Dearly beloved in Christ,
In the sweet name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I greet you!
Jesus Christ has shown us the good way and gives peace and joy to those who walk in it. Once, we had been to a place to minister the word of the Lord, and the language of the people was unknown to us. The way to that place was also not known to us. But we noticed a road sign there that pointed the way. It was written in English and therefore we could identify the way easily.
In our lives also we seek ways to true happiness and peace. The Lord Jesus Christ has shown us the way. He tells us, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” He wants us to take the right way and has left His footprints. If we want to follow Him, we should walk in His footprints. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Prov. 16:25). If we decide to allow the Lord to guide us as said in Psalm 139:24, “And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” we would certainly enjoy a good life.
The Lord will lead us daily in a good way where we do not stumble. He will guide us and help us. Without knowing that, we wander like sheep in the bushes. Dear Brother/ Sister, if you decide to walk in His way, you would overcome all the waves that come against you. Depending upon our commitment, we get strengthened in the spirit. Without being afraid of the circumstances, we can progress in the way He shows. If we do not commit fully to walk in His ways, certainly there would be confusion, trials and disappointments.
TO WALK IN HIS WAYS
1. Be Separated unto Christ
“Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you.” Genesis 12:1
First, we should be ready to separate from our traditional ways to walk in His way. Today, there are several cultural practices with which we are bound up. We do not even know that we follow them.
The traditional practices of our parents like the garland of maternal uncle, and the ring of the sister-in-law are part of life in our culture. The society tells us that a widow should not come in our way. But for Abraham to be blessed by the Lord, He had to separate himself from them and their practices. In our lives also, the Lord expects us to lead a life separated from such superstitious beliefs and customs. When you do that, He will bless us and make our name great.
2. Be Led by His Word
“For the Lord your God will bless you just as He promised you; you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you.” Deuteronomy 15:6
This is the counsel of the Lord for our financial and economical blessings. Only when you listen to His word and follow them (Deut. 28:1), you will be blessed by the Lord. So, commit to obey His words. I used to think of my days when I was a teacher, but living in debt. Before I was saved, I had taken loan from all sources. I had borrowed from my colleagues, not less than ten. I had taken loan from the Co-operative Society. On the day of salary, this will be deducted from my salary. I had also withdrawn from the Provident Fund. My wife was also a teacher. We had to pledge gold jewels to raise loan from banks. My wife never knew about these money dealings. From the salary, I had to pay instalments for these borrowings which left us with only a little to manage the family. I had the practice of buying all goods only from one shop. Every month there would be some money left as balance to be settled. Every month I borrowed more and more to settle old accounts. But the day I was saved and I meditated upon this verse, I realized that it would be possible to live without borrowing.
The promise that I would not borrow showed me the way. First, I decided not to borrow any longer. For that I decided to buy with the money I had on hand. So, I reduced the quantity of items. That month, my wife gave me notice on the twentieth of the month that she was left with no rice for the next day. I thought of this verse and began to pray that night. Then I heard a still voice instructing me to bless the vessel that contained the rice and pray. I did that enthusiastically and went to sleep. The next day I asked my wife to take as much rice as she needed and to cook. She did so. As it happened in the house of the widow of Zarephath, a miracle happened in our lives: the rice in the vessel never went down. As we believe in his words and obey them, the Lord will bless and provide for us. Our faith in Him and His Word increased. The next month as the due in instalment for P.F. loan was over, there was no deduction in my salary that month. I also cancelled my membership in the Teachers’ Cooperative Society. They deducted my loan dues and returned a few thousands of rupees. With that money I settled some other loans for which I had to pay heavy dues. Thus, the word of God helped me to live without any debt. In three years, as I had promised the Lord, I resigned my job and became a full-time minister of the Lord.
Dear Brother/ Sister, this verse thus guided me to live a life of no-loans. Are you also struggling with debts? Give room for this word to work in your life also. The Lord will bless you. Five loaves of bread and two fish blessed by the Lord was enough to satisfy the needs of more than five thousand people. You will experience such a miracle in your life. The left over was gathered in 12 baskets. Similarly, you would have not only enough for your needs, but the left over would extend to the next 12 months of plenty.
3. Be Led by Dreams
“There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.” Genesis 37:7
The Lord spoke clearly to Joseph about his future in a dream. He confirmed it through another dream. Dear child of God, if you have dreams, they are good. One of the ways of the Lord speaking to us through dreams. Dreams are a portion of prophecies. In Numbers 12:6, the Lord says, “If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream.” In Job 33:15-16, it is said, “In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, while slumbering on their beds, then He opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction.” Joel 2:28 says, “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.” Some dreams fade as we wake up. Psalm 73:20 says, “As a dream when one awakes, so, Lord, when you awake, you shall despise their image.” As Ecclesiastes 5:7 says, some of the dreams are vanity. Some of them are horrible. But the dreams from the Lord are instructive.
