Dearly beloved in Christ, I greet you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Today there are several people anxiously looking for help from others. They seek the favour of others. I know a person who usually went to the seashore early in the morning to buy fish. When I enquired him why he went so early, he said that only at that time the cost of fish would be less. For a little benefit, you may be willing to get up early. Dear Brother, do you seek the Lord who will supply all your needs and show favour to you by extending His help early in the morning? One family had raised a loan of several lakh rupees from a bank. They got into a situation where it was impossible to redeem it. When they approached the bank officials, they were asked to pay an interest that amounted to more than half of the loan amount. When they pleaded for help from the official, a great favour was done to them. They were asked to pay the loan amount together with an interest of 10%. They were delighted. The debt burden got reduced. More than this bank official, our Lord and Saviour can do more favour and help you. Once a Brother from a foreign land overstayed in India. So he could make his return to his country only with the permission of the Q division police. Therefore I took him to the Q Branch Police. I knew no one there. But the Lord worked a wonder there. A person who was doing an important work there came to us and greeted us and asked us politely to take the seats there. Then he enquired us whether we would take tea and supplied us tea. As we told him our problem, he got the application and filled it himself and asked him to sign those papers. With a smiling face he asked us to come and get the permission in two days. The foreigner who was gripped in fear was highly delighted and regained his confidence. His return was made possible without any hurdle.
“Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; And their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD stretches out His hand, both he who helps will fall, and he who is helped will fall down; They all will perish together” Isaiah 31:3
Today many do not seek favour and help from the Lord God but seek it elsewhere and, as a result, fail and perish. Once a family brought their son in his youth for prayer as there was pain in his stomach. His belly appeared like a pot. His hands and legs were thin. In this state we kept him in the Deliverance Centre and started praying for him. In a few days he was healed and went back home. After a few day I went to his house. He had bought a ring which was thought to bring fortune to them. As the Lord revealed it, I asked them to bring the ring. They hesitantly brought the ring. I asked them why they forgot the Lord who delivered and bought that ring with a price. I counselled them to trust the Lord and to seek Him. Then I made a prayer and returned. In a few days, he killed one of his relatives because of family dispute. So they settled the case by writing off that house in favour of the deceased family. He also died in a few days. There came loss and death because they did not look up to the Lord Jesus but trusted the words of worldly people.
“Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, bound in affliction and irons — because they rebelled against the words of God, and despised the counsel of the Most High, therefore He brought down their heart with labor; They fell down, and there was none to help” Psalm 107:10-12
Today many spurn the counsel of the Lord rebelling against it. In their intention to help their children, they lose the help and guidance of the Lord and land in trouble. There is power in the words of the Lord. In John 6:63, we read that the words of the Lord “are spirit and life”. He sends His word and heals. With His words He protects us from dangers. But when we disregard them, we are bound to fail and perish. Once I asked a woman to pray along with her husband for his days to be lengthened. Her husband took part in several ministries. But when he called her to pray with him, she refused saying that he had nothing else to do. She spent her time in watching TV serials. She disregarded the counsel of the Lord. One day her husband died. Then she shed tears saying that she never expected that this would happen. She did not seek the help of the Lord and, therefore, she met with loss and anguish. Dear Brother/ Sister, do not despise the counsel of the Lord. If you act according to His words, the Lord would do great things of favour and protect and bless you.
“He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy” Proverbs 29:1
The Lord Jesus Christ chastises those whom He loves.There was a man with a withered hand at the synagogue. It was a Sabbath day. Those who were there were ready to find fault with Him. “And he said to them, ‘Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored’ (Mark 3:4-5). Some do not accept chastisement and indulge in wrong affairs. “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Hebrews 12:6). Once at a railway crossing the gate was closed. But a person lifted his cycle and started crossing through a narrow space. The gateman shouted at him. But he was not bothered about his warning. He said that he belonged to the railway gang employed there. In a moment he was crushed to death. Thus death and destruction await those who do not accept the warning of the Lord.
“But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, till there was no remedy.” 2 Chron. 36:16
Once I was invited to a house for prayer after the meeting in Srivaikundam. I went and prayed with them. Then I told them that snake was dwelling in a wall of the house and was about to hatch eggs. But the family did not accept the revelation of the Lord as the house was well built with cement and was well maintained. There were no crevices in the wall and therefore there was no chance for such a thing to happen. I prayed for their protection and rebuked the snake and bound so that it would not touch anyone there. Then I left the house. After a few days, they wrote a letter to me. After rain there was a small crack in the wall and therefore they engaged a mason to set it right. When he started doing it, he heard a snake hissing. As he carefully removed the outer plastering of the wall with a crowbar, the snake came out. He killed it with the crowbar. It had been brooding over its eggs there. As many disregard the words of the servants of the Lord, they meet with disaster. Once a brother asked me whether he could extend his house, I told him the counsel of the Lord that he should not do that. He laughed. He completed the task with a lot of money. But what happened is this. In extending the road the entire house was destroyed. He could not have favour in the eyes of officials. There was loss and sorrow in what he did.
