It’s up to you you to choose to believe the truth when God says “there is hope for you,” or give in to the lies of the devil. Choose to listen to God. And hold the fort for God’s help will surely come.
It does not matter how long the darkness has kept you in fear. God’s light will yet shine. It might not shine a long beam to your future. But it certainly will show you where to walk the next step. So hold the fort for God’s help will surely come.
Why hold the fort? Your mind is under attack from all sides. You easily lose heart. Therefore look up. There is a flag of victory waving. You go and stand underneath it. Now what does it say: It says, “I am your helper. So do not fear.”2 Therefore hold the fort for God’s help will surely come. It will not delay.
The night will pass. Dawn will break. And God will whisper in your ear,“I am with you.” What an assurance that is! Therefore hold the fort; for God’s help will surely come.
Windows are part of your outlook. Therefore keep it clean.
For it is mostly through glass windows, either closed or open, that you look out, observe, gather information, and make judgements. Therefore it is of first and paramount importance that you keep your windows clean.
Why?
Simply because windows stained with dirt can distort your vision and thereby your impressions and perceptions of people and situations.
Why again?
Simply because many problems that you attribute to others are of your own making and caused by log in your own eyes1—the windows with which you see the world.
And why a third time?
Simply because clean windows allow the sunlight to brighten up the interiors of your home. Allow nothing to obstruct light from passing through, for light brings cheer and hope with it.
Let me conclude by saying that it is a good exercise for your mind and body and sometimes even your computers to clean up windows.
As a school student, the first step you can take is to stop giving excuses to your teachers on not completing your homework and not submitting your assignments on time.
The second step to stop telling excuses is to take responsibility for your actions. It is easy to put the blame on your teammates for the mistakes made. That is cowardice.
The third step to stop telling excuses is to find out what causes you to fail. Is it your laziness? Is it procrastination? Or is it poor listening that makes you miss out on vital information. For example, you did not listen carefully and therefore did not hear the teacher say, “Submit your notebooks on Monday.”
Finally seek the help of your friend to remind you whenever you tell an excuse. This will help you realise telling an excuse each time you do it. Becoming aware of it like that will alert you next time you attempt to tell an excuse.
Let me end by reminding you that the best place to start to stop telling excuses is your home itself. The basic excuse you give there is “I forgot”; isn’t it? Remember that forgetting happens because in your mind you have given priority to someone else or something else.
How much you miss the present moment and its opportunity because you constantly look back and feel helpless! But be of good cheer, a thorough cleansing of your past is possible!
The past is gone. Nothing can be accomplished by looking back. If you learn from mistakes made, that is something positive. But if you feel helpless and think that you will never make it; then that is cause for serious concern. But be of good cheer, a thorough cleansing of your past is possible!
Did you know there is Someone who handles your past with compassion? His name is Jesus. His sinless and precious blood was poured out on the cross. The blood of Jesus has the power to cancel all your sins—all its guilt and shame!
His blood is a fountain of cleansing. There is no limit to its cleansing power. The Bible declares that “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”1
If you need this cleansing, look to the crucified One in faith. He will accept you just as you are. But he will not leave you at that point. Acceptance is just a beginning.
Then he will start rebuilding you. He will do it patiently with a Father’s love and disciplining hand.
Instead of the past gripping you and defeating you; God will make your life a story of transformation. Therefore be of good cheer, a thorough cleansing of your past is possible!
Therefore take heart. God is your Redeemer. Your past is taken care of in Jesus. Look forward to your future with hope!
— 1Isaiah 1:18 Bible
Short Speeches of Introduction, Welcome, Felicitation, Vote of Thanks!
If you’re talented, don’t hide behind the baggage. Stand tall.
Didn’t you know that you’re chosen? Then why is that you’re trembling with fear?
You might not be from a big family. You might not have great wealth. But that is not what matters!
Come on, play it big!
It is not the size of the armies against you that matters either! Not even the mountainous obstacles and the gloomy shadows that they cast on your path.
Of course you’ll have to shoulder the burden, face the murmurings against you, and fight discouragement day in and day out.
But nothing can change God’s call on your life. So take courage. Move forward. For there is nothing like God is with you!
Come on, play it big!
When God has called you to be the city on a hill, don’t sit on a molehill and pity your insignificance.
Do not dare to tell God your petty excuses. For he knew you before you were born and has called you by name.
He didn’t ask for your resume not did he conduct an interview. He just called you. When he calls he also enables. When he enables he stays with you until the end.
Hear his call today; and don’t dare to say “No.” Nothing else matters only if you obey his call even now as he is giving you a second chance!
God did not give up on man when he rebelled aginst him. Instead God sent his one and only Son Jesus to this world; born a baby in a manger in Bethlehem. It was love that came down from heaven that first Christmas night.
