HAVE YOU HIT A NAIL YET? - AUTHOR UNKNOWN (TAKEN FROM A FORWARDED EMAIL)

There's much more meaning in life once you know your purpose. Consider a hammer. It's designed to hit nails. That's what it was created to do.  

Now imagine that the hammer never gets used. It just sits in the toolbox. The hammer doesn't care. But now imagine that same hammer with a soul, a self-consciousness. 

Days and days go by with him remaining in the toolbox. He feels funny inside, but he's not sure exactly why. Something is missing, but he doesn't know what it is.

Then one day someone pulls him out of the toolbox and uses him to break some branches for the fireplace. The hammer is exhilarated. Being held, being wielded, hitting the branches -- the hammer loves it. At the end of the day, though, he is still unfulfilled. Hitting the branches was fun, but it wasn't enough. Something is still missing.

In the days that follow, he's used often. He reshapes a hubcap, blasts through some sheet rock, knocks a table leg back into place. Still, he's left unfulfilled. So he longs for more action. He wants to be used as much as possible to knock things around, to break things, to blast things, to dent things. He figures that he just hasn't had enough of these events to satisfy him. 

More of the same, he believes, is the solution to his lack of fulfillment. Then one day someone uses him on a nail.

Suddenly, the lights come on in his hammer soul. He now understands what he was truly designed for. He was meant to hit nails. All the other things he hit pale in comparison. Now he knows what his hammer soul was searching for all along.

We are created in God's image for relationship with him. Being in that relationship is the only thing that will ultimately satisfy our souls. Until we come to know God, we've had many wonderful experiences, but we haven't hit a nail. 

We've been used for some noble purposes, but not the one we were ultimately designed for, not the one through which we will find the most fulfillment. 

Augustine summarized it this way: "You [God] have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee."

A relationship with God is the only thing that will quench our soul's longing. Jesus Christ said, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." (John 6:35)

Until we come to know God, we are hungry and thirsty in life. We try to "eat" and "drink" all kinds of things to satisfy our hunger and thirst, but yet they remain.

We are like the hammer. We don't realize what will end the emptiness, the lack of fulfillment, in our lives. 

Even in the midst of a Nazi prison camp, Corri Ten Boom found God to be wholly satisfying: "The foundation of our happiness was that we knew ourselves hidden with Christ in God. We could have faith in God's love...our Rock who is stronger than the deepest darkness."

Usually when we keep God out, we try to find fulfillment in something other than God, but we can never get enough of that thing. We keep "eating" or "drinking" more and more, erroneously thinking that 'more' is the answer to the problem, yet we are never ultimately satisfied.

Our greatest desire is to know God, to have a relationship with God. Why? Because that's how we've been designed. Have you hit a nail yet?

GOD HAS CHOSEN YOU - TESTIMONY BY MS.VAISHNAVI

PRAISE THE LORD!!!...  Greetings to you in the name of our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!!!
 
Just a short introduction about me: 

I am from a pure Hindu background. I am the only daughter for my parents. I did my schooling at Trichy, India. Though I did my schooling in a Convent I never knew about the unconditional and unending love of JESUS that HE demonstrated on the cross for my sake. No one had ever told me about JESUS, but now I understood that my LORD has an appointed time for everything. 

The question I had within me from childhood: 

Actually I had one particular question from my childhood which was, "will GOD speak?"...since in our family we have lots of debts, there used to arise so much argument between my dad and my mom....sometimes my dad would also go to that extent of beating my mom...so being small and being the only child I did not know what to do but I would go in front of the idols and cry before those idols (which were not GOD but only wood and stones) that my mom and dad should not fight with each other...but I had never got an answer from it..and I would sleep crying only...from that time I had this firm question within me always" if GOD is not there to speak to me, if GOD is not there to understand my feelings and GOD is not there to solve my problems then what is GOD?" GLORY TO GOD who made me get this question in my heart and who also gave me the answer for it.

The right place where GOD had decided to reveal HIMSELF to me:

After lots of failure in 5 to 6 entrance tests, I applied for a college through counseling with my comparatively less cut off marks. But due to very bad condition of ladies hostel of that college I did not join that college and I had no option to change the college. Then as one of my schoolmate had applied in a college in Chennai during counseling, I also went to that college. But then they told us to pay a capitation fee of 1 lakh rupees, which we had no idea of how to get it. But my aunt came forward to give that amount and so I joined that college.

In my first year, my friend named Kausi(spiritual friend now) invited me to prayer cell that would happen very Wednesday in our college hostel. She had invited us(a group of six Hindu girls) to the prayer cell and first time we went accepting her invitation thinking that they will tell some bible stories and then pray. After that day, because of some misunderstanding between us we decided not to attend the prayer cell.

