Showers of Blessings...!

Here comes the first showers of the season...!
Its raining here since yesterday... just few showers, and the change in the weather...! From scorching heat to fresh cold breeez and then the pleasent rain..! Iam loving this...Thank God for this wonderfull morning...Today as I started from home it was drizzling... and the cold breez upon my face... I felt so refreshed! I started walking towards my cab...slowly it started raining heavily... As I was walking... I thought, Lord these showers are coming directly from you and reaching me... which gave me the happiness and thus started the new day.. Rain always brings the memories of the past... It reminds me of the days i spent in my college as a fresher, when we were ragged and forced to wear a sare during this rainy season... The rains in Pune are horrible becuase of the damage it causes to the roads and the streets..!!

As I travel to office in my cab, feeling the gentle breez by the window,reminding my self Ezekiel 34:26b where the LORD says "...I will cause the shower to come down in his season: there shall be showers of blessing" in the literal sense, the LORD is in control of all the seasons...Praise to the Jesus!

It also reminds me of the song...

There shall be showers of blessing

This is the promise of love;

There shall be seasons refreshing,

Sent from the Savior above.

Showers of blessing,

Showers of blessing we need:

Mercy drops round us are falling,

But for the showers we plead.

There shall be showers of blessing,

Precious reviving again;

Over the hills and the valleys,

Sound of abundance of rain.

There shall be showers of blessing;

Send them upon us, O Lord;

Grant to us now a refreshing,

Come, and now honor Thy Word.

There shall be showers of blessing:

Oh, that today they might fall,

Now as to God we’re confessing,

Now as on Jesus we call!

From Fear to Faith

This is one of the life transforming incident in my life... and one of the times when God manifested himself to me and increased my faith. Most of the actions in my life were based on fear...and all questions like 'what if... ?' would come to my mind... I think most of the times it was unconscious... I had many fears in  my life... If I look back and read one of the testimonies that I got on my orkut profile from my close friend, he says I am afraid of everything...!! finally he puts a question "afraid of being afraid?" Hmmm.. may be yes I was really afraid of everything in my life... Yes and that is what it is when life is without Jesus! I could trace the fears to some stories that I heard or to the things that I had been through which have caused fear in my heart...

I was most afraid of darkness!! and I was even scared to move from one room to another in my own house when I wake up during the night... I used to switch on all the lights in the way and walk and come back switching them off and finally jump on to my bed..! many times I got hurt while running :) During those moments I used to truly face the FEAR and I used to feel or think that some one was around the corner trying to catch hold of me and drag me off - donno where!? perhaps even I used to pray and go while in dark, but I would more concentrate on my heart beat or on my thoughts rather than concentrating on how wonderfull and how close my God can be!

This was the very reason that when I was in pune, my friends used to stay with me in the night when my sister was in night shifts. They even used to tease me. After coming to know the LORD, once my sister was in hyderabad and I was alone in at home. That day I was very much scared to sleep... and I thought I will either watch TV or I will talk over phone and sleep off. But to my surprise, the power went off even before I could sleep... I was so scared and I started calling and messaging my frined and my sisters. Though I dint show how much fearfull I was, I just told the situation in which I was in... and everyone suggested me to pray. I was just wondering, why should I fear? even after coming to know my Jesus personally.??? I started praying and the power came. Though the darkness was not there, I was little bit afraid of the way the dogs were barking....!! :) So I prayed.. and I opend the bible, and the chapter that I read that day was Psalm  4. The Lord spoke to me through the verse, where King David says... "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety." Ps4:8
I was back to my senses... and God again lifted me up and His word gave me so much strength..!! Such an awesome God!.
I never knew that there was something like this written in bible...!!
I never read this before...!!
No one told me to read this passage..!!
It was God who was talking to me..!

