Disappointment & Remembering GOD

Every day you wake up with an expectation and every night you go to bed disappointed. The crazy cycle continues day after day, week after week, month after month and its even harder if its been year after year !

It's drudgery. Like a defeated soldier who drags his feet after burying his dead partner. Its a hard painful thing to wait. Its a hard painful thing to wait on GOD. Its a hard painful thing to wait on GOD without drudging. Its a hard painful thing to wait on GOD without drudging but jofully skipping. But its hard and painful only when you dont know GOD.

Many people who have walked long enough with HIM say that HE has barns of goodnesses and lovingkindnesses stored up for you and for me. HIS thoughts towards me outnumber the sands on the shores. My name is carved on the palm of HIS hand. HE knows the count of the hair on my head. HE has already made a countless perfect plans for my life. The plans that we make for ourselves cant even compare to HIS for us.

And when the going gets tough, when you are at your frailest best, and when you are pressed on every side, and people look at you like you are a nobody who would amount to just nothing remember Job, David, Moses, Joseph and our favorite Bible heroes. Remember them because they served the same GOD and they prayed the same prayers and same GOD who answered, comforted and rescued them does the same for you and for me!

Bombard Disappointment

Disappointment is a disease more painful than cancer, more contagious than conjunctivitis, and more fatal than aids. It will leave you dismayed, despaired and destroyed. It is addictive and depressive.

Like an accident, it comes suddenly. Without a warning like death. It steals your joy, peace and hope. It lies and convinces you that its here to stay though it lasts for no more than a season. And yes it is a dark dreary season.

And thats why we need light. We need the light of the WORD to guide us. The WORD that allows fresh hope to creep into any crack of the tall unending wall of hopelessness. This fresh hope is the promises made by a loving FATHER giving us a joyful expectancy and excitement of their fulfillment. Eyes that now eagerly look not for the end of the tunnel but to JESUS, the Author and Finisher of our faith.

Faith is an atomic bomb that shatters disappointment into a countless splinters and leaves it powerless at the feet of the child of GOD.

Disappointed today? Let prayer, praise and HIS promises take care of you. Continuing in hope against all hope combatting the disappointments of life !!

HRRC Bonds

I have had the opportunity to learn about different kinds of investments. In fact long term investment products have always interested me. The way people sacrificially put money aside for a future need like retirement, children's education, health is amazing. Money multipliers that involve high risk also interest me. Here too, people sacrificially invest their money that they worked so hard to save with an expectation to make their money work for them.

And then about 5 years ago I came across an investment plan that was unique. I call this unique because it fulfills everything that every investor looks for: low risk-high returns, long term and above all a guaranteed multiplier that is never ever impacted by the stock markets of this world.

Its called HRRC Heavenly Rewards, Recognition and Crowns Investment Bonds. When a believer (someone who believes in GOD, HIS Son's death that purchased eternal life, Heaven as a reality) gives as the Bible expects one to give there is a reward stored up. This far exceeds anything the world can offer and the world can take away.

The terms and conditions are not in small print. Nor are these confusing. Nor is there a 'Catch 22'.

Terms and Conditions:

1. Even a simple glass of cold water given to a single one of GOD's people qualifies for a reward.

2. When you give, your left hand should not know what your right hand gives. This has to be done in secret and maintain complete confidentiality.

3. To reap the benefits of this investment plan 1/10th of your earnings should be sacrificially invested.

4. If however you announce what you give then you receive the praise of men and lose out on the praise of GOD and HIS rewards.

5. Praying in private is a qualifier as well. However if you market how much you pray or fail to maintain confidentiality you lose a recognition/ reward/ crown. So its advisable to pray for yourself/ other behind closed doors only.

6. You may just have to skip a meal or two every once in a while either for yourself or someone else when you pray for a special need. When you do that, please ensure no one finds out.

7. The HRRC Investment Bonds are a long term investment bond with bonuses paid out every few months.

8. You can decide to withdraw from the plan at anytime. You face no penalties, losses, deductions for doing the same. Whatever has been accumulated would continue accruing interest and bonuses and the entire amount would be transferred to your name in Heaven.

9. The HRRC Investment Bonds are not subject to market risks.

10. Please read the offer document (The Bible) carefully before investing.

deep thoughts

I have a friend who is a conversationalist like no other. Its unbelievable how someone you couldnt stand until yesterday is the someone you walk with discussing many deep things today! How this happened is a story for another day...

Today I'm excited to share with you our conversation that could just bless you. So here it is:

Last month I went over to catch up with Sandra after work. She doesnt have as much time for me these days like she used to. But thats because she is completely married to Alex and she is so busy mothering David. This just reminded me of another story which I will tell you another time.

So when I went to hang with her, we had tea and then decided to take David for a walk. We went to the park and started our usual discussion around the deep things of life. Having seen me get through the worst storm ever, and having been there encouraging me and sometimes simply listening to me repeat the same thing a 1000 times over (literally), we reflected on those hard, dark and disappointing times.

Sandra asked me something so profound and something that echoes in every believer's heart. She asked, "Tell me plucks, what happened seems so unfair and yet the GOD we pray to is supposed to be so fair, and so just, and so loving, and so caring. HE knows the end from the beginning, then why does HE test us which such hard, heart-ripping tests???"

This used to be a question ringing in my head too, for many years. For many years till I read Warren Wiersbe explain this in his book - Prayers, Praise & Promises. So I replied, "Sandra you know what happened before the storm? I imagined that my faith is perfect. Infact a day before the storm broke out, I was walking down Lonsdale Quay with a skip in my walk. So content with what was happening in life. My ticket was booked, I was ready and excited to go back to India. My struggle to save money for the wedding was almost over. My gown had arrived and fit perfectly. I was going to marry the man of my dreams. All my dreams were just about to be realized. My walk with JESUS was never more enjoyable than now. And I said to myself 'vow plakilla, you are doing well, you are awesome, you love the LORD. It's perfect'. I even went to bed that night feeling those top of the world feelings."

I continued, "Then just a night after, so suddenly, everything came crashing down. Right before me. I had absolutely no control over anything around me. From that moment onwards, whatever I did to fix the problem made it worse. And the worse it became, the more I tried to fix it. I was stuck in this crazy loop. My strength quickly diminishing. My faith diminishing quicker than my strength. I alternated between fighting with GOD and praying to HIM. There were long spaces of not communicating with HIM at all. I had so many unanswered questions. I had so many doubts I wanted cleared right then. I almost lost my mind and lost complete control over my emotions. I slipped into depression and couldnt eat for months. I went on a liquid diet. And then one of those days I read Warren Wiersbe's commentary on Psalm 17. GOD tests us to show us our own hearts. To show us what our faith is really made up of. Our reactions and reponses to lives trials and tragedies show us the quality of our faith. When I read that Sandra, I knew I dont have the great faith. I could never have been more ashamed of my faith than when it was tested. By this time I had lost everything and was reduced to nothing. This realization brought me closer to JESUS. I knew I'm frail and helpless and I need HIM so much all the time".

Like me, Sandra was blessed with this thought and I hope this thought blessed you too.