The first unforgettable day of my life ever:

Then at the end of my first year, two of my classmates had come to stay in hostel for a few days to study for the semester exams with me. They had been allotted a separate room in the third floor along with a senior sister who was doing MBA. One particular day the prayer cell was conducted in that room and that MBA akka was also a believer (previously Hindu). I did not know about the prayer cell and also about that sister. So without any other go my two friends and myself, went to the prayer cell. After a bible message was shared, we started praying (then too, I and my friends never prayed anything in our hearts). During the prayer, suddenly through that MBA akka JESUS spoke to me saying, "Vaishnavi, you have full of negative feelings. do not be afraid, for I am with you. When I am there with you, you can do anything and everything" and immediately. Then through that same akka, JESUS spoke to my friends also talking about the particular problems that they were facing.

After the prayer cell got over, I realized that, "though I and that MBA sister did not know about each other, then how loving should this JESUS be that HE pointed out the negative feeling within me and said that HE will be with me and that I can do anything when HE is with me.."

The negative feeling within me:

We have a lot of debts in our family. My father had done about 10 to twelve businesses and all have been a failure only with much loss of the investments. So for each business he did, he had borrowed so much money from many people.

Since we had borrowed money both from my mother's relatives and my father's friends none of them will welcome us whole heartedly. Whenever we go to a function among my dad's friends they would not move with us freely. Even in my mother's side, everyone knows that we are struggling a lot in our financial condition. So my mom and dad used to tell me from my childhood that, "only through you and your studies and the way you are going to come up in life, people will respect us.” Even when I got 91.7% in my tenth class my mother was disappointed because she expected me to get state ranks or at least district ranks.

So in my first year of my engineering when told my mother that I had failed in a subject for the first time in my model exam over phone, she said, "Vaishnavi if u get any arrears then you will not see me anymore.” She meant to say that she will end her life if I get an arrear. My thoughts multiply very fast and when she said that statement immediately I thought that I will not be there to tell her that I have an arrear. I meant that I will commit suicide even before I would have to tell her that I have an arrear. so to that extent was my negative feeling. Because of my negative feeling mostly I will feel sad from within me with tears thinking that I have never fulfilled my parent’s wishes ever and also thinking that I am not fit for this engineering. I was not a studious student and so fear of failure along with my parent’s dreams and hope that they had on me troubled me a lot.

JESUS spoke to me that i have so much negative feelings within me and only after HE spoke to me all these things came over my mind as a flash and I realized how much negative I actually was. Thanks to JESUS!

The day I got revelation from GOD that only JESUS is GOD and that there is none other than HIM:

From that day onward I used to keep the bible verse also and that good for nothing idol also on my shelf. None of us in our prayer cell knew how to pray; only the Christians used to pray. Then they taught us that prayer is talking to our HEAVENLY FATHER just as we talk to our father in this world. So we used to speak to GOD only in two three words that we knew. But all of us believed that there is nothing impossible with JESUS and each of us experienced HIS love in different ways. We would just keep on worshiping HIM for about half an hour and praise HIM with all our heart. Nothing else we knew. Sometimes the prayer timing may extend also, because all of us will have so many testimonies to share in the same day. Such was the peace and happiness we had whenever we attend the prayer cell.

During exam days we used to get up early morning, worship and pray together and then we used to study whatever we can sincerely and submit the rest to GOD. That time I used to read 1000 praises to GOD very fast in the morning. After the exam was over immediately I would rush to the room without talking to anyone to thank GOD with all my heart for enabling me to write the exam well. Then when we have the prayer cell that evening, everyone will be with various testimonies as how GOD guided to prepare and write the exams well. Those moments were so good.

Finally by GOD's mere grace I got 76.5% in that semester. In the place where I expected more arrears GOD gave me this much marks. I could not believe it! All glory belongs to GOD alone!

Then in the second year, through one aunty who turned to be a full time minister for GOD from a Hindu background, challenged us to stop worshipping the idols and to believe in Jesus Christ alone loving Him with all our heart, soul and mind.

God touched me through her speech and on that day I finally chucked out all the idol and its related things from my shelf  and also from my life and surrendered my life and myself totally to JESUS and accepted HIM as the LORD and SAVIOR of my life!!!...How gifted we are to be HIS children and to be HIS' alone! From that day I was very clear that only JESUS is GOD and there is no other GOD other than JESUS!.

Jesus Christ poured out His grace upon my life and through His grace I scored more than 75% in my UG engineering degree. Soon after I finished my studies He gave me a job in a reputed software company. Jesus Christ provided me whatever I needed and blessed me abundantly. He had carried me thus far and I know He will carry me till the end. I thank and praise my Lord Jesus Christ for His salvation and blessings. JESUS LOVES YOU!!!!

