenant relationship between God and us. Joy is not an enthusiastic state that you have to work yourself into; it does not depend on circumstances or possessions. Joy is the indicator of our relationship with our heavenly Father.

In Psalm 16:11 David speaks of the reason for joy. "You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Here David connects joy with eternal pleasures; he has joy because, through faith, he has taken hold of eternity. A believer has joy because he lives, not for the experience of happiness and pleasure in this life, but with a view to eternal life.

So how do we experience joy?

To restore joy in our earthly relationships we must do away with that which prevents joy: enmity, jealously, anger or resentment. Take those barriers away and restore that joy. It's not going to be easy. By nature we harbour hurt, jealousy and anger; however, we can also be comforted that the Lord Jesus provides us with everything that we need. He has restored our relationship with our heavenly Father and He can help us restore our relationships.

When a Christian shows true love, there will also flow joy. And when there is joy in life, true heavenly joy, then God's Holy Spirit is at work in you.

Isn't that wonderful? Doesn't that give you joy in itself?

Day 28: Love

I came across this poem today and I think it aptly describes the gift of love that we can extend to others (and its also a beautiful poem).

The Rose

The park bench was deserted as I sat down to read

Beneath the long, straggly branches of an old willow tree. 

Disillusioned by life with good reason to frown, 

For the world was intent on dragging me down. 

And if that weren't enough to ruin my day, 

A young boy out of breath approached me, all tired from play.

He stood right before me with his head tilted down

And said with great excitement, "Look what I found!"

In his hand was a flower, and what a pitiful sight,

With its petals all worn -- not enough rain, or too little light.

Wanting him to take his dead flower and go off and play,

I faked a small smile and then shifted away. 

But instead of retreating he sat next to my side

And placed the flower to his nose and declared with overacted surprise,

"It sure smells pretty and it's beautiful, too.

That's why I picked it; here, its for you."

The weed before me was dying or dead. 

Not vibrant of colours, orange, yellow or red.

But I knew I must take it, or he might never leave. 

So I reached for the flower, and replied, "Just what I need."

But instead of him placing the flower in my hand,

 He held it mid-air without reason or plan. 

It was then that I realised for the very first time

That weed-toting boy could not see: he was blind. 

I heard my voice quiver, tears shone like the sun

As I thanked him for picking the very best one. 

"You're welcome," he smiled, and then ran off to play,

Unaware of the impact he'd had on my day. 

I sat there and wondered how he managed to see

A self-pitying woman beneath an old willow tree. 

How did he know of my self-indulged plight?

Perhaps from his heart, he'd been blessed with true sight. 

Through the eyes of a blind child, at last I could see

The problem was not with the world; the problem was me. 

And for all those times I myself had been blind, 

I vowed to see the beauty in life, and appreciate every second that's mine.

And then I held that wilted flower up to my nose

And breathed in the fragrance of a beautiful rose

And smiled as I watched that young boy, another weed in his hand

About to change the life of an unsuspecting old man. 

Author Unknown.  

If only we could all show and give love to others just like this young boy gave that rose away. I pray that I may have that sensitivity to other's needs; that I may seek their well-being rather than my own; and that I may pass on to others, this gift of love bestowed on me.

Day 27: Fruit of the Spirit

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23)

We have been made alive through Christ. Originally we were dead in our sins. But God called us out of that darkness; He took the guilt of our sins away through the blood of Christ on the cross. And what's more, God's work did not stop there. After He ascended into heaven, He sent down His Spirit to live within us; to renew our hearts and minds - to make us holy.

When Christ died on the cross we were made alive again. We were once dead in our trespasses and sins, however, we have been made alive again. With this also comes an obligation. We now have the spirit to fight against our sins, to flee from them, and we also have the will to do good. Although remnants of our old nature still cling to us - we still desire to do sinful things - we have been given a new nature in Christ.

This new life is reflected by the fruit it bears. Just like a tree is known by its fruit, so we are known as regenerate man by the works we do. Paul describes the 'fruit of the Spirit' (that which the new man bears) as love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I would like to spend some time the next few days looking at these individually, but for now, the essence of all this is that as regenerate man, we must bear this fruit. We cannot claim that we are Christians yet in our lives show ourselves to be unchristian. The fruit of the man who has the Spirit dwelling in him is different from the works of the unregenerate man. Paul gives a description of their works: "adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like." And he adds that "those who practise such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."(Gal 5:19-21) Faith must be accompanied by the fruit of the Spirit. As James says: "faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." (James 2:17) Faith must be visible, it must be living in us.

