Not An Accident

One of my favorite chapters in the Bible is Psalms 139. I’ve used this chapter to ground me through various challenges in life. There is comfort in knowing that I’m fully and completely known by someone. My imperfections, my strengths and weaknesses, my challenges, fears and doubts, none of it is hidden. I refuse to believe that I’m an accident. I also refuse to believe that you are an accident. It is incredible to recognize that we are not results of random happenings but instead placed intentionally in the current time and space for a much bigger reason and purpose.

Accepting Psalms 139 as truth leads to two inferences. One, we are fully and completely known. Everything about us is an open book to the One who created us. Infact, he knows exactly what kind of choices we will make in our lives. Two, because He is mindful of every aspect of our lives, it goes without saying that He is mindful because our lives have value and purpose. After all, who will be mindful of something worthless and meaningless.

The idea of an all knowing God might scare some. There is no privacy?! But it has comforted me because I can be confident that no matter what the situation is, God sees me. I’m confident that no matter how badly I mess up, He isn’t surprised or shocked and He will willing take me out of it, if I let Him. It comforts me to know that no matter how much I choose to run and hide from Him, I can never go out of His reach. He is nearer than the very breath I breathe. There surely is a flip side to this. God knows and sees everything I do – both the good and the bad things. And like any good father, it breaks his heart when I make choices that aren’t good for me or for those around me. That can be a good or bad thing depending on one’s understanding of God. To someone who sees God as an angry diety waiting to punish in an instant, as someone who is calloused and distant, it might cause stress and fear. To someone who sees God as a Creator who loves His creation so much that He willingly gave His Son to die one of the most cruel forms of death, it will offer comfort and hope. And finally, to someone who doesn’t believe in God or intelligent design, it might give them something to laugh about, which is okay. Irrespective of where you stand, here’s one thing I want you to know, you are not an accident!

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!
Psalms 139:13‭-‬18 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.139.13-18.NLT

Complicated Faith

I think we have made faith to be a very complicated matter. As humans, I think there is something innate in us to earn things instead of freely receiving it. When we see something that’s free or easy, we immediately think it must be cheap. We like to earn our way in faith too. We love complicated rules and traditions and rituals to exercise our faith. But the truth about faith is that its meant to be easy and free. Do you want to see what the simplified version of faith looks like? Look no further than James 4:8.

Come close to God, and God will come close to you. 

As simple as that. Jesus died on the cross to remove the complicated wall between man and God. He paid a very heavy price to break the wall of rules, traditions and religious rituals to receive forgiveness for our sins. You see, when Jesus died on the cross, He wiped our sins clean. Completely and absolutely clean. So this rules, traditions and rituals that we have come to love doesn’t add anything more to what has already been accomplished. It’s as if my dad has already gifted me the nice car I’ve always wanted and the key is for me to take but I’m still working and slogging to make money so I can afford to buy it. Jesus has already accomplished our freedom from sin on the cross and He has adopted us as His heir into His kingdom. So what’s left for us to do? Simply come closer to Him. Simply climb into His lap and receive our inheritance. Simply enjoy His kingship over our life because our God is both our Daddy and our King. But for what ever reason, coming closer to God doesn’t come easily to us.  We like it complicated. We like to plead and please. Its done. “It is finished”, Jesus said on that wretched cross with His dying breath. It truly is finished. There is no more need to strive and complicate the matters. Come closer to Him and you will quickly realize that He never was far from you.

Pathway to Peace

We live in uncertain times. It’s almost as if everything is written on vapor and as if we stand on shifting ground. The pandemic has rewritten life and it has left, for many, a lasting impact. The pandemic has highlighted the truth about life and how fragile it can be. We feel like we have control over our situations but the truth is a small shift in our environment can cause a butterfly effect. Our life hinges on a delicate balance and we realize how utterly helpless we can be despite all kinds of technology and progress. And yet, we hold on to life like we own it. We do our best to retain control and we anxiously do everything to ensure we don’t loose control. We desire independence and freedom so much that we forget what true freedom is. Anxiety and stress replaces peace and rest.

