LOOKING BACK (WITH THANKS) - 12 (GOD'S PROTECTION UPON US)

“But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one."- 2 Thessalonians 3:3

Yesterday afternoon I was travelling from my Father-in-law’s home to the place where I reside. I was travelling with wife, my little daughter and my colleague in a car. The distance to be travelled was 380 Kms.

We started our journey at 2:00 P.M. As I was driving the car, we were talking and enjoying our ride. Few hours into the journey my wife and daughter slept in the back seat. Then at around 6 P.M they woke up and were sitting together beside my colleague who was sitting in the front.

At 6:30 we were waiting before a railway gate. There were so many cars in front of us. After few minutes the train passed and suddenly a bus came and stopped towards my right side. The bus could not move further as the vehicles from the opposite side begun to come. The driver of the bus tried to drive the bus towards the left side where our car was there.

As he was coming towards the left I drove left. Again he came and again I did the same and as I could not move further I stopped the vehicle. The driver knew that our car was stopped. But then he tried to drive the vehicle towards his left. Then finally the bus came to a halt after dashing with our car.

We thought the bus will go straight. If the driver would have waited for another 30 seconds, the accident might not have happened. But then all in a sudden we heard a bang and then only we realized that the bus had hit our car.

It had exactly hit the door near to the driver seat where I was sitting. The door got damaged and the side of the car was scratched but then nothing happened to us who were seated inside the car. If the bus would have slightly moved further then it would have crashed the entire driver seat and today I might not be alive. I do not know how the driver stopped the bus immediately.

But I could very well say that God has protected us. The accident cost us few damage but our lives were saved. Few minutes before that only my wife and daughter moved to the other side and so they were saved from the banging impact.

As I drove further, I thanked God for His grace that protected our lives. We could able to come out of the incident within few hours because there was no physical harm to us.

As I look back what happened yesterday, my heart was getting filled with gratefulness to God for He protected and saved us. I thank God for His protection upon me and my family members.

Our God is faithful and He will guard us from all evil. 

LOOKING BACK (WITH THANKS) - 11 (GOD'S LOVE AND GRACE UPON MY LIFE THAT MADE ME TO WRITE A SONG 'NEER PODHUM')

“For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” – Hebrews 8:12

Many years before when I was studying a diploma course, I love to hear movie songs. The college in which I was studying was nearly 12 kms away from my home and I used to travel in bus. In the bus they used to play movie songs and I love that travel a lot. All the songs which will be played in the bus were the latest songs.

So daily I used to memorize the lyrics of any one song and later on that day I sing that along with my friend in the college. We used to memorize so many lyrics and sing together. 

My parents never allowed us to hear movie songs and also to see any secular movies. They taught us about the Biblical values and tried their best to raise me in that. Though I loved God a lot, I was eager to hear movie songs and sing that in my heart. 

Years passed and when I joined an engineering college to study degree, I started to write love poems. I wrote 3 volumes of love poems in a short note book.  I was called as a poet among my batchmates but all that I wrote was worldly poems. 

After few years I got closer to God and one day I felt that I should destroy the poems I wrote. I obeyed the voice of God and I destroyed the notebooks in which I wrote poems. Also I stopped memorizing movie songs. 

I confessed my sins to God and moved on in my life. I never knew that God will use me for His purpose. But as I stayed closer to God, He made me to write nice spiritual poems based on the way He led me personally and I posted it online.

Recently one day when I was driving my car, God made me to sing a new song for Him. Then after few days He made me to remember the lyrics and write it down. Even at that time I never knew that it will be made as a song. One day God spoke to me about a person who is a worship leader and asked me to get his help to make those lyrics as a song. 

God’s grace led us beautifully in the process of that song making and through His abundant grace we could release that audio song (Neer Pothum) this week online.

Few days before, I was eating dinner with my family at a hotel. When I was sitting there I heard the music that was playing and it was the very old songs which I used to sing along with my friend. 

At that time, Holy Spirit made me to understand God’s love. I was a sinner who memorized worldly songs and my life was never a blessing to anyone. But then God loved me so much and He transformed my life. He had never remembered my sins. He removed my guilt and made me to write a song for Him and few told me that God comforted them through that song. How could God love a sinner and unrighteous like me and gave His grace to write songs for Him? When I think of His love upon me, joyful tears flows from my eyes. 

