Category: Walk of Faith

FREEDOM FROM FEAR

by ComeFullCircleblog, posted in Covid 19, Freedom, Inspiration, Mental Health, Walk of Faith

renderedIt’s high time I wrote about this subject. Now more than ever especially due to the current times we are living in,facing one of the worst pandemics ever in the 21st century.

The Covid 19 pandemic has wrecked havoc in the lives of many across the globe , not to mention the ripple effects it  has caused on all economies of the world, the markets, our communities and even families. There has been so much uncertainty, anxiety ,anger ,despair and fear gripping the hearts of all humanity.

Fear  according to google is an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm. I had always believed that fear is synonymous with anxiety until I came across these guys  who put it plainly that there is indeed a difference between the two.

“Fear relates to a known or understood threat, whereas anxiety follows from an unknown, expected or poorly defined threat.

“What about worry ?”You may ask –  This I found is to feel anxious or troubled about actual or potential problems.

Experts in psychology have given various antidotes or ways to overcome fear  and anxiety ranging from positive thinking ,making affirmations, forms of meditation and even humour.

What I cannot comprehend is how can a fearful mind create positive thoughts on its own? How can a sorrowful soul affirm itself and laugh off its sorrows let alone meditate on new thoughts that its unable to create.

I have found that these methods can only be successful if one roots himself/herself on something higher ,more powerful than our weak souls, on a supreme power that exists beyond time, that is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient all at the same time -the eternal love of Christ.

Fear is a very common emotion in us human beings, but it doesn’t mean that we should tolerate it in our lives. Neither should one accept it as the norm to the extent that  it is given a seat in your mind’s living room, propped up ok nice and cosy so that it doesn’t intrude in any other area of your life! Once it gets a foothold through your door it will invade the entire house!

Fear shouldn’t be ignored either, or simply wished away. It’s not just pure emotion but has an evil spirit that exploits the fear emotion. What we need to do is to identify it and deal with it head on!

The following passages gave me much insight-

“For GOD did not give us a spirit of fear but a spirit of power ,of love and sound mind” 2Tim .1:7
A very self explanatory verse.

“So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir” Galatians 4:7

Our old self was crucified with him so that the body that ruled by sin might be done away with ,that we should no longer be slaves to sin because anyone who  has died has been set free from sin.

We also know that fear is sin in the eyes of the LORD, hence we should no longer be slaves to any form of sin ,that includes fear as well.

Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin” John 8:34

For people are  slaves to whatever has mastered them “ 2Peter:2: 19

“Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves as  slaves to someone as obedient slaves,you are slaves of the one you obey-whether  you are slaves to sin,which leads to death, or to obedience which leads to righteousness.” Romans 6:16

“ Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” Romans 8:17

The summary of all these verses is to look at what the scriptures says about fear, slaves, children and heirs.
Many often think that its pointless quoting several verses of scripture. Let me point it out to you that scripture is a compilation of various letters. To understand what your beloved is writing to you ,you need to read the entire letter! So here goes the summary;

  1. God did not not give us a spirit of fear
  2. God gave us a spirit of power, love and sound mind
  3. We are no longer slaves
  4. We are God’s children
  5. Since you are His children he has made you an heir
  6. You are heirs of God and co-heirs of Christ – means we share in his sufferings and in his glory
  7. Everyone who sins = slave to sin
  8. Fear is one of the many sins
  9. If one is fearful = one is a slave to sin
  10. Believe in Christ & surrender to him and you will no longer be a slave

More verses that talk about how to overcome fear

Psalm 34:4–5

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.”

Psalm 23:4

“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.”

Psalm 27:1

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

1 John 4:18

‘There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…’

Hebrews 13:5-6
God has said,

“Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.”[a]

6 So we say with confidence,

“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?”[b]

The Lord is in control of nature, If he could calm this storm ,what about the storms in your own life?

Jesus Calms the Storm Luke 8:22-25 New International Version (NIV)

22 One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. 23 As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25 “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.