“The Lord is my strength and my shield;My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,and with my song I will praise Him.” Psalm 28:7
Today our trust should only be in the Lord Jesus Christ. But people have faith in different things. We should trust in the Lord alone to get help from Him. If this trust diminishes, there come doubts leading to disbelief. The Bible says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD.” (Jer. 17:7). There are so many blessings from trusting the Lord. “For I will surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword; but your life shall be as a prize to you, because you have put your trust in Me,” says the LORD” (Jer. 39:18). The Lord lives. We need deliverance in so many things. The Son Jesus Christ offers this deliverance. The trust in Him brings about deliverance, healing, peace and happiness in our lives. “But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him” (Psalm 32:10). He will not forsake those who trust in Him.We live in a world where betrayal of trust abounds. Once two sisters were mourning before the dead body of their mother. At that time, their only brother got all their properties registered in his name as expenses of the funeral rites. It was not only betrayal of trust, but also a cunning act of opportunism. If you place your trust in the Lord, He will help you in a wonderful way. It will not be in vain. If we trust in Him and do good things, we would inherit all good blessings. Today the trust of people are in certain numbers, colours, and things. This brings about only destruction and peril. A man sold a part of his property to renovate his house according to ‘vaastu’. He thought that he had done the right thing and there would be blessings. Contrary to his expectation, his eldest daughter died of a disease. Even the person who bought this house died of a disease. If you place your trust in the Lord, He will make you see wonders and help you.
“So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.” (2 Chronicles 20:4). Today we seek so many things in this world. We think that the life will be blessed if we have something. We seek the favour of people. Instead of seeking the Lord, the Creator, we seek the created things. By this we meet with unexpected difficulties and losses. We fail to believe His words: “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13). We make mistakes and fumble. How true is the word of God! “The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing” (Psalm 34:10)! Once I had to travel and I had to take some money home. On one side there was the decision not to borrow money. So I looked to the Lord who helps. Then I was reminded of the covers in which money was given to me in a foreign land. I had kept the covers safely for the address they bore, after taking out the money for I wanted to write back to them thanking them. So I took those covers and examined them. To my wonder I found enough money in one of the covers from which I had failed to take out the money. Jehoshaphat had an unexpected help from the Lord as he sought Him. His enemies were put to destruction. When we seek Him, He will not forsake us. He will make things happen for us. Today you may be seeking several things in life – a good alliance for your child, admission to a good course/ college, a good placement, a good plot for building a house, etc. Dear child of God, seek the Lord with your full heart. The Lord who helps will remove all hurdles in your path and make you see a wonder. Once a sister after returning from the church found her bracelet missing. She told her husband about it and they went seeking it. They found it just at the entrance of the church before a beggar. Surprisingly, the beggar had not noticed it. The Lord who helps had blinded the beggar from seeing it. The wisdom of the Lord is far beyond our understanding. He does things in unique ways. Through His acts of kindness we are made to live a peaceful life without any confusion. Those three races of people who came against Jehoshaphat fought against one another and were annihilated. Thus the Lord helped him have victory over his enemies. Today let us seek the favour of the Lord with our whole heart, whole strength and whole soul. We will be blessed by the hand of the Lord. “The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing” (Psalm 34:10). “And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You” (Psalm 9:10).
“O Israel, you are destroyed, but your help is from Me.” Hosea 13:9
The Lord loved Israel and therefore says that He would help him. When all their needs were fulfilled to their satisfaction, their hearts were uplifted. They forgot the Lord (Hosea 13:6). The heart of man easily becomes haughty. Instead of thanking the Lord for what they have received from Him, their hearts are darkened. “But after they had rest, they again did evil before You. Therefore You left them in the hand of their enemies. . . .” (Neh. 9:28). Today you may be one like the Israelites who backslid. The Lord wants to help you. He lives even today. Who is this Israel? He was Jacob. The name reminds us of wicked nature. He was without brotherly love. He did not want to give food freely to his brother who was hungry. He deceived his blind father saying that he was Esau. But he was terrified because of the oppression he faced. He wrestled with the angel of the Lord to make him bless him. He changed his life, his heart, and his name as well. This Israel became a beloved of the Lord. It pleased the Lord to bless Israel. He called him His own. To the one who was backslidden, the Lord comfortingly says that his help will be from Him. Today if we commit ourselves to be changed truly as Israel, we would have our help from the Lord.
“... The helpless commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless” Psalm 10:14
The Lord has concern for the fatherless. He takes up their cause and fights for them against those who take advantage of their misfortune and try to cheat them. In Proverbs 31:9 we are called to open our mouths and speak for them: “Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.” Psalm 82:3 says, “Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy.” He is like a father to the fatherless. He will remain faithful according to His word and protect the fatherless. He does not change. He encouraged His disciples saying: “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:18). As He knew that the time had come for His death, He prepared His disciples so. James 1:27 defines what is true religion: “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” It is the will of God that we should live a holy life. We are also called to help those in need: “. . . . and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are within your gates, may come and eat and be satisfied, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do” (Deut. 14:29). Thus the Lord has concern for the children who are fatherless and helpless. He would be their help. Today we find people trying to take over the properties of such helpless people. But they do not know the design of God and are under curse and punishment from Him. The King Ahab wanted to take over the vineyard of Naboth which was adjacent to his. He demanded it from him. As it was his inherited property from his forefathers, he did not want to give it up. The king was worried. His wife Jezebel set up wicked witnesses against him and stoned him to death. When the king Ahab went to take possession of the vineyard, Elijah the prophet of the Lord met him and told him the word of God: “In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick your blood, even yours” (1 Kings 21: 19). It happened so. The Lord who helps the fatherless would wage wars for them. He does that even today. Dear child of God, the help of the Lord would protect you from all dangers. Not only that, it would bring about changes in your life. As said in Psalm 30:11, it would turn your mourning to dancing; as said in Psalm 28:7, your heart would rejoice and praise God in songs; as said in Psalm 46:5, you will not be moved. Let the Lord bless us so.
In the service of Christ Jesus,
Bro. C. Ebenezer Paul.