Jesus taught many valuable lessons, about our need to believe in God’s ability to do the impossible. Of having faith beyond what seems humanly possible and pushing well beyond reason. Jairus approached Jesus to beg him to come and lay hands on his daughter, because she was sick unto death. On his way to heal Jairus’s daughter, another woman with an issue of blood pressed through the crowd to grab hold of Jesus. “For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well”” (Mark 5:28).

The woman touched Jesus, immediately she was healed and he felt the power flow out of his body. Jesus stopped to inquire about who had touched him? He knew that this was not a regular touch because the crowds were pressing to get close to him. He felt the touch of faith and belief in his ability to heal. The woman confessed and Jesus told her that it was her faith that made her well (Mark 5:25-34).

While all of this was happening, someone came from Jairus’s house with the report that his daughter had died. Their suggestion was to no longer trouble Jesus, because they didn’t imagine that it was possible for her to be brought back from the dead. Jesus overheard and encouraged Jairus to stay in faith and believe in what only God could do. There were people already mourning at the house when Jesus arrived. He questioned their lament and assured them that the child was only asleep. Their crying turned to scornful laughter and Jesus put them outside of the house. Jesus took the girl by the hand and commanded her to arise. The child got out of bed and immediately started walking (Mark 5: 35-42).

There is nothing that is impossible for God to do. His strength is perfect when we are without strength and his power is limitless and defies human logic or reasoning. Lift your faith and trust in what God is able to do. “But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible”” (Matthew 19:26).

A.P.-Y.

Heartbreak does not represent the absence of God and he also hurts when we hurt. His arms are ready to save us when our spirits have been crushed by disappointments. God cannot be tempted of evil and it is the presence of sin in the world that leads to heartbreak and hurt. Sometimes God will allow hurt, but he stays close to us to guard our hearts and strengthen our spirits.

Jesus also experienced the most severe forms of rejection from his own people, which led to his cruel death on the cross. He understood grief and in the garden of Gethsemane leading to his death, he experienced anguish and pain. Isaiah prophesied of Jesus that He is despised and rejected by men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. “And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him” (Isaiah 53:3).

Jesus is no stranger to sorrow and yes he was despised. Imagine Pilate offering to release Barabbas who was a hardened criminal, instead of Jesus and the people chose Barabbas. Why would people so despise Jesus who went around doing good, such as healing the sick and cleansing the leaper, yet embrace a hardened criminal?

This is why Jesus came to take our sorrow, shame, guilt, rejection and insecurities to the cross with him. He knows exactly how we feel when we hurt and he is no stranger to emotional pain. “Surely He has borne our griefs; And carried our sorrows” (Isaiah 53:4). All of these emotions have been nailed to the cross of Jesus and in exchange, he offers us an abundant life with him.

Trust God to be close to you when you are hurting and know that he understands every kind of hurt. God is close to you and he cares when we hurt.

A.P.-Y.

Paul encouraged us to approach God without fear or apprehension. Many times we approach people in authority to make a request of them. We often don’t know how they may respond to us and consider ourselves at their mercy. Jesus Christ understands what we need and can relate to our struggles. God wants our relationship with him to be one where we know that we have free access to him.

Reference is made of the time following Jesus’s crucifixion and death. After Jesus cried out with a loud voice and said, “it is finished.” “And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split” (Matthew 27:51).

Now the curtains in the temple separated the High Priest, who would enter the Holy of Holies to pray and offer sacrifices for the people. Theologians conclude that the significance of the veil being torn suggests, that all have access to the Holy of Holies. It does not matter who we are, what we have done and whether or not we feel worthy. Jesus died to bridge the gap between us and God so that we can enter into his presence without fear.

“And this is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us” (1 John 5:14).

A.P.-Y.

In the book of Esther, Mordecai was a servant at the King’s gate. He was also the Uncle of Esther who raised her as his own daughter, because she didn’t have parents. Esther was chosen among the virgins to become the Queen of the King. When she became queen she never disclosed her Jewish origin, as Mordecai warned her not to (Esther 2:1-18). After she became queen, the King promoted Haman who was an official in his court. Now the servants who served at the gate would bow to pay homage to Haman, at the King’s command. Mordecai did not bow like the other servants, because he honoured God’s word which forbid him to bow to anyone other than God (Esther 3:1-6).

This infuriated Haman who made the decision to not only destroy Mordecai, but all the Jews because of their belief system. Haman built gallows on which to hang Mordecai, but this plot backfired as God caused Mordecai to find favour with the King. The King used Haman to honour Mordecai, when he was reminded of a good deed which Mordecai had done in the past, which saved his life (Esther 6). Esther also found favour with the King and disclosed to the him her Jewish heritage. This was because Haman’s plot would also include her destruction, along with the other Jews. The King’s anger burned against Haman and he commanded that he be hung on the gallows which he built to hang Mordecai (Esther 7).