In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

The fact that Jesus asked them ,”where is your faith is very telling.I believed that he was showing them that with faith they too can face the storm and make it still

Psalm 46:1–3

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.”

These scriptures are just the tip of the iceberg on how to deal with fear, I would encourage you  to read more of the bible and the LORD will give you more revelation and understanding. For starters you could chew on these.

The most important thing to remember is that we are to meditate on the scripture, what the word of the LORD says. No need to strike a pose while you meditate, you could do it when seated alone, while you are stretching, while standing in queue at the grocery shop or while waiting to get your covid test, as you take a walk or walking the dog, as you flip through the TV channels, as you work out, in a bus ,as you drive ,as you are doing the dishes, doing your house chores, as you are logging on to your virtual meeting, as you tuck the kids in at night and even as you lay on your bed. Meditate on the word, study it, ponder upon it ,let it sink in and marinate in your spirit and soul and the word will transform you into who you are meant to be and will sanctify you for his word is truth.

Last but not least, is worship. Worshiping God could be done in various forms song, dance, art, poems, spoken word .This beautiful song I rediscovered ,so simple many may over look it as an old boring hymn, but it is powerful. Worship is a weapon one could use when feeling overwhelmed with fear and anxiety. True worship goes up to the LORD as a sacrifice, surrendering your all to the LORD and praising him for his goodness and his power. I say true worship as there as some songs that are wrongly labeled as worship yet they are just feel good songs we sing and they do not glorify God in anyway. If anything they only temporarily lift the singers mood and as soon as you are done you come tumbling down.
Worship changes the spiritual atmosphere around you and the LORD will respond.

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus

Summary

  1. Only God can deliver us from all fear
  2. He is always with us, even when we do not see him or hear him
  3. He sees and knows what we are going through, he wants us to trust him always.
  4. He is our refuge and ever present help in time of need
  5. All nature is under his control
  6. Study and meditate on the word of God
  7. Worship – truly worship God

 

Flowers and Seasons

by ComeFullCircleblog, posted in Grace, Inspiration, Walk of Faith

20200415_122543-COLLAGENow that we are home on lock down due to Covid 19, I’ve been watching these flowers in my Mum’s garden- day in day out. These flowers bud, bloom, grow and eventually wither and die .Bud, bloom, grow, die. The process repeats itself over and over .It’s like clockwork. Interestingly ,the flower instinctively knows what it should be doing and at what time .It’s as if it understands its God given DNA and the elements required for it to flourish and how to behave when these elements are met or not.

This rose knows it’s destined to be a beautiful orange flower, and that is exactly what it’s aiming toward. It seems to have some innate wisdom that once it reaches full bloom, it’s petals wither, fall and it dies .It knows this fully well and doesn’t seem to be perturbed that another young’ un will take its glory shortly after its gone.
I noted that when we prune the roses, the process seems to jumpstart all over again and the budding happens sooner – they become more fruitful.

This made me reflect on human life, we too go through various seasons; sadly not all of us know what we should be aiming toward. We seem to be thrown off balance and are left reeling after going through difficult seasons. We forget that seasons come and go and that they are meant to leave us changed, transformed, closer to who we are becoming. Closer to who we were created to be – closer, to our destiny.

In this life process, we too are pruned by God. It may seem unpleasant and painful and some of us think it is some form of punishment, but really he is cleaning us up so that we become even more fruitful. Jesus says in John 15: 1-7;-
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, so that it will be more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.”

One has to yield to be guided by the Lord, to trust in him and remain in him and believe in his word. Trust him as you go through the seasons, even as he prunes you to become more fruitful .He is slowly transforming you to be who you are meant to be. Without him, we are lost and left reeling by the effects of the seasons and will hardly bear any fruit and eventually we would dry up and be burned in the fire. He promises us, that if we trust in him and believe in his word, we will give us whatever we ask.
Trust him through your ups and downs do not be afraid of the challenges that come along, like the rose flower  ,anticipate the changing of seasons and rely on God to transform you to who he created you to become.