Through dreams we are also cautioned and guarded by the Lord. In Genesis 20:3, it is written, “But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.”” He was prevented from sinning through a dream. The Lord God appeared in a dream to Laban and cautioned him against doing or speaking anything harmful to Jacob. The Magi were warned and instructed in a dream not to go back to Herod the king, and therefore they took a different route to return. Thus, the Lord warns us in dreams so that we may not sin. Jacob was guided through a dream to select a particular type of sheep as his wages. He was thus blessed.
4. Be Chosen By the Lord
“But the Lord said to him, ”Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Acts 9:15-16
The Lord keeps calling several people for Himself. Jesus Christ chose 12 disciples. 1 Cor. 1:27-28 say, “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are.” After choosing the foolish people, He fills them with special wisdom, and transforms them to do great things. He chooses the poor in studies and uses them to do great things.
Jesus Christ chose Peter and John who were uneducated. The Bible says, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13). Peter was appointed to continue His ministry after Him. Dear Brother/ Sister, the Lord loves you and wants to use you to do His ministry. He transformed Daniel brought as a slave to use him as His instrument. He disciplined himself not to defile himself with any evil thing. The Lord gave him a special spirit of wisdom to work for Him. The Bible says, “But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly; the Lord will hear when I call to Him.” (Psalm 4:3). As James 1:27 says, it is a life of love and holiness: “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.”
The Lord chose Saul and told Ananias, “For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake” (Acts 9:16). He shows those whom He chooses the way.
As we meditate upon the verse, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. . .” (Psalm 32:8), we will be led to get nearer to Him. Let us meditate on the lives of men who were thus blessed.
THE BLESSINGS OF HIS INSTRUCTIONS
1. A Ram Instead of His Son
“Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.” Genesis 22:13
The Lord God blessed Abraham with a son according to His promise when he obeyed the Lord and left his place, and his people to live according to the dictates of the Lord. But He asks him at the age of 100 to offer his beloved son Isaac as a burnt offering. He went to the place as he was instructed and built an altar. He placed his son on the piled woods and was about to slay him. At that moment the Lord stopped him and showed him the ram to be offered as a sacrifice. Because he thus obeyed the Lord, the Lord testified that he feared the Lord and obeyed Him. Thus, he was blessed manifold. He called him His friend. He became the father of all believers. In our lives also we are tested when we commit to live worthy of His calling. Job was confident: “When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10). After being tested, we are also glorified as His children and blessed.
2. Guidance to the Redeemed
“Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.” Exodus 13:17-18
The Lord who loves us directs us in the way we should go. Thus, the Lord led the Israelites who were delivered to walk in the direction of the wilderness. It was certainly a difficult way. He had a reason for it. He feared that they might go back if they saw wars. Today also we see people who have accepted Jesus Christ and started living as His children go back to old ways when they see hurdles in their way. He showed a round about route to the redeemed Israelites so that they may not backtrack on seeing wars. He can make this wilderness a place like Eden. He will make a way there. He leads us in the wilderness for our own good. Jesus Christ spoke the parable of the lost sheep. He asks: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?” (Luke 15:4). He is after that one lost sheep. He does not want His sheep to be scattered. The Lord who saw the need of Hagar crying in the wilderness opened her eyes to see a fountain there. Thus, the Lord leads. He is alive even today.
He will lead you without forsaking you as He loves you. He will show the right way.
3. Guided Pharaoh Through His Dreams
“This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.” Genesis 41:28
The glorious Lord spoke to the Pharaoh about what was going to happen through dreams. He loved His people and showed him the things He was going to do. He foretold him about the seven years of plenty and the seven years of famine that were to follow. He also guided him what should be done. The dreams were explained to him by Joseph and made him the officer to manage affairs. This was the design of the Lord Himself to make Joseph who was sold by his brothers and was also falsely accused and sent to prison the head of the nation, next only to the King. Dear Brother/ Sister, if you live with the fear of the Lord a holy sanctified life, the Lord will not forsake you. You may be forsaken by your brothers and sisters. You may be oppressed by them. Only decide to live pleasing the Lord. At the right time you will be exalted. The Lord will bless you according to His words. From prison to the palace Joseph was exalted. This was foretold in dreams to him and accordingly he was exalted. He was guided, blessed, and exalted.
4. Moses Guided
“And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet” Exodus 15:24-25
Moses was called to redeem the Israelites from the slavery of Egypt. Through miracles and signs, he delivered the people. He was leading them through the desert. They had no water to drink for three days. At Marah they had water, but it was bitter. Now they began to murmur against Moses. Moses was sorely oppressed and called to the Lord for help. The Lord showed him a tree and asked him to put a branch of it into that water. He did so and the water became sweet.
Today, are you in a difficult situation? Has life itself become bitter? Are you in tears and in sorrow? The Lord will show you the way. It is the cross of Calvary that the Lord shows you. Observe the love and the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Commit to Him to come into your life. He will transform it fully and make it sweet. All sorrows and bitterness will vanish. You will have good life. This is revealed in His act on the cross. Commit to know it and to accept Him. Everything will become all right.
May the Lord bless us!
In the service of Christ,
Bro. C. Ebenezer Paul.