“Yea, 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 23:4

(NOTE: GHG Team thank Ms. Vaishnavi for sharing her testimony. She is currently working in a software service company. May God bless her and her family members.) 

SWEET MARRIAGE - 1 (MARRIAGE IS A GOD GIVEN RELATIONSHIP AND YOU NEED GOD TO HAVE A BLESSED MARRIAGE LIFE)

“And the Lord God said, it is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him... And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. - Genesis 2:18, 21-23

Today one of the main reasons for the increase in the number of divorce cases is everyone are taking the marriage relationship so lightly. The first important thing that has to be understood in the marriage is it is a relationship created by God Himself. God felt that it is not good for a man to stay alone and so He created woman and brought her to the man. 

The marriage relationship that you are going to get in or the marriage relationship in which you are already in is destined by the Lord Almighty. He united you and your life partner with a purpose. Every marriage relationship has a purpose of God in it. 

A servant of God once quoted like this, “God intends and expects marriage to be a lifetime commitment between a man and a woman, based on the principles of biblical love. The relationship between Jesus Christ and His church is the supreme example of the committed love that a husband and wife are to follow in their relationship with each other.” 

If you wish to have a fruitful and blessed marriage life you should very well know the Creator who created the marriage relationship. To have a successful marriage relationship you should have an intimate relationship with God. Marriage is ordained by God and so you need Him in that relationship. You can’t keep God out of your marriage relationship and have successful life.

When God brought Eve to Adam the relationship started with God at the centre. But one day Eve took the centre stage and did a thing which was against God’s will. Adam followed her keeping God away from them. Since they kept God away from their relationship, they had a miserable time all through their lives. 

Once in India, God spoke to a girl who is a daughter of a Christian missionary to marry a person who belongs to Hindu religion. She obeyed God’s word and entered the relationship. On the first day of her marriage itself she understood that her husband family were against her. They hated her to the core but yet daily early morning 4 o clock she used to get up and pray with tears to God for His strength to stay in the relationship.

Occasionally she was slapped and thrown out the house by her husband because of her faith in God. One day as she was helping him to wear his shoes, she asked him to return home early in the evening to meet a Christian servant of God. Her husband disagreed but she said to him that her God will bring him home early. Furious with anger, her husband kicked her with his legs. The sharp edge of his shoe created a wound in her neck and blood rushed out of her neck. 

Think of her situation. She entered into that relationship obeying the voice of God and now she was beaten to the core for no reason. Can you imagine what she did? She tied her wound with the corner of her dress and came near him and tied his shoelaces. Her husband said in his biography that his wife lived the sermon of mount literally. On the very same day God touched the life of her husband and he became a servant of God. Soon his parents surrendered their life to God and they died peacefully. 

She had several reasons to come out of her marriage. Her in-laws were against her. Her own husband could not love her because of her faith. Everything was against her but yet she prayed to God with tears for His strength and stayed in that relationship because she knows it was given by God to her. Because of that woman, entire family accepted Christ and through her husband God did mighty things. 

My dear young friends, do not take the marriage relationship so lightly. It was created by God and you need Him at all stages to guide you and lead you. Ask God to come into your marriage life today so that you can have a blessed marriage life. Remember, marriage life is created by God and you need Him more to stay truly on that relationship.

SONG I LIKE - 29 (MY HEART IS SO PROUD)

My heart is so proud. My mind is so unfocused.
I see the things you do through me as great things I have done.
And now You gently break me, then lovingly You take me
And hold me as my father and mold me as my maker.

[Chorus:]
I ask you: "How many times will you pick me up,
When I keep on letting you down?
And each time I will fall short of Your glory,
How far will forgiveness abound?"
And You answer: "My child, I love you.
And as long as you're seeking My face,
You'll walk in the power of My daily sufficient grace."

At times I may grow weak and feel a bit discouraged,
Knowing that someone, somewhere could do a better job.
For who am I to serve You? I know I don't deserve You.
And that's the part that burns in my heart and keeps me hanging on.

[Chorus:]
I ask you: "How many times will you pick me up,
When I keep on letting you down?
And each time I will fall short of Your glory,
How far will forgiveness abound?"
And You answer: " My child, I love you.
And as long as you're seeking My face,
You'll walk in the power of My daily sufficient grace."
You are so patient with me, Lord.

As I walk with You, I'm learning what Your grace really means.
The price that I could never pay was paid at Calvary.
So, instead of trying to repay You, I'm learning to simply obey You
By giving up my life to you For all that You've given to me.

[Chorus:]
I ask you: "How many times will you pick me up,
When I keep on letting you down?
And each time I will fall short of Your glory,
How far will forgiveness abound?"
And You answer: " My child, I love you.
And as long as you're seeking My face,
You'll walk in the power of My daily sufficient grace."