Is God Your Genie?

We frequently ask God for the things we need--health, success, money, a bright future, fortune. While Jesus himself said in Matthew 7:7,

7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

God is not a Being Who grants all our hearts' desires. Neither does he give us things we do not need. He is wise, and all of his decisions are for the benefit of His children. He knows what is good for us; He sees what we do not; we are inscribed on the palm of His hands.

If God were merely a genie, then all of the things we ask would be granted, and there would be so much chaos, disorder, crime, corruption, evil. Even if we see all these everyday, it would be a welcoming thought to think of how much rampant all these would be if all the desires of evil men will be granted. In Psalm 37:4,

4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

If we keep in tune with God, He will help us know what to desire. We won't need to ask for anything because we will know God's love will see us through.

Never Too Busy for God

There are twenty four hours in a day. Have you thought about how many hours do you actually spend for yourself? Just think: eight hours for sleep, eight hours for work, at least two hours for travel, three or four hours for recreation and two more hours for grooming--a total of almost twenty four hours as well.

But have you stopped to think about how long you have spent talking to God?

If we are to give our tithes to God for the time he has given us to spend, 2.4 hours should be devoted each day just for Him. Will the minutes we spend praying for our food, for ourselves, for our travel, for our loved ones, for praising Him and asking forgiveness for the sins we have done and for thanking Him for all He has done for us, add up to that?

Martin Luther once said, "I'm so busy today that I'll spend my first three hours in prayer." Regardless of how long we are to speak to God in prayer, let's take the time to talk and ask.

Christmas and Jesus

There is only one reason why we celebrate Christmas.

Christmas is not about the giving. Not about the giver, nor about the gifts we give. Not about peace on earth and goodwill to men. Definitely not about Santa Claus, Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, King Wenceslas, or even the Magi--ideas that highly creative advertising and marketing individuals have devised to keep people shopping for expensive gifts each year.

Christmas is not about these things which we have for so long thought to be the reason why we celebrate the occasion.

Christmas is about Jesus.

Think about what life would be without Jesus. No hope for redemption from sin and death. No contentment or joy despite the chaos in this world. No salvation from eternal damnation.

Christmas is a tale of love, of sacrifice, of being selfless. Had God not given his only begotten Son to the world, there would be no reason to celebrate the season. But He gave Jesus, not to be worshipped by men, but rather to be killed for their sins and to serve as the sacrificial lamb by Whom salvation will be known by all.

16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16, New International Version

Do you know Jesus? He knows about you. He cares about you. This Christmas, let's focus on the reason why we had the season in the first place. Get to know the reason for the season in your life.

The Names of the Lord in Psalm 23

Psalm 23
A psalm of David

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,

3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

The most popular psalm in the Bible is also one of the most beautiful. Quite interestingly, it also expresses the names of the Lord in its verses.

• 1a The LORD is my shepherd (Jehovah Rohi). Jehovah Rohi means the LORD is my Shepherd. We can rely on the goodnes of our God because he knows where to lead us, he knows how to sustain us, because after all, He is our shepherd.
  
  
• 1b I shall not be in want (Jehovah Jireh). Jehovah Jireh means the LORD is my Provider. What more shall we ever want if we are in the Lord? All these things will follow, if we seek the Lord and His righteousness. He will provide all our needs and even our wants and will sustain our earthly flesh and spiritual beings.
  
  
• 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters (Jehovah Shalom). Jehovah Shalom means the LORD is my Peace. In the presence of the Lord our God, we can expect peace and contentment. Even if we see all the chaos, disorder and war surrounding us in this world, we can rely on the peace that transcends all understanding, a peace given to us only by the Lord.
  
  
• 3a He restores my soul (Jehovah Rophe). Jehovah Rophe means the LORD is my Healer. When we are weary, we can trust in our God to bring us healing to our wounded bodies and broken hearts. Restoration not only makes us physically healthy, but it ensures a complete wellness in our entire being.
  
  
• 3b He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake (Jehovah Tsidkenu). Jehovah Tsidkenu means the LORD is my Righteousness. The Lord our God is righteous. And because of that, He wants us to be righteous like Him. But we can only achieve that righteousness through our Savior Jesus Christ.
  
  
• 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. (Jehovah Nissi). Jehovah Nissi means the LORD is my Banner. Historically, armies put up banners in time of war to lift up their spirits and proclaim victory. We can be assured of victory in all of our battles with the enemy because we have the Lord, the true bringer of victory. It is interesting to note that while the Lord guides--hence the staff--He also corrects--hence the rod.
  
  
• 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows (Jehovah Mikaddesh). Jehovah Mikaddesh means the LORD is my Sanctifier. Sanctification is the act of making one "holy" or setting him apart from the others. Traditionally, this is done through washing or anointing with oil as with the kings of Israel and Judah in the Old Testament. Thanks to our Lord God, we can proudly say that the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross will bring us sanctification.
  
  
• 6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever (Jehovah Shammah). Jehovah Shammah means the LORD is there. He will be with us forever and we will dwell in His house when the Earth is judged and all those who have become righteous through Jesus Christ will be crowned.