Now all this is not easy; as Christians we are still tempted to fall back and follow the sinful desires of the old man, however, the more and more we fight against our sins, and the more and more we work to develop a closer relationship with God, the more and more we will see the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.

And all this we cannot do alone. The Holy Spirit within us works this desire to bear good fruit; its to Him that we can come in prayer and ask for the strength to fight against our sinful nature and so put on 'love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control'.

Day 26: Sleeping in God's arms

Do you ever find it hard to sleep at night?

I do. So often my mind is swirling with so many things that sleep never seems to come. My thoughts often track to the things I did during the day, while at the same time planning that which I have to do the next day. At times my mind just never seems to relax.

When I feel this way, I like to read psalm 3, in particular verse 5:

"I lay down and slept, I awoke, for the Lord sustained me."

David wrote this psalm when he was fleeing from his son Absalom. He writes that tens of thousands of people have set themselves against him; they who trouble him have increased. David was in a situation where we would say he had the right to be afraid. Men sought his life; thousands of men had risen up against him.

Nevertheless, he is able to say, I lay down and slept. Amidst all these troubles David had calm and peace; he could sleep. And why? Because the Lord sustained him. He cried out to the Lord and He heard him from His holy hill (vs 4).

God hears us when we call out to Him amidst the troubles in our own lives. Although we may not have tens of thousands of men hunting for our life, at times it seems we have tens of thousands of thoughts thundering in our heads. We may be troubled by various things, however God's promise remains the same. He will give us peace.

By calling upon Him through prayer we can give all our troubles and worries to God. Then we can say with David: 'I lay down and slept, I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.'

Day 25: What Christ has done for me

When life swirls around and I move from one busy day to the next, I like to take time to think about all that God through Christ has done for me. So often it is easy to just dismiss this all with a simple thought that He through His work on earth, has saved me from my sins. While this is so true, there is also so much more to what Christ has done, and once you can understand all that Christ has done for you, it makes it all so much better, and so much more amazing.

Philippians 2:5-8 gives a short summary of Christ did in coming to earth. "Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross."

Consider for a moment that before Christ came to earth He was equal with God. He had all the glory and power, but He put that all aside to save sinners like you and I. He assumed a real human nature, although without sin, yet with all its infirmities and weaknesses. Although still true God, Christ humbled Himself to the point of death (and I always like to remember), for my sake. Mankind fell into sin by their own wilful disobedience. Man doesn't deserve to be saved. Yet salvation is possible because Christ made Himself like us; He took upon the curse of sin; He bore the wrath of God against all our sins. And He did this for me. For you.

Isn't that just amazing. Doesn't it make you want to sing out in thankfulness? We are saved because of Christ!

And what is even more wonderful, is that Christ didn't remain in His human form. Philippians 2 doesn't stop in vs7, but it continues: "Therefore God has also exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name." Christ ascended into heaven where He was glorified by God the Father. Having finished His work on earth, Christ had conquered sin and death; He now reigns in heaven and prepares a place for us there! He has saved us, and now He prepares a place for us! And all we have to do is believe.

This is what is so special about the works of Christ for me. When I recall what He has done I really what to live my life only for Him. When I think about these things then it doesn't matter what goes on around me in this world, I don't have to worry, because I know that Christ is in heaven preparing a place for me.

That's such a great comfort!

Day 24: God's Providence

"Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered." (Matthew 10:29-30)

Not only does God know every thing that happens in this world and in our lives, He is also in control over everything. He has planned every thing in our lives and consequently, everything that happens to us part of God's purpose for us. 

God created this world in six days. This is just absolutely amazing; however, the amazingness doesn't stop there. God also is in control over the world today. In all the events that happen, from the global wars and disasters to the small habits in your own life, they are all decreed by God in His plan which He made before the foundation of this world. Things do not just happen by chance; there is not such thing as coincidence. "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord." (Proverbs 16:33) God has decreed everything; that is why it comes to pass. If we could see the book of His plan for this world, all the things that happened to you and I did today would be written there, including your sleep in and when you were snappy at your brothers and sisters. Everything is in His plan. 