What a loving God we have! Bible says, “God is love.” Even today He loves you a lot. He will never remember your old sins. God wants to give you new life and a new beginning. Just tell about your life’s situations to Him. Jesus will listen to your prayer and will bless you. Not only that, He will also bless others through you. You will shine for the glory of God.

LOOKING BACK (WITH THANKS) - 10 (GOD'S ABUNDANCE GRACE IN MY PARENTS MARRIAGE LIFE)

“So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” – Matthew 19:6

Recently my parents have entered into 40^th year of their marriage life. As a family we have gone through so many tough times but God helped us in everything. God sustained their marriage life and I had learnt so many things from their life.

As a small boy I had seen my father getting angry for everything. He was addicted to smoking and used to beat my mother at times. I was so little at that time. My mother always put me before my father when he gets angry because he loves me a lot and so when he sees me, he won’t go to any extreme step. 

All through those times, my mom was so patient and cried a lot to God. She had never shared much of her problems even to her mother. For many months my father was jobless and none of our relatives came to help. I could say God provided everything to us even in those difficult times.

Years passed and God helped my father to come out of all the bad habits. God also gave him a good job. We started to grow in the relationship with God. Everything went well and suddenly my father got seriously ill. We feared that he might die at anytime and again God heard our prayers and healed my father. 

The management to which my father was working doesn’t like him much and so they had filed a false case in his name. They said my father has to pay 7 crore rupees and at that time my father salary was less than five thousand rupees. The owners of that company wanted to arrest my father and torture him for no reason. During those times I was in my teen age and whenever I see a police man I fear a lot thinking they might come and arrest my father. 

My mother taught us to pray a lot for my father and we cried to God and looked Him for help. Graciously God relieved my father from that case and he was proved innocent. 

At times my parents used to throw words at each other in anger. Certain nights when I hear them fighting I fear they might get separate. But when the sun rises they behave so normal as if nothing had happened between them the previous night. They forgive each other so quickly and move on without pondering about what has happened. 

When my mother got cancer, my father stood behind her side and helped her in all possible ways. Though my father never expressed his love upon my mother openly, he always tells me how he treasure her relationship and how blessed he is to have her in his life.  Even now when my mother comes and stays in my home for few days, my father used to tell me that he feels so lonely without her.

I can personally say that it was because of God’s grace they were alive today. God has carried them so wonderfully so far and made them to enter into 40^th year. 

Few things I had learnt from their relationship and want to share it with you:

1.      Always look to God for your every need. Men will fail but God will never fail you.

2.      Try to raise your children in Godly values and teach them to seek God for everything.

3.      Even when you fight with each other, ask sorry quickly and move on.

4.      Do not hate your life partner at any time.

5.      Give some time to your life partner to get into right direction and during this course, do pray for her/him.

6.       When any one of you speaks in anger, do not try to answer it in the same tone. Listen patiently and once their anger goes down, talk to them. Do not argue unnecessarily.

7.      Most importantly, pray a lot for your spouse so that you will stay united.

8.      Do not cheat your spouse by getting into unnecessary relationships.

9.   When you face difficulties, stay together.

I thank God for their life and the way He had led them so beautifully all this years. Because of God’s abundant grace in my parents family life, we their children were richly blessed today. 

My dear young friends, if you are married, do submit your relationship into God’s hands and look to Him for everything. He will lead you, guide you and protect you.

LOOKING BACK (WITH THANKS) - 9 (GOD'S TOGETHERNESS FOR THE PAST 32 YEARS)

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” – Psalms 23:4

When someone grew up in life all he expects or desire to have is caring parents, good relationships and best blessings. In my life God has given every best thing without me asking for it. I got an unselfish parents, loving brothers, caring wife and all other relationships that God gave in my life were best. 

I knew God is with me and I rate that as a best blessing in my life. There were certain people who stayed with me for few years told me that being with me was the toughest thing that they experienced in their life. Certain time my wife also feels like that as she finds so hard to get adapt to my behaviour and reactions.

But for the past 32 years I have done so many things against God. I had left his love for many years. I did all things that he had asked me not to do. I never obeyed his words and I had never listened to Him. I had humiliated Him in all possible ways. 