I might not understand the logic behind God becoming man and tasting death for us all. But love that did not hesitate to give up his life for me holds no mysteries.
But then can I? One look at his face then bleeding with a head which was crowned with thorns; but now glorious like the sun shining in all its brilliance is all that is needed for me to bow down in worship saying, “My Lord and My God, I love you!”
The Bible declares:
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” — Isaiah 9:6
Again the Bible says,
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” — Romans 5:8
When your future looks uncertain and no one seems to be in a situation to help you; look to this promise of God for strength and encouragement.
It has remained a favourite with me ever since an elderly priest gave a short sermon on this promise while visiting our home at a very difficult time during my college days years ago.
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.1“
Since you have such a precious promise to hold on to, remind yourself that God has chosen you and not rejected you. You belong to him and no power in the entire universe can snatch you out of his Almighty hand.
Again, remind yourself to focus on God and not your problems. God is bigger than all your troubles. Listen to his affirmation that he is with you. What an assurance that is. He, like a loving Father, a faithful brother, a true friend stays by your side at all times. Therefore do not fear nor be dismayed.
Be assured that when your strength runs out, God will strengthen you. When all other help fails, God will help you. He will uphold you. It is only when you hold on to God there is a chance that you’ll let go of his hand. But when God is upholding you, there is no fear of him letting you slip and fall.
Yes my friend, even as doubts cloud your mind as to whether this promise is as true as it sounds, clutch on to it like a drowning man clutches the life jacket thrown at him.
When God makes a promise his word itself is its guarantee that he will make it good and prove it true. Just believe it, hold on to it, and put your entire weight on it. The promise stands with the ring of authority of God surrounding it. May you find the promise true in your life even as I have found it true in mine. Amen!
You need the touch of an angel today. Have not all the troubles that you are facing wearied you down? And you feel like giving up?
Do not be disheartened. God will send an angel to touch you today.
See, when all have forgotten you and given upon you, the God who sleeps not is watching over you. He sees that your strength is gone. And you are no match for the journey ahead.
Yes, he will send an angel to touch you today and bless you with resources needed to move forward.
Is it that you are finding yourself in the midst of a tough battle against negative thoughts and habits? And in spite of all your repeated attempts, earnest and sincere, you find yourself failing and falling time and again.
Ah, you need the touch of an angel whom God will send your way today.
Life is not easy. When worries and fears and losses mount, and when your heart is broken and torn apart by sorrows that are expressed in groans and sighs that words cannot utter, it is then that the Spirit of God will share your burden and give voice and wings to your deepest longings in prayer.
And it is then in a joyous daybreak at a time of mourning that the touch of a God-sent angel would lift up your spirit and cheer you up on your journey ahead.
Oh, troubled child of God, may God strengthen you by the touch of an angel today!
—
“The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.”
—1 Kings 19:7 Bible NIV
“You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy” — Psalm 30:11 Bible NIV
Short Speeches of Introduction, Welcome, Felicitation, Vote of Thanks!
If you procrastinate you are living on credit you can never pay back. For time is a limited resource and there is not anything that can replace time lost. Therefore overcome procrastination by doing things today.
The first thing to overcome the habit of procrastination is to start doing things immediately. Do not think too much about problems and difficulties. Get started.
If there are a set of things you are supposed to do, attempt the most difficult first. It might take a longer time to complete that than the rest. That is okay. But if you do the easy ones first you might have no energy or enthusiasm left to finish the big one at the end.
Again, most of us procrastinate because we think of just the tasks to be done. That creates a kind of laziness and lethargy in your mind. Instead connect it to a higher purpose and goal.
If you are a student, don’t just think about finishing your homework. Instead think about the dream career you want to pursue and think of the homework as a vital step to achieve your dream. That will energize you to overcome procrastination.
Breaking up big tasks into smaller ones that can be attempted at different intervals of time can ease up the mind a great deal. This will give you the much needed feel of “I can do it.” It will certainly help you overcome procrastination.
Reward yourself when you finish things without procrastination. The joy of reward will further motivate you to start doing things without postponing. Thus you can overcome the habit of procrastination.
Chocolates are not lollipops. Of course they are not; but both can be enjoyed in a traffic jam in the skies. If you are wondering what they mean; it is all about creativity and imagination.
Chocolates are not lollipops can be the way you look at things. Chocolates can tempt but lollipops can entice; but they mean the same. You end up eating sugar and paying for it.
Chocolates are not lollipops might be about how memorable you can be with words. As we get lost in a flood of chats, some pictures can stay in mind if you can but paint it in flashy strokes.
Chocolates are not lollipops is a reminder that life is sweet the way you see it. If life gets hell-busy then you forget to take time to slow down and relish the warmth of joy of spending quality time with family and friends.