Yes..! The fear vanished..!
Later in  my days I read the word on the armor of God where Paul is asking us to wear the shield of FAITH!
Yes, he uses FAITH as shield because the devil knows that when we are weak in our FAITH it can attack us by giving us fear... Fear is the opposite of Faith... Devil knows taht once you are strong in your FAITH, it has to flee from us! so it will attack on our FAITH. with faith we can quench all the feary darts of the evil one...as a shield which the warior uses...God has helped me and still helping me to move on and grow in FAITH along with Him :)
Yes, now Iam not scared of the darkness :) because I knw He Lives...

Jehovah-Jireh: Jehovah My Provider

I was very much happy and delighted on that day when God gave me good sleep while I was travelling back home after a very hectic day... Thats how once again I am convicted of LORD being called as "Jehovah-Jireh: Jehovah My Provider ". Conviction is something which you are convinced of and it is not the same as having an opinion. Simple difference is, a 'conviction' holds you but you hold an 'opinion'...!! Clear isnt it??

Yes, Iam very much convicted that my LORD is my provider.

There are many small things in life and many circumstances,... and situations where God cares for us and we as normal human beings cannot realise or notice it with our natural being.

God opens our eyes... the spiritual eyes to see his work in our lives and to glorify Him alone!!

We should be willing and able to do that.... We should be totally surrendered to Him to let Him open our eyes and ears....

Thats the reason Jesus keeps saying while He teaches using parables as "Let those with ears hear, and those with eyes see"

Thats the reason we sing... "Open the eyes of my heart LORD, I want to see you....!"

I would like to narate how He really worked out to make me sleep...

That eveing I was very tired...and usually the shuttle in which I travel is the small one & the seats are at low level..due to which I wont be able to rest my head and sleep. On my way to catch the shuttle, I was thinking to go by another shuttle which is the big one and the seats are higher but this shuttle does not stop near my house and I would have to walk a little to reach home. But I was very tired and I dint wanted to walk... So thought of going in my regular shuttle and try to rest on the seat which is in front of me...But I was little bit disappointed and I wished to get the window seat so that I can make myself comfortable... As I got into the shuttle, I was disheartend because all the window-seats were filled... and I get to sit on the seat which was exactly in front of the shuttle door. As soon as the security blowed the wistle all the Shuttles started, but to my surprise, our shuttle brokedown even before it could start...I was praying "Lord, not today...please! I want to go home early and sleep" but the shuttle dint start... and my faith flitched....I prayed again..."Jesus! please start the Shuttle.."... Even now the shuttle dint start... this time I closed my eyes and prayed.."Lord, you either start the shuttle or give me strength or petience to sit untill next shuttle comes...!" As I opened my eyes...the transport incharge came in and said... "another shuttle is coming in 5min". Then I thought..."ok Lord, your way be done...!" and I was hoping in my heart for a big shuttle where I can sleep... That person asked us to get down and wait for another shuttle... as I was sitting near the door, I was the first one to get down... and I saw another small shuttle coming to pick us... I thought... "again the small one..!" But I was happy that I was the first one to board the shutlle... as soon as I got in, I noticed that the seats were higher and were comfortable, and I could get the window seat...!!! Praise God..! I closed my eyes this time again... & gave Thanks to Jesus for the shuttle... I know God will give me rest admist of all my foolish desires and restlessness :)

Thanks to God, I slept in the shuttle... & He gave me good sleep..! & He even woke me up when I crossed my busstop. Though I have  missed my stop, I woke up at next stop & I took auto. Because I was not willing to walk, He provided me a situation where I would take an auto to reach home...!!

He works in ways we cannot see...!! So True..!

I realised my God's strength..!! He can do anything for me...!

Yes..! Jehovah-Jireh is My Provider... :)

JESUS Made me to Forgive....