How do we find rest and peace when nothing around us is predictable? The theme of rest and peace is often found in the Bible. Infact, rest is recorded in the very beginning of the Bible. God ordained rest as a way to remind us of who was truly in control. Even when we aren’t running 24×7, the earth spin, stars shine, sun rises and sets, vegetation grows and all creatures big and small get what they need. God has put reminders around us so we will remember who is in charge. Our hearts will stop beating at His command. We need him to even breathe the next breath. So how do we find peace and rest? Refocus. Refocus from self to God. When anxiety kicks in and stress is overwhelming, refocus!

One of the best ways to refocus is to simply praise God. Praise is putting God on the throne. Praise is surrendering our crowns and our pains at His feet and recognizing His power. While it is good to praise God when we receive a blessing, it’s even better to praise Him when things aren’t too good. Praising God helps us recognizing who He is. It helps us remember His character. He is loving, passionate, magnificent, all powerful and all knowing. He loves us enough to die and on the cross and powerful enough to come back alive. His ways are always better than ours. Praise allows us to have the right perspective. It allows us to recognize that we aren’t mini gods and we aren’t all knowing. Praise allows to recognize that a loving God knows how to use our pain and our suffering to bring good out of it.

I’ve recently recognized that praise has a direct impact in experiencing the peace of God that transcends all understanding. While prayer is the key that unlocks the door, praise is the pathway to the door. When we keep asking asking asking all the time, there is a high possibility that our prayers have become self focused. Praise on the other hand allows God to redirect our prayers. Praise allows us to pray selflessly because we now know it’s not about us, it’s about the Him. Praise is the pathway to rest and peace. Exalt Him. Glorify Him. Find rest and peace in Him.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

Oh My Heart!

My kids were watching TV and I heard the all familiar phrase “Follow Your Heart”. I’ve heard other phrases along the same line, “You be who you want to be” or “Believe in your dreams”. All these phrases emphasize on the power of your heart and your thoughts. While I’m all for positive thoughts and mindset, I still cannot see the value of the phrase “Follow Your Heart”. Your Heart! The same heart that often goes into negative spirals from time to time. The same heart that can become puffed up and proud. The same heart that stores up anger and bitterness and fear.

The heart is deceitful above all things
    and beyond cure.
    Who can understand it? – Jeremiah 17:9

That’s what God says about our hearts in the Bible. Our hearts can deceive us quickly. Think about it… a murderer thinks in his heart that it’s good to kill somebody and he follows his heart to take life. A person getting drunk thinks it’s good to get drunk and loose his mind and loses control over his actions. The heart is extremely deceptive. To our faulty heart, the good can look bad and the bad can look perfectly good. What then is the solution?

The same passage talks about it. The passage compares what it is like to trust in our hearts and what it is like to trust the One who fully knows our heart.

Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
    who draws strength from mere flesh…
That person will be like a bush in the wastelands;….But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.

The Bible is clear. It stands in stark contrast to the  “Follow Your Heart” phrase. The one who created us tells us that our hearts cannot be trusted because our emotions are almost always unpredictable. However, there’s someone who is trustworthy. He cares for us enough to die for us. He desires the best for us and is willing to lead us if we would let Him. Let the Spirit of God lead you, not your heart.

Some practical ways to walk in step with God and allow His Spirit to lead you.

– Read the Bible, as often as you can. There is no magic formula here. Just pick up the Bible and read. The Words are meant to speak the truth and bring transformation to our hearts and minds. For me personally, it is one of the primary ways that God speaks to me. There are other ways that He can speak too but without the Bible, we will never be able to tell the voice of truth apart from other voices. Apply the words in scripture to your day to day circumstances.

– Talk to God. That’s prayer! Ask for His help in understanding what’s best for you. Be consistent in asking and don’t give up till your soul is satisfied. God will lead but sometimes His leading is simply for us to wait. In a culture where everything is quick and easy, prayer feels counterintuitive but they those wait have a profit that cannot be matched with anything else.