The Woman Named Mary

by ComeFullCircleblog, posted in Grace, Inspiration, Walk of Faith

Mary
I recently took it upon myself to study Mary, who played a significant role in Jesus’s life. Much has already been written about her, centuries of study to be precise. So I figured to do my own little biblical research with the aim of uncovering the truth. Revisiting all that I had been taught about her and what the research tells me and share what we could all learn from her.

This is a journey through the entire bible, from the Old Testament through to the new where Mary played an important role in the Messiah’s life who is the center of the word of God. To get a full picture, I thought it best to look at all references to her in the bible. This spans from before Mary’s existence; prophecies in the Old testament through to their fulfillment in the New. In addition to this, I also delved into the word to find her identity, a 360 degree view; who she said she was, what those close to her said of her and who God said she was.

Prophecy of the virgin with child
Let’s go back to the beginning, way back to when the prophets of old prophesied of the virgin. This prophecy is mentioned in the Old Testament in the book of Isaiah. That in the future their salvation would come when a certain virgin would miraculously conceive and this child would be their savior

Virgin to conceive and give birth to a son
“Therefore the LORD himself will give you a sign; the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14
Isaiah analyzed the failures of the nations around him and pointed to a future Messiah who would bring peace to the nations and the earth. He goes on to say that the people living in darkness have seen a great light, to those living in the deep darkness a light has dawned. This light refers to the same Immanuel (God with us), the Messiah

“For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this. Isaiah 9: 6 -7

In the New Testament we see a virgin introduced to us; this virgin’s name was Mary pledged to be married to Joseph, a descendant of David. An angel appeared to her with a very special message, a prophecy of her child who would have the throne of his father David and whose kingdom would never end.

 “In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.  Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.” Luke 1: 26 -38

The prophecies all come to pass, Jesus is eventually born; born of a virgin, she conceived him through the Holy Spirit, and he was in the lineage of King David through Joseph. His genealogy is clearly detailed in Matthew 1:1-16 and Luke 3:23-37

Virgin until the birth of Jesus
One thing I would like to point out is that Mary was a virgin all through her pregnancy until the birth of Christ. After his birth she and her husband Joseph had other children. Here is the evidence as recorded in the New Testament. The first when the angel of the LORD appeared to Joseph.

“When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son .And gave him the name Jesus.” Matthew 1:25

Once Jesus began his ministry some people did not believe in him, those in his home town. They questioned his authority and power by saying.

“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas (Jude)? Aren’t all his sisters with us?” Matthew 13:55 – 56

Mary’s identity: Her own perspective

Lord’s servant
When the angel Gabriel visited Mary to inform her of the birth of Christ she received the news with humility. She accepted what the Lord had planned by saying;
“I’m the Lord’s servant, may your word to me be fulfilled” Luke 1:38

She humbly refers herself as the Lord’s servant some translations put this as maid servant, she understood that her life was in the hands of the Lord and fully accepted is will.

Later on she goes to visit Elizabeth, her cousin who was also with child in her old age.

Blessed

Elizabeth welcomes her warmly indicating that she was aware of her pregnancy with the Messiah. Mary bursts into song; Luke 1:46 – 55.
She also confesses that from then on people would call her blessed for the Mighty One had done great things for her and continued to praise his holy name.

Mary’s Song
“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.” Luke 1:46-55

Mother
She and her husband were concerned parents of Jesus. When Jesus was a boy he and his family went to Jerusalem for the Festival of Passover as was their custom. However on one trip when he was 12 he was left behind. His parents searched for him all over and found him after three days in the temple courts. (I think these 3 days are pretty significant and point to him being the Passover lamb and would be resurrected after 3 days.)