And this includes both the good and the bad things that happen. Its easy to think that all the good things that happen to us are God's will, however, the not so good things are also in His hand. And if you think about it, usually its those not so good things that actually work out for our good in the long run. God uses all things, both the good and the bad for the benefit of those who love Him. That's such a great comfort. 

I also think that once you begin to realise more and more that God has planned everything in your life, then you actually begin to see it in this way. You can then see how He works things, which may seem insignificant when they happened, for your spiritual wellbeing. Once you begin to see life in this way, it is also so much more enjoyable as you can live in the comfort and assurance that God has planned your steps even before you take them. 

Day 23: God knows

"O Lord, You have searched me and known me." (Psalm 139:1) 

Psalm 139 is one of my favourite psalms. I'm not too sure why it became one, but enjoy the message it has for me every time I sing or read it.

To some people it may be a fearful thing when you consider that you can hide absolutely nothing from God. He knows all your dark thoughts; He knows the things you do in secret when do one else is around; He knows those thoughts you don't share with anyone. God knows you. He knows every single little thing about you. I think that is so wonderful.

Yes, to a certain extent you are exposed, because you know that you cannot hide anything from God, but at the same time, isn't it so much better that you can rest in the knowledge that our heavenly Father loves you. That's why He knows you so intimately. Isn't it also a great comfort that we can never flee from God's presence? "If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me." (Ps 139: 9-10). We can never leave His presence; this is what He promised to us when He made the covenant with Abraham and his Seed. He will never leave us, nor forsake us.


"Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, it is high, I cannot attain it." (Ps 139: 6)

Day 22: Joy in the Lord

"Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I will say, Rejoice! 

Let your gentleness be made known to all men, the Lord is at hand. 

Be anxious for nothing, 

but in everything, by prayer and supplication, 

with thanksgiving, 

let your requests be made known to God; 

and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, 

will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." 

(Philippians 4:4-7)

Many people would class this well-known text as one of their favourites. It was one of the first bible texts I learnt off by heart; and I've never forgotten it.

The main theme of this text, and the whole of Philippians, is joy. It is so easy to have a lack of joy in our lives. Though we may not be down or depressed, we are likely to have no time for true joy. We are too busy worrying, making sure this and that is going to turn out right. We are anxious about what the day will hold. We worry about the weather (is it going to rain or shine, windy or humid); we worry about how we scored in the latest assignment; we are anxious about the health of our grandparents; we worry. Well, I know I worry.

But Paul tells us 'Be anxious for nothing'; that is, nothing.

And how can we do this? By giving all our worries to the Lord. I read in a book recently about a woman who kept a box with a slit in the top underneath her bed, and she labelled it 'God's box'. Each time she had a worry or concern she would write it down on a slip of paper and put it in that box. She put all her worries in God's box. In a similar way we must cast all our cares upon Him. Let God deal with them, He has the power to influence the concerns we have, we can't, but He can. Let God do His job; we don't have to worry trying to do it for Him.

After putting our concerns in God's hands through prayer, we can be assured that He will hear us. Although we won't necessarily get what we asked for, God will answer in His way, and in His time. But one answer to prayer is immediate; and that is the peace of God which we receive after committing our worries to the Him. He will give us the strength, the perseverance and the patience to get through our situations. Then we can have peace.

And when we have peace, we can also have joy. Then we can have joy in every situation that live presents to us. For then our joy is not based in favourable circumstances, but is 'in the Lord'.

That is a great comfort.

Day 21: The gift of Music

I just love music. I'm a uni student studying music; I learn new things about it everyday, and I just love it.

And why?

Because it has the power to change people; it has the power to communicate between people; it has the power to convey ideas, and it also has the power to bring people together in the collective process of music making.

But more importantly, I see music as a gift that God has given us to use and so bring glory and honour to His name. People can talk about music in terms of physics, the frequencies, harmonics and vibrations of sound, and how it is all formed; however I like to see music as a wonderful gift. Something precious. Something indescribable.

What draws me to music is its power. The music doesn't have to be loud and full of rich, fat harmonies to have power. The power that I see in music is that which is present in the simple, soft spoken melodies as well as the bold and majestic. It is the power that moves people. If I listen to a piece of music, I am never in the same mood when its finished as I was when it started. A piece of music may have the power to make me happy, reflective, sombre, joyful, peaceful, energised, bold or even pensive. It's amazing what music can do.

