Dearly beloved in Christ,
I greet you in the sweet name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sometimes people pledge their possessions like house or jewels with someone for money. This has to be redeemed within a period by payment of money. Otherwise the pledger has to lose it. Some creatures fall a prey to certain other animals and lose their lives as there is no one to rescue them.
Once I watched a bee with beautiful wings flying about in my room. I thought how the Lord God had made such good creatures. It was flying about freely here and there. It had no need to cleanse its wings as we do with our attire. How free it was! The Lord God who created such creatures is greater than them. When He created man, He created him better than other creatures. Jesus Christ said, “Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?” (Luke 12:24). When I was thus musing over it, it got itself entangled in a spider’s cobweb. When it tried to escape with its strength, it was impossible. Then the spider which had created the web came near it and bound it with a secretion from its mouth. Then it began to feed on it. The next day it appeared dead with only its outward structure. But the loving God wants to deliver us from the evils of this world. It is written: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). He sent His Son who was anointed to deliver us: “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” (Isaiah 61:1). Jesus Christ is able to deliver us from the web of sin, the web of curse and designs of the devil. Man is precious in the sight of God. To those who are delivered, the Lord God gives the good hope and life. “And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isaiah 35:10).
The Lord knows us very well from the time we are conceived in the womb. “Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.” (Psalm 139:16). “And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings” (Acts 17:26). “Whatever one is, he has been named already, for it is known that he is man; and he cannot contend with Him who is mightier than he.” (Eccles. 6:10). Thus the Lord knows everything beforehand. He calls us by our names.
Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus Christ. But he was short of stature. So he ran in the direction in which Jesus was going, and climbed a sycamore tree to see Him. As Jesus Christ came near the place, He looked up at Zacchaeus and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house” (Luke 19:5). He came down and took Him to his house. As Zacchaeus who was a sinner sought to see Him, Jesus Christ called him by name and went to his house. He was ready to return the unjust money he had collected as he realized his sins. Then Jesus said to him, “”Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham.” To save Zacchaeus He called him by name.
Saul was on his way to Damascus with the written authority from the Chief Priest to bind any Christian if found and to bring them to Jerusalem. As he came near Damascus, the Lord Jesus Christ met him. A light shone around him. He fell down. Then he heard the voice of Jesus Christ, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:4). Then he questioned who He was. The Lord then revealed to him, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
When someone persecutes a child of God, it is an act of persecuting Jesus Christ Himself. Shattered Saul now turned to the Lord and asked Him, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” He surrendered and submitted himself fully to the Lord. Then the Lord appeared in a vision to Ananias, one of His disciples, and asked him to go and meet him, giving him details of his place of stay. He was afraid of Saul as he had heard about this man, how much harm he had done to the saints in Jerusalem. ‘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.”’ He was led to restore sight to Saul and to anoint him with the Holy Spirit. He thus met him and when he placed his hands on him, Saul received his sight and was filled with the Holy Spirit. He was strengthened and bore witness that Jesus is Christ.
As Samuel did not know the voice of the Lord, he went to Eli. Three times the Lord called him and each time he went to Eli. Then Eli realized that it should be the voice of the Lord. He instructed him to respond to the voice saying, “Speak, for Your servant hears.”’ So he responded when the Lord called him next time. Then the Lord revealed to him what He was going to do to the family of Eli: “For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them.” “So Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the LORD.”
When Moses was in Egypt, he saw the sufferings of his people in the land and wanted to deliver them with his strength. He saw a Hebrew man being beaten by an Egyptian. He killed the Egyptian and buried him. Then he saw two Hebrew brethren fighting with each other. He said to the one who did the wrong, “Why are you striking your companion?” Then he said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” So Moses feared and said, “Surely this thing is known!” Knowing what had happened, Pharaoh wanted to kill Moses. So Moses fled from there to Midian. There he married the daughter of the Midianite priest, Zipporah. He was tending the sheep of his father-in-law. He came to Horeb, the Mount of the Lord. The Lord appeared in a flame of fire from the midst of a burning bush. ‘And the LORD said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites” (Ex. 3:7,8). Thus the Lord called Moses by name to deliver the Israelites. He transformed him to be worthy of the calling. The Lord revealed His power through him.
