Why we must hung on

-


All odds are looking dismal. They are telling you to surrender. They are demanding that you stifle your faith. They are dictating that you compromise what you believe in.

You can easily choose to stoop in capitulation. You can easily slay your own identity, integrity, position… You can easily behave like Esau who sold his birthright to Jacob when hunger pangs bit him.

But, wait. You cannot afford to give in to those forces of doom. You cannot afford to drop your gem. No. You cannot afford to exchange your birthright with a mouthful of lentils soup. You cannot trade your royalty with a crumb of bread. Can you?

Instead, you can emulate Peter. It is Peter who vehemently denied Jesus. It is to him that Jesus said, “get behind me satan.” Despite the plethora of setbacks he faced, his faith in Jesus remained rock-solid as his name insinuates.

It is also Peter to whom Jesus said, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build My church, and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18).

Peter, who in several occasions had flunked, was greatly empowered by these profound words. Furthermore, Jesus’s prayers precluded satan’s plan to devour him.

What an encouragement to Peter! He’s also empowering us today through the following scriptures.

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” ~1 Peter 2:9–10.

Child of God, it is Jesus Himself who chose you. It isn’t your pompous neighbour. It isn’t your disrespectful employer… No person was responsible for taking you out of the kingdom of darkness and bringing you into the kingdom of light. Jesus did. To him alone we always proclaim His praises. Amen!

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” ~John 15:16

Friend, Jesus chose and appointed you to be a priest; a king. You belong to the royal family. You’re a special child of God. You belong to the kingdom of light. You’re blessed!

No matter what happens, big or small, you’re not going to surrender. You’re not going to quit. Your salvation is too valuable to be exchanged with anything. You’re precious.

And like Peter you can declare with me,

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also, we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. ~John 6:68–69

Hang on. Keep the faith.

Jesus loves you!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Replica of the First Passover

-
Image
Acts chapter 12 tells the story of Herod's cruel acts towards the apostles. After killing James, he arrests Peter and imprisons him during the Passover festival. However, an angel of the Lord miraculously frees Peter from the prison (Acts 12:3-4). Similarly, Exodus chapter 12 recounts the first Passover, in which God liberates the Israelites from Pharaoh's harsh slavery. Peter's miraculous escape from prison is like a replica of the first Passover, where an angel delivers him. During the night, an angel of the Lord appears to Peter while he's asleep and instructs him, "Gird yourself and bind on your sandals" (Acts 12:8). Similarly, God gives the same instructions to the Israelites on the night they eat the Passover lamb: "Thus you shall eat it with your belt girded around, and your sandals on your feet" (Exodus 12:11). These powerful instructions bring about the miraculous and urgent liberation of the Israelites and Peter from bondage. It's truly
Read more

The Power of the Tongue

-
Image
In the quest for a life filled with joy and the treasure of good days, one biblical wisdom implores us to master the art of speech.  “For he who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.” (1 Peter 3:10-11). The tongue, though small, wields a force mightier than any weapon of mass destruction. It can ignite a wildfire of destruction or breathe life into the ashen fields of despair.  “Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity.” (James 3:5-6). We are all architects of our destiny, crafting the   of our lives one word at a time. Our words can be the balm that heals or the arrow that wounds the hearts of friends, neighbours, colleagues, and loved ones. We must recognize that a ‘slip of the tongue’ is not merely a misstep but a call to mindfu
Read more

Habits Vs Needs: Why Habits are not Needs.

-
Image
Human behaviour is a complex subject that can be broken down into habits and needs. Habits are actions that we perform regularly and easily, and they can result from repeated actions or routines. These habits can be either positive or negative but are not essential to our survival. On the other hand, needs are the essential requirements for our well-being and survival. These include physiological needs like food and water, safety needs such as shelter and security, and emotional needs like love and belonging. Sometimes, we confuse habits with needs and justify indulging in bad habits as a necessity. This is a common defence mechanism that allows us to avoid responsibility and claim powerlessness in the face of change. However, we can distinguish between habits and needs by observing others who thrive without the habits we consider indispensable. This realization can be both freeing and challenging, as it invites us to reassess our behaviours and the control we believe they have over us
Read more