This morning when I dropped in at school to pick up some band music, I unexpectedly stayed for another hour and a half to take park in a 'DRUMBEAT' workshop. DRUMBEAT is a therapy based  programme originally designed as a means to engage young people. It promotes social understanding and connection through team drumming experience. As participants in the workshop we were all given a drum on which we played various games and activities. The activities were designed to get you to listen to the others in the group and respond to the things they played, while it also allowed you to add your own improvisations. It was just so much fun, and so engaging. The way rhythms are interconnected, the way you can connect your rhythm to someone else's, or have a conversation via drum is just so intriguing.

The way music connects people and works as a meduim in relationships is wonderful.

Thinking back to music as a gift from God, the psalms in the bible were a means of communicating with Him. They were played on instruments such as the timbrel or lute, or sung, as prayers or praises to His Name. Today our church services are filled with singing, through which we also communicate with God. That is the power of music. Music is such a blessed way to give praise to God.

I also think of what a blessing it is that our Christian schools can also have such a strong music programme. Its always wonderful to walk into the music department and hear music floating around the rooms, to see the gifted teachers give their 101% in all classes (they are another influential factor in my love for music), and to understand the love of God that flows from teachers to students alike. It's the love of God that's communicated through music in such an environment as this. Truly, that is a blessing. And I'm blessed to be involved in only a small part of it!

Psalm 150

"Praise the Lord!

Praise God in His sanctuary;

Praise Him in His mighty firmament!

Praise Him for His mighty acts;

Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!

Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet,

Praise Him with the lute and harp!

Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;

Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!

Praise Him  with loud cymbals;

Praise Him with the clashing cymbals!

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord!"

That's why I love music so much. 

Day 20: Strength in God

I just love to think about this text.

"But they that wait on the Lord 

Shall renew their strength, 

They shall mount up with wings like eagles, 

They shall run and not be weary, 

They shall walk and not faint." 

(Isaiah 40:31)

It amazes me every time that when I am down I can always call on the Lord knowing that He will hear me. Although He will not always take the difficulty I'm struggling with away, He always promises to give me the strength and perseverance to get through. He lifts me up on eagles wings that I may have the strength to fly through the hard times in life.

The power of prayer is just amazing!

God is just amazing!!!

Day 19: Love vs Hate

Funny how you learn something knew everyday...

Well, tonight I learnt something. Well, its a little more than just something.

At church this afternoon, the minister had a sermon on the 6th commandment: 'You shall not kill'. He based his sermon, not only on that we should not kill, or hate our neighbour, but that we are required to love them. In this he reworded the 6th commandment: 'Beloved, let us love one another, for God is love.' (1 John 4:7)

God is love. It is an integral part of His being; He is the perfect epitome of love.

The minister defined love as: the desire to foster a relationship with someone in which you seek the other's good even at a cost to yourself. God is love in that He has fostered a relationship with us His adopted children, us who fell into sin by our own wilful disobedience. By His self-sacrificial love, we may be seen as without sin before God. He sacrificed His Son for me, for you. That is love.

We, on the other hand, are inclined by nature to hate God and our neighbour. Hate is the opposite of love: man desires to severe relationships, seeking only his own good and reputation.

What really struck me about this in the sermon was that we are sinning against this commandment when we decide to not befriend someone, or when we decide that we want nothing to do with someone because of something they have done to us. Although we haven't explicitly said 'I hate you, and I delight in any harm that comes to you', we are still sinning by severing the relationship we once had. For that is hate.

This personally sank deep. For reasons I'll not share, I severed a relationship with someone who had once been my best friend. I did it, she didn't. I was the one who had said, 'I can't do this anymore, I don't want to be friends', and I walked away. And up till now I had not thought that what I had just done was really wrong. I had been hurt and I was driven by hate. I thought I was justified in doing what I did, but now I realise that in God's eyes my actions were far from just. I was driven by hate, even though I would never have said to anyone that I hated her, or that I wished the worse for her.

Now I have the duty to love her again (but I don't want to call this a duty, for I seek to do it willingly). I must love, I must give myself in love to others, extend my hand and friendship to people who need it and I must not expect anything in return. In loving I must NOT seek my own interests, but rather, the interests of others. That is what God has done for me, and thats why I can come so freely and ask for forgiveness; because of His love.

His love must now shine through me.

