GHG SHORT DEVOTIONALS - 23(SEEK GOD'S WILL EVEN WHEN YOU GO AGAINST YOUR ENEMY)

“So David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I pursue this troop?..." - 1 Samuel 30:8 

Actually I wonder how he could ask this at that situation! His wife, children and everything he had was taken away by Amalekites when he returned back to Ziklag. David would have gone against them on his own as he had several reasons. Even in that situation also he went to the Lord and asked whether he could pursue that troop which took away all his wealth and family.

1.      Are we going against somebody who has done something against us by our own will or are we going against them after finding God’s will and asking God about the issue?

2.      God was not pleased with Amalekites but even then David sought God’s permission to go against them. How much more we should be careful when we speak about God’s elect and those who were precious in His sight! Do not speak or do anything against God’s elect.

3.      Even if we want to speak against somebody who has done something against us, we should be very careful on what God actually wants us to do. If you speak ill against someone when actually God wants you to forgive them, it will hurt definitely God’s heart.

4.      God might have placed you in a particular job or college or anywhere. You might be facing tough situations there. You might be going through humiliation and shame. You might feel like running away from there. But then wait upon the Lord and ask for His will and do His will. It will be a great blessing to you.

5.      Finally if you are too worried about the blessings that you had lost in your life, do not get discouraged. God promises you today that He will restore all that you had lost. You will be filled with God’s peace.

#GHG Short Devotions

GHG SHORT DEVOTIONALS - 22 (GOD WILL SATISFY YOU WITH BLESSINGS THAT YOU DESIRE)

Mark 8:4 Then His disciples answered Him, "How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?"

This was the answer gave by the disciples of Jesus when He wanted to feed multitudes of people who were with Him on that day in the wilderness. Jesus was so concerned about them that He doesn't want the people to go weary.

1. God was so concerned about the situation that you are in right now. He knows and so He will not let you go weary. He will definitely do good to you.

The disciples of Jesus knew that it's hard to get bread in the wilderness. It's true in worldly perspective. But our God always does greater things. Multitudes were fed on that day in the wilderness and each one was satisfied.

2. Matthew 19:26 "...With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Even today you might be worried looking at the situation around you. On that day the disciples forget that they have Jesus, the Greater One who can change water to wine.

3. Do not worry for anything. "...because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." (1 John 4:4)

4. You might be going through wilderness and you might be wondering what's going to happen. Do not get discouraged. Today God says to you that He will satisfy you with the finest of wheat and honey from the Rock.

Isaiah 58:11 The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

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GHG SHORT DEVOTIONALS - 21 ( YOUR LIFE IS NOT GOING TO PERISH)

“…for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me."- Acts 27:25

The ship in which Paul was taken had caught by the storm. Those who were in the ship tried every possibility but nothing could bring the ship out of danger.

 ^“When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved."- Acts 27:20

They could see neither sun nor stars for many days and so everyone in the ship lost their hope. But then the angel of the Lord appeared to Paul and said that all those who travel with him will be saved along with him.

1.      Today because of your circumstances you might be losing your hope. Your life is filled with darkness and so you might be desperately looking for a miracle. Do not get discouraged. You are not going to perish. You are not going to fail anymore. You are not going to go down into the pit again. Your life will be saved and you will live says Holy Spirit to you.

After God has spoken with Paul, the circumstance doesn’t change immediately. But then Paul stood by his faith and said that God will do what He has promised to him.

2.      Even in your life your circumstances and situations might contradict with what God has promised you. But then do not lose your faith. Believe that God will do what He has promised to you.

The promise was given to them after the third day but then they could sense a land only on the fourteenth night. Even then God was so faithful to them that He had saved all those who travelled with Paul.

3.      What God has promised with His own mouth, He will fulfil with His own hand in your life.

4.      Remember, God doesn’t need a calm perfect ocean to take you to the shore. He works in a supernatural way. Sometimes He will calm the storm in your life and take you to the Promised Land and sometimes He will take you to the promised Land through the storms also. So have faith in God at all situations. He will surely keep you safe.

#GHG Short Devotions

GHG SHORT DEVOTIONALS - 20 (GOD WILL DRIVE AWAY YOUR ENEMY)

…The king said, “This disaster is from the Lord. Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?” – II Kings 6:33

King of Syria gathered all his army, went up and surrounded the city of Samaria. So there was a great famine in the land of Samaria. The king thought that the disaster is from the Lord but then on the very next day, God changed the entire situation of the city and its people.