Few years back, I have written a blog about 'letting go of the resentment'... But that was the time when I was still angry... and actually speaking I was not letting go of the resentment... neither was I willing to let go of the resentment...While Jesus was making me to forgive, He was helping me. I always had a thought that forgiving people is really hard... and I felt very unfair to forgive when people hurt me... But I have choosen to forgive... and I think, this choice had made a big difference in me... The process was like sowing the seed of obedience in me... and once this seed was sown, He is faithful to bring a harvest of blessing to us one way or another...This unforgiveness was hindering my FAITH from working... as the scripture says clearly in Mark 11:22-26 that unforgiveness hinders our faith from working...We reap what we sow.... we sow mercy, and we will reap mercy....we sow judgment, and we will reap judgment...So I was doing myself a favor—and forgiven... and my fellowship with Jesus started flowing freely... and while I was angry, the devil was trying to get the foothold.. but now I realise that Jesus has strengthened me. I asked Jesus daily to give me the strength to forgive... and I complained to Him about myself... about how bad I felt when I see the person on whom Iam angry... and how their actions and behaviour effected me... I used to tell Jesus that Iam not able to do it alone... I felt the resentment... the bitterness... when they flourish... when they are happy... though Iam not to that extent of jelousy... but it used to pinch me...Initially I was not feeling like forgiving... It was a tough time... for me to resist all my bitter thoughts...I used to tell myself.. "Diana, you are not supposed to do it... you are not supposed to think like this..." But the very next moment...more thoughts were invoked... and I had all the bitter memories always fresh in my mind...and I remembered the time when my friend behave strangely... and the time when I used to listen to ppl talk bad about her..and the time when people thought bad about me... It was too Hard for me to do it alone... actually now I know that it is impposible to do it alone...Then I started involving Jesus...& what I used to do is, when everI had the thought about that person... I used to complain about myself to Jesus... and He always helped me immediatly...to forget every thought... and he removed the bitterness...and immediatly I acknowledged Him... and given Him the Praise... this gave me immense Joy... It was too Hard for me to do it alone... actually now I know that it is really immposible to forgive by our own self...

Jesus helped me in many ways... First thing He did is, He gave me the heart to forgive... He soften my heart... He spoke to me in many ways... through Bible... through people... through books... and that was the time when I always heard ppl talk about forgiveness :) He convincted me and also gave me the strength to overcome the situation Iwas in.

The first thing we need to do is Involve Jesus.... take His help... Next thing is we must stop talking about it... Even in doing this we need help from Jesus.

Realise that "vengeance belongs to the Lord".... Let God pay you for past injustices...hurts....dishonor...insults...anything....Do not try to collect information from other people, because the people can’t pay you....people can give you hope...Also, forgive yourself for past sins and hurts you have caused others...You can’t pay people back, or if you cant forgive ask God to...

Many times, I have heard ppl say that they are angry with God....because their life didn’t turn out the way they thought it should be... How can you think...about what you want... when you donno what will happen tommorow...Jesus knows what is in hold for you...He is always just. There may be things you don’t understand, but God loves you, and people make a serious mistake when they don’t receive help from the only One who can truly help them...LORD says in Jer29:11 as..."For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" and also in Is55:8 as "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”... My point in saying all this is that JESUS is our only help in times of need. I know that during my pain I cried out to God and poured out my grief to Him, but then, instead of being still and letting Him minister to me, I ran around like a crazy person, I kept talking about my circumstances... about the people who have hurt me... trying to be happy this way... thinking that Iam letting this anger out so I will be happy... trying to comfort myself... trying to change my circumstances... But it didn’t work out. “Be still and know that I am God,” He says. And He means it. He is the only source of help for us in times of need.

So if you’re struggling and not finding the peace and comfort of the Holy Spirit, take stock and see if you, like me, are running around, refusing to wait on God...refusing to listen to His still voice.. It’s only in the waiting that we can actually feel His warm and comforting touch. Without waiting on Him, we miss Him entirely.

You may even need to forgive a situation or an object—the mobile... the pen.. the machines.. the product you are working on..., a certain store that may have cheated you, a car/vehicle that always gave you trouble, etc. Get rid of all poison that comes from bitterness, resentment and unforgiveness...And remember Proverbs 4:23: "Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance...for out of it flow the springs of life."

Praise be to the LORD...!