I pray that it will.

Day 18: Blessing of Life

Its so easy to think that living on this earth is not a blessing. The earth is filled with sin. We constantly have to fight against the effects of it and at times it almost seems like its not really worth living. At times everything seems so pointless. Life travels round in circles; sin prevails in the lives of many men. As the Preacher in Ecclesiastes says: "There is nothing new under the sun...and indeed all is vanity and grasping for the wind." (Ecclesiastes 2:11)

So how can there be a blessing in living on this earth, here and now, in a post-modern society?

Well, I think that it is somewhat a blessing to be able to live in this world. Today's world is blanketed by darkness and we have been called to be lights in it. Isn't that a blessing? We have been given the task to make a difference in this world; to do things and in so doing bring glory and praise to God's holy name.

If I think about this then it is a blessing to be able to live. Because it is a blessing to serve our heavenly Father, isn't it? We have been given the opportunity to proclaim God's name to this depraved world and what better time is there than now while we have life. God has blessed most of us with healthy bodies and the mental, physical, spiritual and emotional ability to be able to be a light in this world.

So while we live, we must see this life as a blessing also. As Paul said, "to die is gain but if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labour..." (Philippians 1:21) There are times I just long for this world to be over, that Christ would just come now so we could be with Him. It would be so nice if we didn't have to worry about all the things of this world, but we could just reign with Him eternally.

But we don't know when He will return, and when He does, I do not want Him to find me idle. We cannot sit here and just expect Him to return, for He will only do so once the number of His elect has come to completion. This requires work. It requires our lives. We need to live now. We need to live for God.

So the life that we live, we live to God; what richer blessing is there than to have life, also on this earth, and use it for His honour and glory.

Day 17: Blessing of being called 'Children of God'

Having grown up in a Christian family; having known the bible stories and psalms from a young age it is easy to forget the blessing of what it actually means to be called a child of God. I go to church every Sunday with my family, and I just do because that is what I've always done, and that's what everyone else does. We all go to church, every Sunday. That is the norm.

Yet rarely do I think of what a blessing it is to be able to go to church every Sunday. What a blessing it is that God has called me into His covenant congregation. So then I think to myself: out of the many billions of people that have been and are now in the world, God has chosen me to call His own child.

When I think about this for a moment then I am so very thankful for this. For its God's doing that I am a christian and that I go to church every Sunday. God chose me before the foundation of this world and said 'You are mine'.

I think that is so wonderful. Such love.

"The Holy Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ..." (Romans 8: 16-17)

Then when I feel this in my heart all I want to do is show thankfulness with my whole life. God has taken me out of that pit of sin. Saved by the blood of Christ and renewed by His Holy Spirit. I am a new being. I am a child of God, a citizen of His heavenly kingdom. God has blessed me with THIS. He has given me a spirit to live, and a spirit to cry 'Abba, Father'. (Romans 8:15)

What a rich blessing it is to be called a 'Child of God'.

Day 16: Blessing of Friends

"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are My friends if you whatever I command you." (John 15:13-14)

Not every one has friends and some have more than others. Some call 350 people on face-book their friends while others shy away from people and social networks. Personally I think friendship is a gift which I am blessed to have. I don't have 350 friends on face book, and I don't go out to social gatherings and parties every weekend, but I am blessed to say that I have a few close friends and other people, besides those in my family, who I can talk to about things that are on my mind and to just share things with.

The gift of friendship that I'm talking about is not the 'friendship' in that, 'hey you...I talk to you a bit...and you talk to me so we must be friends'. The friendship I call a gift is that which you can share with someone where you can talk about things that really matter, deeper things than just the weather and who's with who at the moment. I'm a person who needs to be able to talk to someone about the things that are on my mind, and yet I cannot just talk to anyone about them. I don't trust people easily, so to some people this may seem like I don't have many friends. But I have friends that matter, not tons of face-book friends, but friends who I can be with for 2 or more hours and talk and talk and not get sick of each other; friends who know me in a way that not many others do.

And I also have anther friend; I have a friend in Jesus. I don't mean this in an irreverent way, but He is someone I can talk to, He is always there, and I know what He will always hear whatever I have to say. Its His friendship that I treasure the most.

Day 15: Blessing of Family

I'm so blessed to be one of six children in a family with two believing parents. In a world today where the value of the family has decreased so dramatically, it is a rich blessing to experience the gift of family life.