Following the deliverance of the Jews, Mordecai was promoted to a position which was second in command to the King (Esther 10:1-3). A plot which was meant to bring about Mordecai’s demise, led to his elevation and promotion. Esther also gained great favour and was given the lands which belonged to Haman (Esther 8:1).

The trial that you are currently facing has been devised, to stand in the way of your God given destiny. The good news is that the enemy cannot abort God’s plans for your life, once you stay in his presence and live according to his will. Stay faithful to God and hold unto his promises. Pray, praise, stay in faith and watch God cause the plans of the enemy to backfire and lead to their own demise. No weapons formed against you will prosper and the trap meant for your downfall will bring about elevation and promotion. You are blessed and highly favoured and surely goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life.

A.P.-Y.

Growing up in Jamaica, sometimes if someone was in a very good mood, someone was likely to make a comment such as, “fowl (chicken) a merry hawk deh (is) near.” This means that in times of great excitement and laughter, that trouble may be lurking around the corner. While this may be true, if people decide to go to excessive and reckless means to seek pleasure, I could not understand why someone being very happy had to generate such a negative response. Does Solomon not say that, “a merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bone” (Proverbs 17:22).

How many of these old time sayings and ways of thinking, cause us to think that it may not be possible to truly have joy and peace? I know that in this life we will have trouble, but I also know that Solomon spoke of times and seasons. This means that I experience times of lack and sadness then this must give way to joy, happiness and abundance. Certainly trials and tests cannot be our continual portion.

Jesus once said to his disciples, ‘Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete’ (John 16:24). It was also Jesus who caused Simon to catch such an abundance of fish, that it caused his net to break. (Luke 5)

God is not a dreary old grump who is waiting for us to mess up, so that he can stretch out his rod and zap us. Nor is he like a punitive parent, who does not want us to have fun and who wants us to work all of our lives and never enjoy good things. In fact God will not withhold any good thing from them who walk in righteousness (Psalm 84:11).

God owns every house on earth, all the money in the banks, all the cars that exist, all the gold and silver in the world. Everything that we need is in Christ Jesus. God wants us to have joy and peace and to have all our needs met. Continue to trust him and rest in the assurance that he wants us to have a good life full of good things. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James‬ ‭1‬:‭17‬).

A.P.-Y.

David was a worshipper and a shepherd. We can imagine his time spent on the backside of many mountains, alone with God and his instrument where he offered praises to God. You could say that David was sometimes a loner, who also spent a lot of time running from Saul after he tried to kill him. Either way, David was so intimately acquainted with the presence of God, that he cried after God and compared the search for his presence like that of a thirsty deer panting after the water (Psalm 42:1).

David had such a love for God and the things of God that he said, “For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness” (Psalm 84:10). This time in the presence of God cultivated such an anointing, that David’s music brought healing for Saul (1 Samuel 16:23).

I have never found anything like the presence of God, which brings such comfort and healing. My favourite time is spent saturated in worship and tapping into the tangible presence of God. I have experienced weights of heaviness lifted and burdens rolled away. When I surrender myself to God and press deeply into his presence, feeling his presence wrapped around me in a tangible, full and rich aroma. This is where healing takes place, minds are restored as the weights have no choice but to slowly fall away.

My writing and descriptions would not give enough of an explanation, of the peace and assurance which I feel in the presence of God. It’s one of those taste and see experiences that you find in total and complete surrender in worship. The love that we experience and encounter in the presence of God is restorative. His love fills cracks and empty spaces left by wounds and places where rejection may have caused damage. When we truly learn to embrace and receive the pure love of God, then we can receive pure and true love. “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God” (Psalm 84:1-2).

A.P.-Y.

At times we can become frustrated with God, because we feel like our prayers and request for things go unanswered. Sometimes we are full of bitterness and resentment because it seems as though other people around us are progressing.

We have to be sure that our desires are in alignment with the will and purpose of God. If our desire is to measure up to other people, then are these desires from a place of purity? We have to remain focused on walking our own path and maintaining an eternal perspective. The desire to measure up to other people can take us off course.

Let us look in Genesis 4, at the outcome of envy and jealousy between two brothers. Both Cain and Abel brought their offering before God. Abel brought the best of what he had while Cain gave out of convenience. God was pleased with Abel and accepted his offering while he rejected Cain’s offering. The result was anger from Cain towards Abel. God questioned Cain about his anger and told him that if his offering was a good one, then it would have been accepted. Either way, Cain could not shake off his jealousy which led to resentment, rage and then murder (Genesis 4:1-8).