Upon finding him Mary asked “Son why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you”

Mary’s Identity: Perspective of those around her

Blessed
In her visit to Elizabeth during her pregnancy Elizabeth welcomes her with the well-known greeting as she was filled with the Holy Spirit.

“Blessed are you among women and blessed is the child that you will bear. But why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”
Luke 1:42- 45

I took the liberty of pasting the entire context here as you will note I have done for most of the scripture references as there have been several misquotations that have been widely circulated over the several centuries.

Elizabeth refers to her as blessed among women and mother of my Lord. Elizabeth knew through the Holy Spirit that Mary had the Messiah in her womb hence referred to him as my Lord.

One time when Jesus was teaching the people, a woman from the crowd called out “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you” Luke 11:27 to which Jesus promptly responded;

“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it” Luke 11:28

Mother
She was also the mother of other sons and daughters whom she had with her husband Joseph, as earlier mentioned in Matthew 13: 55

“Isn’t this carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas (Jude)? Aren’t all his sisters with us? “Matthew 13:55 – 56

At the wedding in Cana where she informed Jesus of the lack of wine he responded “Woman why do you involve me? My hour has not yet come.” John 2:4

At the time of his crucifixion, he saw his mother there along with the disciple John and he said to her endearingly.

“Woman, here is your son and to the disciple “Here is your mother” From that time on this disciple took her into his home” John 19:27

Jesus must have cared for his mother, he knew very well in the custom at the time that widows were often shunned and he being the first born and male, it was his responsibility to care for her.

At the beginning of his ministry, his family heard that he had appointed disciples and was performing miracles .He entered a certain house and crowds gathered, his family went to take charge of him .Upon arriving Jesus was informed that his mother and brothers were outside looking for him to which he responded;
“Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother” Mark 3:34 In so doing ,he made it clear that anyone who  did the will of God would be blessed as part of his family.

Mary’s identity: The Lord’s perspective

Highly Favored and blessed
Angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary he addressed her as highly favored one and blessed for the Lord was with her. She had found favor with God for he chose her to give birth to the Messiah.

“The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Luke 1:28

Woman
As Jesus  hang on the cross dying ,he noticed Mary at the foot of the cross weeping next to his disciple John. He spoke to her addressing her as Woman and giving John to her as his son and she his  mother. The NIV translation points out that the  Greek word for Woman  used in the original scripture does not denote any disrespect. The bible reference for his is John:19:25-27

Believer and Follower of Christ

After the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ ,she was with the other disciples who regularly met in the upper room  to pray and was even present in the selection of the twelfth apostle who would replace Judas Iscariot.

Mary and her younger sons  were also among the disciples and other believers on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon them as tongues of fire. This is recovered in the book of  Acts 1: 12 – 2:4

Lessons we can learn from Mary’s experience

Humility and Faith
I believe that Mary is to be respected as she had an important role to play in Christianity. She accepted to  be conceive a child yet she was betrothed .Back in the day a woman caught in the scandal of adultery was stoned to death. Joseph knowing this fully well opted to divorce her quietly to save her from the wrath of the law. However his fears were calmed after the angel of the Lord appeared to  him in a dream confirming that she really did conceive through the Holy Spirit.
We can all learn from her on how  to embrace humility and still have steadfast faith in God. She did not object or reject the Lord’s will in her life, she accepted it willingly knowing full well the implications of what it would mean in her day. She not only risked her reputation but risked death by stoning for she was found with child, yet was unmarried. She worshiped God and praised him for his deeds his mercy  and faithfulness.

Respecting her as one would the other women  and men of faith in the bible  is what we should do .The Veneration of Mary  however is not biblical and hence should be discouraged.

Worship
Mary praised God and glorified his name for the great things he had done in her song that is captured in Luke 1:46-55.

“My soul glorifies the Lord
47     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49     for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”

When Mary gave birth to Christ in Bethlehem ,Magi from the east came in search of the new born child,  King of the Jews. When they found him with is parents ,they bowed down and worship him and presented gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. They worshipped the Messiah  for the knew who he really was.