I am blessed to have a mum and dad who fear the Lord,
I am blessed to have parents who have disciplined me in righteousness,
I am blessed to have a father who loves and guides me in the Truth,
I am blessed to have a mum who I can come to with all my problems,
I am blessed to have a mum who always takes time to care for me,
I am blessed to have two sisters to share my girly aspirations with,
I am blessed to have three brothers to tease and to love,
I am blessed to have one great-grandmother - who's still a girl at heart,
I am blessed to have two sets of God-fearing grandparents,
I am blessed to have grandparents who are role models in faith,
I am blessed to have such a blessed family life.

Although family life is not always as smooth and nice as it sounds, as we do have our quarrels and spats, yet I am thankful to God that He has placed me in such a family, a covenant family, a family where I can grow in love for my Heavenly father, and a family who also walks with me to this journey's end.

I also want to share the lyrics of this traditional hymn as I think it fits in nicely:

Count your blessings

When upon life's billows you are tempest-tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings, name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord has done. 

Count your blessings, name them one by one, 

Count your blessings see what God hath done!

Count your blessings, name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?

Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?

Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,

And you will keep singing as the days go by. 

Count your blessings, name them one by one, 

Count your blessings see what God hath done!

Count your blessings, name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

When you look at others with their lands and gold,

Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;

Count your many blessings - wealth can never buy

Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

Count your blessings, name them one by one, 

Count your blessings see what God hath done!

Count your blessings, name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

So, amid the conflict whether great or small,

Do not be discouraged, God is over all;

Count your many blessings, angels will attend,

Help and comfort give you to your journey's end. 

Count your blessings, name them one by one, 

Count your blessings see what God hath done!

Count your blessings, name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Day 14: Blessings and Gifts

What do we do with the things that we have been blessed with? Or do we even realise the extent to which we are blessed?

I would love to go and spend a month or two in a third world country and experience life without its many 'western luxuries'. We have it so good. At least I know I do anyway. I have a car to drive, there is always plenty of food for me in the pantry, and if I need to buy some, there's plenty of money in my bank account. I have a roof over my head, I have a comfy bed to sleep in, I have a loving family with two parents who also love the Lord, I have grandparents who are a constant reminder of what it means to live Christ in my life, I have so, so many blessings. And I've only just listed a few. 

But what do I do with all these blessings. Do I bury them in the ground like the man who received one talent in Matthew 25:18? Or do I work with them and use them for the good of my fellow man?

I think its so much easier to just 'bury our blessings in the ground'. We take them all so much for granted, and to have all these gifts is so easy. Yet is that what God wants us to do with them. Does He expect us to bury them or to work with them and increase their value? 

I think we know what He expects of us. 

But how do we do it? I think firstly we need to show that we are really thankful for the many blessings God has bestowed upon us. We can thank Him in prayer, showing our appreciation and just by acknowledging that God has given us all that we have. We of ourselves haven't earn't a penny of it. That's why we must be so thankful. 

And then once we are thankful for the small things our thankfulness should overflow into the way we interact with others around us. Let that thankfulness rub off on them; share your gifts with them that they may benefit from it and bring honour and glory to our Father in heaven. 

We are so richly blessed and we so often don't know it!

(Matt 25:14-30) The Parable of the Talents

Day 13: True Peace

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you." (John 14:27)

There is little peace in the world today. Most countries have peaceable relations with each other (now I'm generalising a lot here), however, there is little peace within society. Man is often at heads with his brother. Peace is not found because men fight one another, not always physically, but verbally and through their thoughts. Some commit crimes and others suffer because of them; people seek revenge and take matters in their own hands. And why is it all like this. Because "there is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10).

And yet God promises to give us peace. We may wonder how is this possible in a busy world surrounded by turmoil.

However, the peace God gives us is an inner peace, a serenity, a comfort and a calm. We can experience this peace when life is busy and when life seems anything but fair. We can experience this peace when we go for a walk in the morning and we can experience it when we walk through the bustling city at noon. We can experience it when the safety box around our life is broken and when loved ones fail or leave us.

The wonderful reason why we can experience this peace in all situations is that this peace is not dependent on us or on our ability to make ourselves at peace. But the peace comes to us through the Holy Spirit. When we live our lives close to God and when He lives wholly in us, then we can experience this true peace.