– If you are a parent, this is critical – teach your children to follow God’s voice instead of following their own hearts. Teach them to read the Bible and to have a conversation with God. Whether they learn anything else in life or not, this one thing is absolutely critical and I cannot emphasize this enough.

Good Good Father

A father’s love is special in every way, a love so special that it cannot be compared with any other kind of love. Even when it’s correction and discipline, a father’s love is covered in grace and compassion. There is usually a tenderness to the stern voice. A father’s heart longs for deep relationship with his children and while he may not always express it openly, he desires an intimate bond with his children. No one cheers a child better than a father. Be it a baseball game or a college graduation, a father knows how to cheer, sometimes loudly, sometimes silently. He walks with their children as long as he can, wanting the best for them.

When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, He opened it with the phrase “Our Father”, a reminder to refocus our identity in relationship with God. Our Heavenly Father, like our earthly father, is tender and compassionate. He desires the best for us. He desires that we have abundant lives and a deep intimate relationship with Him. When we mess up, like any good father, he corrects and disciplines us but his correction and discipline is always covered in grace and mercy. He cheers us on through different phases of our, even if we do not realize it. Like a good father, He provides for our needs at the right time, never too early nor too late.

Have you forgotten your identity in relationship with Him? It’s never late. He will never say no to a returning child. Have you missed your earthly father in your life? Lean on to your Heavenly Father. He loves you more than the your earthly father. He truly does.

Training For Gold

The Olympics has put people on the pedestal based on their ability to perform under pressure, their agility and strength. These athletes have trained for years for this event. Strict diets and lifestyle changes have been a must for the last several years. And yet only a few walk out with a medal. The majority lose, their dreams fading behind. A small error, a little bit of slack, and years of training goes waste. Their names will not be etched in history. Yes, they are way better than most of us but only the finest will win a medal.

Athletes train their body to win a prize. Many of us train our body to stay fit and healthy. But we often forget our soul. The body that we put so much of time and energy into will one day be gone. It will be completely destroyed. But our soul, our soul will remain forever. Shouldn’t then we be putting a lot more time and energy into building it? Shouldn’t we then be mindful of what we feed it and how we protect it? It is so tempting to ignore the eternal and find gratification in the temporary. But it is good to remember what’s more important.

Grace is free, it was purchased by the blood of Jesus at the cross. Everyone is welcome at the cross, no questions asked. Sanctification, however, involves discipline and hard work. It involves working out with the Spirit of God, our Soul Coach, day and night. Our Soul Coach knows what’s best for us. They may seem like restrictions at first but once we start trusting Him, we will quickly realize that what seem like restrictions are often helpful in building up our soul and help us in winning the prize. May we recognize what really matters and train for gold.

Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
1 Corinthians 9:24‭-‬27 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/1co.9.24-27.NLT

Amazing Grace?

I love the song “Amazing Grace”. Is grace truly amazing though? When our sins are forgiven, it is. When God wipes our slate clean and says “you are forgiven and you don’t have to earn it”, it’s amazing! What isn’t amazing though is when we have to extend that grace to others. Grace is anything but amazing during such times.

Have you ever been in situations of conflict? I seem to have no trouble being in the middle of a conflict. Conflict, intentional or unintentional, gives us a valid reason to withhold grace. Like any other human being, I’ve had the desire to just walk out, hold on, give back. But the cross pursues me to do the exact opposite. Grace is hard! Very hard to be honest! It destroys your pride and ego. Once you have given your heart to Jesus, you cannot simply follow your heart. You are no longer a slave to your feelings and emotions. Your heart belongs to Jesus and He is grace. While He doesn’t force Himself on us to extend grace, He pursues us. He shows us how His grace covered us. None of us deserve God’s love or grace. Our hearts are crooked and are perfectly capable of every kind of evil. But His grace surrounds us and He pursues us to be like Him. Grace is amazing when received but hard to give…very hard to give. But grace is not ours to keep. It must be passed on. There is no other way!

For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
John 1:16 ESV

https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.1.16.ESV

PS: Isn’t extending grace equal to putting ourselves in harm’s way again? Sometimes it is. Removing ourselves from a situation of harm is good, healthy and often required . But wherever possible, grace should be our goal.