At his dedication in the temple at 8 days old an old man named Simeon ,righteous and devout had the Holy Spirit upon him ,when he saw baby Jesus he praised God saying that  he has seen the Lord’s promise ,his salvation and a light for revelation .A prophetess who had lived in the temple for several  years worshiping night and day, fasting and praying said that he was the redemption of Jerusalem.

In all these cases, worship was directed to the Lord Almighty and the Lord Jesus Christ alone. The  famous greeting from Elizabeth called her blessed for she had believed that the Lord would fulfill what he had promised her, therefore she too glorified the Lord. It is therefore imperative for us ,followers of Christ to direct our worship and adoration to the Lord Almighty and the Messiah alone.
Prayer

Mary’s song ,found in Luke 1 is the main reference we have of Mary’s prayer life.
It seems she was praising him for prayers she made to him that were now answered. The Lord was mindful of the humble state of his servant. He had showed her great mercy and she was grateful for it, knowing that this mercy would go on for many more generations.
The Lord heard her prayers and those of the faithful in Israel by remembering the covenants he had made to Abraham and their ancestors and showed them mercy and sent the promised Messiah. Once again her prayers and praises were directed to the Lord Almighty.

Fast forward to the New Testament, when her Son the Messiah finally begins  his ministry ,he teaches his disciples how to pray. He gave them and us the Lord ’s Prayer.

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one. “Matthew 6: 9 -13

Jesus also taught his disciples further about prayer, in the Gospel of John .He explained to them that they should pray in his name so that the Father may be glorified.

“And I(Jesus) will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
John 14:13-14

We learn from Mary that all prayer is directed to the Lord Almighty. Jesus  further teaches us that we should pray in his name so that the Lord Our Father is glorified. In the New Testament we learn that Jesus Christ is the only mediator between man and God.
We should not therefore invoke any other person’s name while praying ,be it an ancestor, be it  Saint, be it Mary ,and be it a prominent personality dead or alive.
“Salvation is found in no one else (other than Jesus Christ) for there is no  other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people” 1Timothy 2:5

I hope this has been insightful  and my prayer is that this would invoke deep introspection in every reader and seek the Lord’s guidance on the way forward.

Dilemmas and Catch 22s

Featured by ComeFullCircleblog, posted in Dilemmas and Catch 22s, Inspiration, Walk of Faith

dilemma

Everyone in this world at one point in their lives has had a dilemma, a classic catch 22 situation, where one had to choose between two options (and in today’s world several options) and not making any choice was not among the options!

I’m yet to meet someone who loves dilemmas and savors in the uncertainty of not knowing which way to go, what step or action to take especially if all available options seem grim. Perhaps there exist such free souls out there; I’m certainly not one of them. So you can imagine my default state when faced with dilemmas! It’s a struggle that requires one to carefully weigh the options with 20/20 vision, emotions, fears and all prejudices aside.

I recently stumbled upon some interesting stories in the bible, they are quite common actually but it was like I was seeing them for the first time and understanding that the characters here were also facing enormous dilemmas in their time.

Story of Tamar (Genesis 38)

Tamar was the daughter in law of Judah and wife of his first born son Er.
Er, however was wicked in the LORD’s sight, so the LORD put him to death. At this point we aren’t sure exactly what he did, as the bible does not explicitly reveal this, but there has been speculation among Christians that he must have done what his younger brother did.

Onan, his brother, inherited Tamar and was instructed as follows by his Dad: “Sleep with your brother’s wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to raise up offspring for your brother.” But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother. What he did was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death also.”
Genesis 38:8

With this sudden turn of events Judah thought it wise to send her away to her Fathers’ household as his third son was still too young to marry her. So she obeyed and returned to where she hailed from to await her future husband to grow up.

At this point we can assess Tamar’s character as submissive and very obedient. She must have had a spotlessly clean record as we do not see her angered or acting out of disobedience.