But yet Jesus Christ loved me so much and stayed with me and even today He is with me. Not even once He had spoken about my bad past. People around me always spoke about my weakness and the way that I am failing to fulfill their expectations. But God never spoke about my weakness. At all instant, all that He did was He loved me truly and deeply. 

If God had left me, long back I would have died. I am not a good son or servant to God. He knew that I need Him so much. I had never asked Him but yet He knew. He knew that I will perish if He takes His hand out of my life. With His loving grace He patiently loved me and even today I can say that I am not at all worthy of His love. 

Few days back two different persons came to me and asked that why can’t I complete certain plans God gave to me. Yeah I knew that very well. I am still struggling to do certain things God gave me according to His will. God wants me to do certain things fast and I am doing that dead slow. 

People see that and ask questions. But God is still so patient with me. He still waits and He gives me more chances. For the past few months I am not posting article regularly in the blog. Though God ask me to write so many things, I am struggling and failing to obey His word completely. 

But yet as I write this I could feel God’s love that is present in my life right now. He still loves me and He is with me. 

When I see my little daughter, I could understand the trust that God has upon me. At every point of my life, God kept somebody and through them He had led me beautifully. 

When I look back the past 32 years of my life I can never say that God has failed to do certain things. He has done everything best in my life. In His time He gave beautiful things in my life. 

These days I am not asking God for anything because He already gave best things to me.He had taken me to several places to share His word for which I am not at all worthy. He is still using me for His glory. 

In Bible we read about the prodigal son. Once he returns back to his Father, he tells, ‘I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’

 

In my life I can’t even say like that because I am neither worthy to be called His son nor His servant. But yet He still loves me and He is with me.

I thank God for everything He has done in my life for the past 32 years. Continue to pray for me that I have to do everything according to His will.

LOOKING BACK (WITH THANKS) - 8 (SPEND WHATEVER YOU HAVE FOR GOD)

“We took sweet counsel together, And walked to the house of God in the throng.” – Psalms 55:14

Few days back I got an sms from an unknown number stating that a particular aunty has passed away. I saw her for the last time nearly 10 years before but yet that news broke my heart. Because she is one of those few people God used to bring change in my life. I began to look back the old days where she showed motherly love to me and to many young people.

Many years back when I was in my teen age my eldest brother used to attend a youth prayer meet regularly which will be held once in a month. On those days he is not a guy who used to attend such prayers but yet he liked this particular prayer meet a lot. He used to call me once in a while to that meet but I was hesitant to go with him as I was a shy person. 

But one day I had decided to go with him. When I reached the home where the prayer meet was held I saw that aunty for the first time. She had a particular disease and so she can’t see the persons and things at a longer distance. But she had joined with another aunty and they both opened their house to conduct that youth prayer once in every month. 

Nearly 25 young people used to attend that prayer and a team from another city leads the worship, prayer and preaching sessions. I was greatly blessed through those meetings. When I had faced temptations and trials, the counselling that I got from the preachers who came there really helped me. 

God moulded me through so many people who came there and particularly through the love of those aunties. Even if one month someone misses the meeting they will enquire with so much love and advise us to attend regularly. They took care of everyone who came there. They were a great comfort to those who came there with failures and sorrows. 

We used to stay there even for hours after the meet but they had never complained about it. They always loved us and sometimes provided food to us. More than they loved us personally what I understand was they loved our soul. They wanted us to grow in God at any cost. 

God used that fellowship to bring so many changes into my life. Whenever I ran away from responsibilities, those people in that fellowship encouraged me to take responsibilities and helped me to fulfil that for God. 

As we grew in God, those aunties grew old and so they decided to handover the leadership to one particular couple and slowly that fellowship ended. 

As I look back I thank God for that fellowship and those aunties. I feel guilty that I should have atleast spoke once to those aunties in these years. I knew they would have felt happy if they hear that I am still growing with God and I didn’t forgot the experience I had gained through them. Things changed and now one of those aunties has passed away. 

I had learnt that we should be ready to do anything for God so that people around us might get blessed. We can open our house for prayer fellowship or with few amount of money and time we had we can help people to know the love of God. Let’s take a resolution that we will give whatever we had, to God and for God. God will surely bless you.