Through Moses, He brought ten plagues upon Egypt and demonstrated His power and authority. He led the delivered people in a wonderful way through a column of fire during night and a column of cloud during day. To lead His people from slavery, the Lord called Moses.
Even today the Lord calls so many persons by name to fulfil His plan.
If one of our relatives occupies a high position, we take pride in saying that we are related to the high official. If the person happens to be our son or daughter, we delight in talking about them. But when the Lord calls us His own, what a privilege it is! Yes, the Lord establishes such a relationship with us and makes it manifest through the blessings He bestows on us.
After Moses, Joshua led the Israelites. They came near the Jordan River. It was the time of the harvest and therefore water flooded the river. As soon as the feet of the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant touched the tip of the river, the water from upstream rose into a heap and stood still. As they stood there in the middle of the Jordan, people walked on dry land. The Lord was with them.
Dear Brother / Sister, are you dismayed at the problems you face in life? Do not be afraid. Daniel was put into a den of lions. Yet the Lord sent His angel to bind the mouths of lion. In the den, Daniel was not alone. When Joseph was in prison, the Lord was with him. Dear Child of God, the floods would not overwhelm you. The Lord is great. He will be with you; He will not forsake you. David who was a man after God’s own heart says in Psalm 69:2, “I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing; I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.” In the first verse he says that the flood comes up to his neck. The problems he faced from the enemy was like floods engulfing him. He pleads in verse 15, “Let not the floodwater overflow me, nor let the deep swallow me up; and let not the pit shut its mouth on me.”
Dear Brother/ Sister, as you face problems from the enemy that might make you sink, cry to the Lord for help. Do not hide your sins from the Lord. Confess them. He will protect you from the floods and you will be safe. There is no end to His mercies.
David loved the Lord. The Lord extended His hands from above and rescued him from the floods (Psalm 18:16).
We are surrounded by the enemies. Because of the enemy we have so many problems. When the presence of the enemy is with us, the Holy Spirit wages war against him and lifts up the standard against him. He will fight for you against your enemies. He will bless you through victory. You will remain still (Ex. 14:14). This victory is a permanent one and a free one. It will last till the end of the world. As you are His, He will give you victory by remaining with you.
Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego who refused to bow before the golden image he set up. He threatened them that they would be put into a burning furnace if they failed to fall down and worship the image. They challenged the king saying, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up” (Dan. 3:17,18). In fury, he threw them bound into the burning fiery furnace.
As the fire had been heated seven times more, those who threw them into the fire were burnt. But the fire did no harm to the three men. On the other hand, they were seen freely moving in the fire with another person. The king was astonished: “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” The king then called them to come out. He observed that their hair was not singed nor was their clothing charred. Neither was there the smell of fire on their body. The king knew that the Lord sent His angel to deliver them.
The Lord sent plagues in the land of Egypt through Moses. At the time of plagues, Pharaoh would say that he would send them away. As soon as it stopped, his heart would be turned hard and would not let them go. So plague after plague came upon them. But these plagues did not affect the Israelites in Goshen. Today you may witness several plagues in your region, but the Lord God has protected you as the apple of the eye. He will rescue from the evils of fire. The Lord would create a difference between you and others.
We should become worthy to be called His own by the Lord. Now let us see who would become entitled to be called so.
When we become a sheep of the fold of the Lord Jesus Christ, we keep him before us and follow him. As the sheep hear the voice of the shepherd and obey him, we should submit ourselves to live following His example.
Thus we should be worthy to be called His own. We should become member of the church and follow Him.
We read about several sacrifices in the Bible. In Hebrews 13:15, 16, we read: “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” The Lord calls those who offer such sacrifices “His own.” The Lord has instituted a new covenant for us through His blood. Through such sacrifices and the covenant, we are His.
The Lord calls us His servants when we minister on His behalf. Whatever be the nature of ministry, whether big or small, the Lord accepts everyone. In response to that, He loves us and appreciates us and relates to us as His own. How great and what a privilege it is to be called His own.
Dear Brother/ Sister, the Lord is prepared to accept you as His own even though you may feel orphaned with no one to stand with you. As we do things acceptable to the Lord, and become His own, He blesses us in return.
May the Lord bless us!
In the service of Christ Jesus,
Bro. C. Ebenezer Paul.