When we are truly living to fulfil God’s plan and purpose, when we are walking according to his will, then our gifts will make room for us. God created each of us with a unique design and purpose. He has invested unique gifts and abilities in us to accomplish his purpose and his will. David said, “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvellous—how well I know it” (Psalm 139:14)

Envy, jealousy, rivalry and competition is a waste of time and can be dangerous. I don’t believe that Cain intended to kill Abel, but unhealthy and toxic emotions can lead to destruction. Don’t strain to look at what other people are doing and stop comparing yourself to others. Very often we are envious over a perception and based on what is going on for us, it can make it seem as though everyone else is having an easier time. We don’t know people’s personal struggles and some people are good at masking difficulties. Just because someone’s life seems perfect does not mean that it is. Everyone of us are waiting for something which has not come to pass yet. As long as we are alive, we will have at least one unfulfilled desire.

Be content with your lot and trust that God has a good plan for you. If you walk in obedience to God and be faithful, then there is nothing good that he will hold back from you. Trust in him and he will lead and meet your needs.

A.P.-Y.

God will often allow us to see what happens to people who do wrong to others. Most times we become frustrated, when it seems like people continually thrive from doing wrong and taking people for granted. There are numerous examples of millionaires who pay their employees meagre wages while they take home large salaries. What is the punishment for people who continually treat people unfairly?

David has many comforting words for us about the wicked. “Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.” (Psalm 37:1-2) It was David who also said, that it almost caused him to stumble when he saw the prosperity of the wicked. He was envious of the wicked and considered that they had no trouble while they were alive. David dedicated an entire chapter to this. I like the end of the chapter when David went into the house of the Lord to gain further understanding. (Psalm 73:1-17)

God revealed to David how he dealt with the wicked. “Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin.”(Psalm 73:18) David admitted that he was ignorant before God and confessed his bitterness. David ended with worship and adoration to God and acknowledged the goodness of God. “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.” (Psalm 73:25)

The truth is that we are human and like David, we can harbour bitterness towards people who are wicked and seem to prosper. We can feel anger and resentment towards people who have mistreated us and appear to continue to prosper without any consequence. David’s prayers and revelations show that no sin goes unpunished. When we trust in God and surrender our hurt and worries to him, he will avenge and there is a reward for every wrongdoing.

“When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness.” (Proverbs 11:10)

A.P.-Y.

Paul reminded the Christians in the Hebrew church about the importance of marriage. He warned against adultery and sexual immorality, as this would attract the judgement of God. I am generally surprised when someone tries to justify pursuing a relationship with a married person. The justification is often that, ‘maybe they married the wrong person.’ Why would anyone want to be the person to put another person’s marriage to the test? God is serious about his judgement against those who fail to respect other people’s marriages.

God created a system of marriage for men and women to help each other grow and develop. I believe in a marriage, our assignment is to help make each other better. God wants us to have companionship and created the marriage union as a means to bring order to society. “Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him”” (Genesis 2:18).

Ever wondered why children whose parents get divorced sometimes end up with emotional difficulties? God hates divorce and Jesus said in Matthew, “So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate” (Matthew 19:6). I appreciate that there are instances when a marriage is no longer healthy due to abuse and persistent infidelity. It is never wise to advise a person to stay in a marriage where there is abuse. Infidelity is one of the occasions when God says that he permits couples to get a divorce. Some couples are able to work through challenges including infidelity with the help of a counsellor.

Either way, even healthy marriages experience seasons of challenges. God expects married people to put each other first above all else. This also includes parents and extended family. The survival of godly marriages, will depend on couples having the ability, to set and maintains healthy boundaries to protect the sanctity of their union.

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).

A.P.-Y.

Last week we started to discuss how God views false prophets who use his name to prophesy falsely. We see other accounts of false prophets in the Old Testament and one story of significance relates to a young prophet and an old prophet.

There was a King at that time in Israel who built golden calves for the people to worship and an altar for the people to sacrifice. A young prophet came out of Judah and prophesied against the altar. The King stretched out his hand to give the commandment for his men to seize the prophet. The King’s hand dried and the altar was torn down just as the man of God foretold (1 King 13:1-5).

The King begged the prophet to pray for his hand to be restored and he did and his hand was healed. The King was so grateful that he begged the prophet to return to his house for a meal and to be refreshed. The prophet declined and explained to the King that God had warned him not to eat or drink with anyone, but to return to his own home.

An old prophet was told the story about the young prophet. He went on his way to meet him, convinced him that he was also a prophet who had heard from God. He told him that God said it was ok for him to eat. The young prophet agreed and while he was eating in the old prophet’s home, God spoke to the old prophet. The revelation was that the young prophet would die on his way home because of his disobedience (1 King 13: 6-22)

As it turns out, the young prophet was killed on the way home by a lion. The story reinforces the point that we need to hear from God for ourselves. Did the old prophet lie or was he testing the young prophet to see whether he would obey God or listen to man? The reality is that the scripture does say that the word of the Lord came to the old prophet concerning the young prophet’s disobedience. Either way, he had clear instructions from God concerning what he needed to do and he caused an old prophet to tempt him into disobedience.

Forget about people’s titles because none of that impresses God. “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man” (Psalm 118:8).