Tamar however was in a dilemma, her very name, Tamar in Hebrew means “fruit” or “Palm tree” , the “date palm” to be specific. She knew that she was destined to be fruitful and bear children, but her husband was put to death by the LORD and her second husband as well. She must have been in pain and experienced such great losses over a short period of time, yet she does not rebel against the LORD for she knew that he is righteous and just. Her only possible future husband that would take her out of widowhood as Shelah, Judah’s last born son who was only a boy. She would have to wait for him to mature, but it would be at her expense for she would probably be unable to conceive by the time he was ready.

Being a widow in those times was horrifying; one had no sense of belonging, had no economic power and could hardly meet their basic needs. As a widow, one had only two options either be inherited by your deceased husband’s family or be abandoned altogether. In Tamar’s case ,she was send back to her Father’s household and lived as a widow there, no potential suitor in the neighborhood would marry her let alone approach her for she was condemned to wear mourning clothing that shouted her current state – “young unavailable widow!”

She was in a serious catch 22 situation, She wanted to be who she was destined to be; fruitful, a mother too many, but she was widowed young, widowed twice infact! She would also have to be married to bear children, and the only possible father to her children was still a child himself!

Yet this desire to fulfill her destiny still gnawed at her spirit day after day. Until one day, she figured she would have to seize the opportunity and change her fate. Knowing full well the repercussions of her actions. She risked facing a physically painful death on one hand  and  on the other, a death caused by sorrow .Which ever route she took, death was on the other side waiting for her.

Judah’s first wife later died, and he went to a nearby town with his buddies to shear sheep. I don’t know if this is what they did to overcome sorrow or he just need some time with the boys out of town and do guy stuff. She somehow got wind of their plot (I also can’t figure out how they did this without cellphones) and decided to way lay him en-route to this town. She had a quick change of wardrobe and covered herself with a veil to disguise her and sat down at the entrance. Judah thought she was a prostitute and fell for the plot hook line and sinker. She became pregnant by him and conceived twins.
Sometime later Judah got word that Tamar was pregnant. I bet he must have wondered “how on earth did that happen? This atrocity was punishable by death!

When she proved that he was indeed the Father to her unborn children, her life was spared and Judah admitted that she was more righteous than he for he wouldn’t let her marry his only remaining son, Shelah.

The twins she bore Judah were Perez and Zerah. Out of Perez’s lineage Christ Jesus came to be. Tamar through her resolute action came to enter into the lineage of Kings and the King of Kings – Christ Jesus.

Story of Rahab (Joshua 2)

Rahab seemed to have been a well-known woman, but known for the wrong reasons. She was a prostitute and her trade must have been well known even by foreigners, for when Joshua sent his spies to Jericho, they ended up in her house.

The reigning king of Jericho got wind that they were indeed at her residence and sent word ordering her to bring them out.

She was also in a dilemma, she feared the people of Israel and knew that their LORD was mighty and powerful and watched over his people and ensure that they got victory wherever they went. That meant that they would most certainly conquer her city and kill all who lived there.

On the other hand, she knew that if she helped them she would be aiding an enemy of the state and would most certainly be murdered by the King of Jericho. Whatever option she took ,she risked her very life and those of her family .She opted to go with the first option and informed the King that she had indeed received the spies but they  later left at dusk just before the city gates were closed .She also went ahead to urge him to chase after them for they couldn’t have been too far off

She hid the spies on her roof and later had a very candid  discussion with them confessing that she knew for a fact that the LORD had given Israel the land of Jericho and  heard of the miraculous wonders the LORD had done for this people and even confessed  how her fellow citizens  were melting out of fear of them .At that point she struck a deal with them. They pledged that they would spare her life and those of her loved ones when they come to take over the city of Jericho for the kindness she showed them.

She let them down with a rope through the window down to outside the city wall and advised them to run to the hills and lay low there for 3 days till the pursers tire off can call off their mission.