1.      The trials and troubles that you are facing is not from the Lord but the glory that is going to be revealed soon in your life is of the Lord says Holy Spirit to you.

The king thought that waiting for Lord is not going to help him in anyways. If he would have proceeded in his own ways, he would have perished on that day. But then when God spoke through Elisha, God took the matter in His hands and saved the people.

2.      You can’t do anything by yourself without waiting upon the Lord. If you go on your own strength in your own way, you might perish. Have faith in God and wait for God’s glory.

3.      Today you might feel like that the doors are closed before you. Do not get discouraged. God’s glory will open all the closed doors for you. The situation might give you a feel that you are going to perish but that’s not going to happen to you says God because you are not going to handle the situation anymore but God Himself is going to handle that situation for you.

4.      God will fight for you as you wait upon Him. God will make your enemies to run away from you. You will overcome them. The enemy you see today, you shall see no more says God to you. 

RUN FOR GOD AND LAY YOUR LIFE FOR GOD

“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." - John 12:24-25

Few days before I and my brother went to a village church to share God’s word. It was nearly 75 kms from my home. As the ministry got over we were returning back in our car in National Highway road.

I was driving at 100 kmph on that road. We travelled for nearly 30 minutes and as there was a block in the road, we stopped the car behind five vehicles which were already waiting there. After few minutes a two wheeler came fast near the side of the car and the person in that two wheeler knocked our window.

I was wondering why he is knocking. I opened the window and I could see he was tired. He spoke and said that he was trying to catch our vehicle but could not do that as I was driving fast. He said, there was no air in one of the back tyre and as you have to reach your home safely I tried hard to reach you to convey that your back tyre has a problem.

Once he said that he went without even expecting thanks from us. Then we found out that the tyre got punctured and we returned home safely after repairing the tyre.

We prayed to God thanking Him for leading us to safety by that temporary block and through that man who was riding so fast risking his own life to save ours.

But one question came to our mind as we returned back was, “he rode so fast and came to us in a rush trying to save us from danger. There were so many souls perishing without knowing about Jesus. They were in danger risking their life in sin and pleasures of this world. Are we running fast in order to save them so that their life will not be perished?”

My dear young friends, if God has asked you to do something, do it fast. If God has called you for a purpose, do not run behind worldly pleasures and destroy your life thereby destroying God’s purpose. Run for God and rush for God’s work. God is waiting for you so that He can use you for His glory.

Many souls will perish as you keep on delaying in doing what God has asked you to do. On that day that young man had a choice to leave us on our own way as we drove fast in a danger way without knowing anything about the problem with tyres. But he rushed and gave a caution to us so that we could able to rectify the problem immediately.

You have to do the same for God. As souls are perishing without knowledge about God, rush to them and say to them that the way in which they are going is not the right way and they have to turn back to God.  Remember that there will be more joy in Heaven over one sinner who repents. Even if you have to lose your life for God, lose it for Him so that you will save it eternally. Through you God wants to do mighty things. Surrender yourself to God’s will. God will use you mightily.

GHG SHORT DEVOTIONALS - 19 (HAVE FAITH IN GOD ALWAYS)

Luke 22:32 (NKJV) But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."

There were times we expect God to remove our hardships. But then God permits certain situations in our life in which we will be sifted like wheat.

Why God permits such situations?

1. To transform you.

Peter was broken terribly after he denied Christ. But then that brokenness taught him self denial, love of Christ and dependency on God's strength. He was transformed.

2. To make you a blessing to others.

To the same Peter who denied Him, Christ entrusted the responsibility of strengthening the brethren and feeding His sheep cos God knows that Peter will not depend on his own self anymore but will rely on Him for everything. Peter who was broken once became a blessing to millions.

What we should do during the time of Hardships?

3. Guard your faith.

Jesus prayed that Peter's faith should not fail.

4. There is a period of healing between the brokenness and standing again for God. In that time period get more closer to God.

God gave Peter a period to get strengthen in his spiritual life and then only God wants him to strengthen his brethren.

God has a purpose in your life. Have faith upon Him and trust Him completely. He will exalt and use you in His time.

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GOD'S PROMISE FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST'17