I Will Lift Up My EyesSpeaker: Sis. Stella Dhinakaran Gist: Jesus Christ lived a very faithful prayer-filled life when He walked on this earth. Taking Him as our example, let us set right our life. He will grant us divine peace and joy, besides His spiritual and material blessings. The Bible says, "For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps." (1 Peter 2:21)
A very striking feature seen in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ during His sojourn on earth was that He watched and prayed at the feet of His Father.
St.John exhorts, "As He is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4:17)
My dear friend, it is very essential that you should follow the prayerful life that Jesus lived. If you do it faithfully, you can certainly receive the manifold blessings that are in Him. You will experience great comfort and joy.
It is evident from a reading of the four Gospels that our Lord Jesus Christ had His eyes riveted all the time on His Heavenly Father. Accordingly, you should also emulate Him.
"Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus." (Hebrews 3:1)
"I and My Father are one." (John 10:30)
"He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?" (John 14: 9,10)
The Lord tells us, "For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, 'Fear not, I will help you.'" (Isaiah 41:13)
In the world today, many are the desolate and forlorn. There are some who say that their relatives are of no use to them and that their days are spent in loneliness and distress. In a world full of jealousy, spite, hypocrisy and deceit, so many languish in loneliness. For all such castaways in the society, God alone can be a true and unchanging Friend and Helpmate, and He is willing to be all that for you. The Heavenly Father did not leave alone His Son Jesus Christ while He lived in this world, because His life was so pleasing to His Father.
Jesus said, "And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him." (John 8:29)
My dear friend, amidst whatever trials and tribulations you may be passing through, do not be dismayed or shed tears. Do not mind whatever may be said of you and however badly you may be treated. Your spouse, your in-laws, or others in the family may hurt your feelings. But do not be thinking of them all the time or inflict pain on yourselves. Look up to the Lord always to live a life clean and wholesome before God. The Lord will surely be your help.
"Behave courageously, and the Lord will be with the good." (2 Chronicles 19:11)
God will be your refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1), and you will surely say with the Psalmist, "Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul would soon have settled in silence" (Psalm 94:17).
When the Lord becomes your Helper, no one can condemn you.
"Surely the Lord God will help Me; who is he who will condemn Me? Indeed they will all grow old like a garment; the moth will eat them up." (Isaiah 50:9)
"Thus says the Lord who made you and formed you from the womb, who will help you: 'Fear not, O Jacob My servant; and you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.'" (Isaiah 44:2)
What more do you want? Dear friend, wipe away your tears. Be mindful of leading a pleasing life before God. Watch and pray, pouring your sorrows and tears at His feet. Never falter or forget this.
Do not belittle God's help saying that prayer induces sleep or causes weariness. Do not say that you have no time to pray, that you are overworked or that you are bothered by your children. Watch and pray till you realise God's presence and receive His help.
A certain man, who suffered much without a job, used to pray for hours together. Our loving Father, who blesses those who genuinely seek Him in prayer, granted him a job immediately. Promotions also followed very soon. But the man's mind gradually strayed from God and he became obsessed with his work. He had no time to pray as he had to work all the time. Unexpectedly, there arose problems in the job where he had put his heart and soul, and he was dismissed. Only then, his eyes which had been blinded for sometime, opened again. He ran to a man of God and shared with him his distress. When he prayed again, the Lord spoke to him, "My son! You always came to Me, watched and prayed. But as I blessed you abundantly in your work, you stopped coming to Me, though I waited for you at those usual hours. That was the reason for your fall. You yourself ruined your career. Do not disappoint me hereafter." The Lord forgave him and granted him a new job.
My dear friend, examine your life closely. Without wasting a single minute, watch and pray in the Lord's presence. Even if you have five minutes to spare, spend them in conversing with God. With His help, you will ever be sustained.
Prayer:
Loving Heavenly Father,
You alone are my very present help at times of my need. This world will leave me alone when I say that I am in need of something; but I know that You are there to help me, to lend me Your miracle-working hand that can work wonders in my life. Grant me all the desires of my heart, and let them be according to Your will. In Jesus' mighty name, I pray.
Amen. |