Promises of God

Genesis35:11  And God said to him, I am the All-sufficient God: Be fruitful and multiply; A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, And kings shall come forth from your loins.
45:20  And do not be concerned for your possessions, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.

God is a speaking God. He spoke then, and He speaks now. It has been His speaking that has been leading all this while. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalms 119:105. Besides, He is leading by His speaking on a day to day basis. He also speaks words of promises for the future. It is up to the hearer to believe the promises of the Lord. To those who believe, the promises are true, and the word of God never fails. Still, to the unbelieving, the Lord in His mercy does fulfill. I have been receiving grace to be able to believe the word of God and receive it by faith. The speaking of the Lord comes when reading the word of God.

Recently, two instances happened, the first on the 19th and the second on the 23rd, today, while reading the word of God. The first is related to my children. My heart's desire for the three children the Lord blessed us with is that they all should grow up in the grace of the Lord, in the love of God, in the reverential fear of God, as God-man children, loving God and will serve God all the days of their lives. This has been my prayer for my children. I have no desire that my children will be successful people in the eyes of the world with worldly riches and glory. I have lost all desire for worldly riches and glory. This is the mercy of the Lord. Once I used to dream of them and tried to labor to achieve such, now the Lord has gracefully changed my goal in life altogether. What the Lord has called me for, in 2003 Jan 1, will ever be my life's goal.

Deuteronomy 10:12  And now, O Israel, what does Jehovah your God ask of you except that you fear Jehovah your God so that you would walk in all His ways and love Him and serve Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul;

I must walk worthily of the calling with which the Lord God has called me. 

Ephesians 4:1   I beseech you therefore, I, the prisoner in the Lord, to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called.

I don't how the Lord will call my children. Only He can override my desire for my children. Otherwise, I wish and pray that they all would love the Lord and serve the Lord in whatever way the Lord deems best. That will really make me happy. After all, it's not up to me, it's all up to Him who is the Lord of lords, and above all. In the midst of this thought for my children, the Lord spoke to me this clear word concerning my children, "kings shall come forth from your loins." Whatever that means, I amen to whatever the Lord has promised. Time will tell what the Lord meant by "kings." In fact, all genuine believers who live under the heavenly rule of the King are kings indeed in today's age. It could also mean rulers above others in their lives and workplaces. In reality, all those who live and walk by the Spirit taking Christ as life are the real kings on earth today. May the Lord bless all the children He blessed me and my wife with. Trusting in His grace, we will do our best to give the best training and education within our measure, and leave the rest to Him.

The other instance is, it has been quite a while now I have been deliberating on my housing in Gurugram. The rent we have been paying is hefty. With the same rent, we could have gotten for ourselves a very nice, modern, and decent housing. The house that we live in now has a host of physical issues. In addition to being so old, there is no furniture at all, not even a single wardrobe for storing clothes. The building outside is cracking, and pieces of construction have fallen now and then. The woodworks are all in bad shape; some termites have eaten, some got rotten, and some were partially damaged. The kitchen and the toilets too are in bad shape. Despite all these, it is liveable and we are still living here. Many times, I wondered why I have not found myself a better housing? But every time, I pondered on this matter of finding better housing, the Lord would not give me peace at all. I had tried shifting out at least five times now, but every time the Lord would stop me. Now I am in the tenth year in the same house. Not really by choice, but the Lord's sovereignty. He knows best, the reason for my family to be in this house.

In spite of all these physical drawbacks, our family has been living with much peace and joy. The presence of the Lord has been very enjoyable. My children like the house so much that any suggestion of shifting will invite a strong reaction from them. My son even promised that he like this old house and he would buy it when he grows up and rebuilt it.  There has been so much emotional connection with this house. And the saints have been using it every time we meet together as the church meeting hall is on the ground floor. In terms of usage, both family and church side, it has been very useful, Perhaps, for this reason, the Lord never allows us to shift out nor find a better housing with similar or even lower rent elsewhere. In the midst of all this consideration, the word of the Lord today morning is very heart touching: And do not be concerned for your possessions, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours. Whatever this verse means, the Lord's promise is, He has given me the best. And perhaps, He will give me the best. The best according to Him may or may not be the best according to the eyes of man. Nevertheless, I gladly amen and accept whatever the Lord gives to me. He knows the best. And it is best to amen what the Lord deems the best. This reminds me of the journey of the children of Israel. My housing and living will be as such, at the command of Jehovah.

At the commandment of Jehovah the children of Israel set out, And whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tent, then after that the children of Israel set out; there the children of Israel encamped. and at the commandment of Jehovah they encamped; they remained encamped. Numbers 9:17-18

Praise the Lord for His promises and encouraging words!