 The men said  to her, “This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us  unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. 19 If any of them go outside your house into the street, their blood will be on their own heads; we will not be responsible. As for those who are in the house with you, their blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on them. But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear.”

“Agreed,” she replied. “Let it be as you say.” Joshua 2:17-21

Needless to say, the scarlet cord remained in its place and when the people of Israel attacked the city, Rahab and her entire household was saved.

We learn later that she later got married to Salmon and had a child with him – Boaz who happens to be the great grandfather of King David. Hence Rahab’s dilemma and the action she took by faith ushered her into the lineage of the Kings.

Story of Ruth  (Ruth 1:-4:)

One of the many love stories in the bible is the story of Ruth.

Ruth a Moabite was also widowed young. We learn that she was resilient woman who was not afraid of work and was submissive to her first husband  for she completely abandoned the ways of the Moabite people and fully embraced life as a Hebrew Woman.
Even after his death she still showed her faithfulness, her Mother in law Naomi urged her return to her mother’s household but she refused and even went ahead to release her  from Hebrew obligations and allowed her to leave and remarry anyone she desired. Ruth would hear none of it. They wept aloud and parted ways with her sister in law Orpah but Ruth clung to Naomi and said to her this famous phrase;

“Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” Ruth 1:16- 17

So the two widowed women returned to Naomi’s ancestral home in Bethlehem and Ruth took the initiative to look for work and ended up in Boaz’s farm. The beauty of this story is that Naomi realizes that Boaz is a kingsman redeemer, only he could legally marry Ruth for he was related to her deceased husband. She then advised Ruth to dress up ,perfume herself and make her intention known to Boaz.

Ruth was in a catch 22, she desired to settle and get married, the only person on earth she was permitted to marry was a kingsman redeemer, and the one in cross hairs was Boaz. She would have to speak to him in private; the threshing floor  seemed to be perfect for there was no other opportunity she would get to be that close to him to discuss such weighty matters. She would have to risk her reputation to have that discussion and not to mention to make the first move in the night!  Ruth risked going to the threshing floor .Being a patriarchal society there were strict rules of what women shouldn’t do. Had her plans been found out and caught red handed in the threshing floor and at that time, probably would have been stoned to death. As soon as she spotted him ( Night vision goggles must have come in pretty handy) she approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. He got startled and  woke up .Dazed to find a woman on his bed ,he asked who she was  and right on cue she said

“I am your servant Ruth. Spread the corner of your garment  over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family” Ruth 3:9

Boaz was very touched by her gesture , which he understood as a marriage proposal, and promised to take action and redeem her legally as his wife the very next day.

Boaz eventually married Ruth and acquired the land of her deceased husbands family and together, they had a son, Obed, who became the grandfather of King David. Ruth through her act of faith, entered in to the lineage of the Messiah.

Key Lessons to learn on how to deal with dilemmas

  • All three women in the stories above; Tamar, Rahab and Ruth had faced huge dilemmas. They had to take decisive action. -We need to learn to take decisive action in spite of fear
  • None of these women complained or groaned to people about the problems that stared them in the face – No pity parties
  • None of these women complained to God ,their actions show that they must have been seeking the Lord’s guidance and went ahead to act – No complaining to God or to his servants but seek God’s will
  • They were intentional, didn’t act on a whim or a fad – Be intentional!
  • Their actions were fueled by Faith in the LORD, thus the LORD saw them as righteous.   “ In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction” James 2:25
  • They sought the Lord and believed in him and went ahead to act out of that faith they had in Him. Faith without action is dead.
  • They all risked their very lives – We need to trust in the LORD and take risks
  • They each got what they were seeking – REDEMPTION and so much more, entered into the lineage of Kings and of the King of Kings!