The Temptation To Run

I’m at a season in life where the temptation to keep running is very real. There’s opportunities to pursue, ideas to implement, deadlines to meet. The problem with running constantly is that our mind starts to think we can’t rest. It takes on a perpetual fight mode and stays alert all the time. The line between night and day blurs and the brain constantly tries to keep up with our run.

Our desire to keep running also exposes the condition of our hearts. We start thinking if only I can do a lit bit more, run a little longer, I can chance the world and then I can rest. But we never rest. We start pretending to be gods, trying to accomplish all that we can with our own limited strength. We do it to have absolute control over our circumstances. We do it to have our way. We do it so we won’t have to wait and so we can be in the front of the line. Our constant running is an indicator of our pride. We run to please ourselves and to out perform ourselves. In the process, we are possibly running away from God.

When I experience the temptation to keep running, it has helped me to focus on rest. Not lazy, but rest! In the scripture, God speaks of Sabbath as an essential part of being His children. What is Sabbath? A time of resting and enjoying the presence of God. The practice of resting in His presence is to let our brain know who is in control. Without the Sabbath rest, we start pretending to be mini gods. Sabbath rest is an act of surrender and a posture of utter dependence in God. The brain usually resists such surrender. It wants to show who the boss is. It is quickly distracted by the next item in the list of things to do. All great things, things that make us feel good and make us believe that we are changing the world. But no matter how good the things we do, if we are constantly running ahead of God, we are missing the whole point. If we are constantly rushing through life, it’s a good indicator that we need Sabbath rest.

So every time your brain is tempted to run at 1000 MPH, go into your secret place with God. Talk to Him. Enter His rest. And then do it with Him. Not lagging behind Him, not running ahead of Him, but walking step-by-step with Him. He loves you too much to see you burn out doing the work He has called you to do.

The All Knowing

The All Knowing – Acrylic on Canvas

Remember this: He knows it all. He sees you and your pain. He knows the ending from the beginning. His light and love remains, whether or not you see it. He can breathe life into your dead situations. Trust that He is for you and not against you.

This painting was started after I sensed an urge to paint a lion on a blue background, the background looked liked the night sky. Lions in my paintings represent Jesus, the Lion of Judah. After getting done with lion, I just added his breath(symbolizing life itself) and Greek symbols Alpha and Omega (As mentioned multiple times in the book of Revelation). I added a very discreet infinity with cross and an open to represent eternity through Jesus’ death and resurrection. I added faint stars in the background to represent how He exists outside the time and space. The painting is done with metallic and iridescent paint. Very difficult to photograph because with shifting light, the painting changes. At certain angles, the details become invisible – just like His presence is sometimes hidden from human mind and eyes. There is a brilliant blue sparkle to the painting in a darker room with a single light source, reminding of the light source that’s Jesus and through Him we shine like the stars in a night sky.

I loved painting this and has become one of my favorites till date.

Don’t Try This Yourself!!

Have you ever done skydiving? If you haven’t, don’t ever do it yourself. Of course you wouldn’t! I know you want to live and wouldn’t risk jumping all by yourself from 14,000 ft, unless you want to kill yourself.

Me on a tandem skydiving

I once wanted to do sky diving and I did it with a professional diver. When you jump with a professional, it’s called a “tandem sky diving”. When you dive in tandem with a professional, you don’t have to know anything. You don’t have to know when you should be jumping out of the plane. You don’t have to know when to deploy the parachute or how to maneuver it. You don’t even have to know how to land. You entrust your life into the hands of the professional and let him do everything. If you start messing with what he is doing, it can turn really dangerous. Trust is key in tandem sky diving.

As I was thinking about sky diving, I wondered if we trust enough to do life in tandem with God? There will be situations in life when we feel like we are in a free fall, just like jumping out of an airplane. But do we trust God enough to realize we are doing it in tandem with The Pro! He knows when to deploy the parachute, maneuver it and land us safely. Do we trust or do we try to do it all on our own and take a fatal fall? Trust is key in life too!