 

Righteousness

by ComeFullCircleblog, posted in Faith, Grace, Inspiration, Walk of Faith

The Righteous

Definition of Righteousness of an individual

  • According to Google – it’s the quality of being morally right or justifiable.
  • Ethicalness, saintliness ,purity ,noble – mindedness, piousness
  • In worldly sense you are judged righteous by your deeds, hence it can be earned. One may seem as “righteous” to the world but in God’s eyes they are far from it.

Definition of Righteousness of an individual in God’s word

  • Believing God and in his son Jesus Christ
  • Having Faith In the Lord and trusting him ,despite the obstacles we face
  • Abraham believed God when he promised him descendants as numerous as the stars. He simply believed without doubt and it was credited to him as righteousness
  • It cannot be earned by work or effort ,it is given by the Lord .Hence when He declares a person righteous , they really are ,despite what the world thinks

Genesis 15: 5-6

“And the LORD took him outside and said, “Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able.” Then He declared, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 Abram believed the LORD, credited to as righteousness.”

Abraham was in a strange predicament; He was in his 70’s, his wife in her 60’s at the time when God gave them this promise. It was a well-known fact that she was barren, and the likelihood of bearing healthy children in menopause was actually not biologically possible, to this day it isn’t. On top of that, God tells him that his offspring would be as numerous as the stars! To bring it into perspective , I checked out the number of stars in the  Milky way galaxy  (that’s  a tiny part of the universe where the earth floats about) ,turns out there are approximately 100 – 400 Billion stars according to google ! There’s no way Abraham would have been able to count them, let alone sire that many a population. Oh and by the way, the 400 B stars are only in our galaxy and there are a total of approximately 100 Billion galaxies…..you can do the math.

Now, that we see the full picture of the promise given to Abraham, no amount of technology or pseudoscience or law of attraction can make that possible, only the LORD Almighty! And He promises, no matter the known facts of your situation, if you simply believe in him, then you are righteous in his sight!

Romans 1:17

17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith”

Romans 3: 20 -24

“Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in[h] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

The Gospel refers to the teachings and revelation of Christ Jesus. This reveals something totally new to the people that righteousness comes from God. One no longer had to do works to tick out check boxes to prove that they are righteous ,this instead came from the Lord Almighty land it is HE who decides if one is righteous or not. This righteousness was given to one who believes that Jesus died on the cross to saves souls of men and through.

Benefits of Righteousness

This understanding now allows us to fully claim all the promises that were given to the righteous .There are many instances where the bible speaks about this attribute and those who have it and the blessings that have been given to them.

The LORD has given promises to those who pursue righteousness. One can claim them boldly  in speech and in prayer. He has promised to deliver them and to strengthen them.

He promises that though they go through trials ,and when they cry out to  him ,he will hear and deliver them.Here are a few examples of this;

“The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD he is their stronghold in times of trouble .The Lord helps them and delivers them from the wicked and saves them because they take refuge in him”. Psalms 37: 39

“The name of the LORD is a strong tower the righteous run to it and are safe”  
Proverbs 18:10

Psalms 34: 15 – 17 & 19 – 20

“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
    and his ears are attentive to their cry;
16 but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
    to blot out their name from the earth.

17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
    he delivers them from all their troubles.

The righteous person may have many troubles,
    but the Lord delivers him from them all;
20 he protects all his bones,
    not one of them will be broken”

Psalms 97:11

“Light shines on the righteous
    and joy on the upright in heart.”

How to develop an attitude of Righteousness –pursuing righteousness

Now that we can see clearly that it is not earned, but rather it is given by the Lord most high, the bible tells we should seek it out and pursue it even!


Timothy 2:22
“Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”

“Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous,
    and praise his holy name.” Psalms 97 :12

“Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” 2 Timothy 6:9 -10

 “But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness”
2 Timothy 6:11     

These reveal to us that to pursue righteousness we need to cultivate an attitude of praise and worship of the Most High .We need not praise only when things are going great for us but also during challenges and when facing obstacles.

It also urges us not to pursue evil or harmful desires that will make us wander from the faith ,but rather to righteousness and a godly life that is pleasing to the LORD.