Chocolates are not lollipops bring to our minds the nostalgia of childhood where life looked promising, fresh, colourful, and evergreen. Some of those dreams might be yet inside wrappers; but chocolates and lollipops don’t come without them.
Chocolates are not lollipops in spite of the fact that they hide sweetness within: Chocolates are gifted and it is always elite; while lollipops remain the delight of children who roam in cartoons, comics and legends.
Chocolates are not lollipops tell us that if love is an emotion, then life becomes a rollercoaster ride. But when love is a commitment to believe the best and attempts not to keep a record of wrongs; both forgiveness and forgetting become possible even at the fall of autumn leaves!
Readiness is a prerequisite to capitalise on opportunities in life. If you are prepared you might find opportunities suddenly present itself to you. This is not luck, but simply a direct result of preparedness.
To find yourself prepared for your opportunity, you will have to look beyond negative circumstances. The Bible says that, “Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.”1
To find yourself prepared for your opportunity you should show great foresight. You might have to anticipate where the action is going to be like a striker in a football game positions himself near the goal area to get the ball and score a goal.
To find yourself prepared for the opportunity you need to be optimistic and have faith. In life, there will phases which are slow-moving and when nothing seems to happen. It is a time when critics will question your waiting for opportunity. You should not yield to discouragement then.
To find yourself prepared you need to show excellent attitude. You should exhibit perseverance and be willing to pounce on the opportunity when it comes. Any slackness or lack of readiness on your part will find someone else grab what should have been rightfully yours.
Life is too short. Therefore do not miss opportunities when they come. Instead be prepared for your opportunity when it comes.
Santa Claus is not Christmas. In fact Santa Claus has hijacked the true meaning of Christmas.
Santa Claus is the commercial reason1 for Christmas celebrations. He brings gifts but makes all the sales possible around the world during happy holidays Christmas season.
Forgiveness, pardon, eternal life, and heaven’s citizenship come to you through Jesus which is the true meaning of Christmas.
My friend, remember Santa Claus, is not Christmas even as gifts and sales of Santa Claus figurines, mask, costume, and accessories will swell in ecommerce sites like Amazon, Flipkart, eBay, Walmart, Alibaba and the like this Christmas season!
You are not a loser if you believe that you can put in one more effort, one more try, one more attempt to do something in which you have already failed many many times. Be a fighter!
You are not a loser if all that you could do was put a smile on someone’s face by your presence with them in their hour of greatest need.
You are not a loser if you have faith that in spite of all past mistakes and failures in your life; God can put together all those broken pieces to display a design of marvellous beauty and grace.
You are not a loser if you have failed in all your exams, interviews and business attempts; but still have a thankful heart in someone who acknowledges that it was you who helped him or her to succeed in life.
My dear friend, know that loser is a term that others throw carelessly and thoughtlessly at you. Throw that label into the trash can where it rightly belongs. For you are not a loser; but a fighter!
No one else knows what exactly you have passed through; what struggles unknown to others you had to face; and with what unseen tears you wept when people rejected you saying you are a loser. God alone knows and has a record of those.
Therefore, today, if your heart is burdened because others call you a loser; get up from your bed of despair and prove to the world that you are a fighter till the very last. My friend; who knows how you might have inspired someone to get up from their bed of despair by the mere sight of you bravely fight your battles!
is what makes you desire the best for others, what gives you motivation to sacrifice, what gives meaning to life. A mother’s love is what a child experiences first, but what is open to all to experience is God’s love.
Have you tried to find satisfaction in work, in play, in entertainment, in relationships, in love, in pleasures, and even surfing the internet or chatting in social media platforms? Did you succeed?
Look at advertisements. They aim at creating the impression that it will satisfy one or many of your needs. The needs can be varied—it can be your need for comfort, for security, for a greater sense of pride, for happiness, for being loved or respected, for intimacy, for success or for health.
Advertisements promise much, but do they deliver as much?
Well, I know at least one Advertiser who delivers what he promises. It is none other than God himself. One of his invitations and promise made is this.
“Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters;
And you who have no money come, buy and eat.
Come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without cost.
Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And delight yourself in abundance1.”
It was made to a people who were about to go into captivity and exile for their sins.
God is promising to satisfy free of cost. There are many thoughts related to this:
One, man is always dissatisfied with the best the earth has got to offer. There are limits to what money can buy.
Two, the best satisfaction a man has is incomplete. There will always be left a vacuum that no earthly pleasure can fill. That is why addictions and enslaving habits need more kicks to satisfy as time passes and they thoroughly deceive at the end.
Three, God sees what is driving you in your pursuit of satisfaction. He not only sees your action, but also sees what that emptiness in your life is that you are seeking to fill.
He cries out to you today: You have forsaken me—the fountain of living waters—and have made broken tanks that cannot hold water!2
Therefore consider. God is simply asking you to come to him. He will satisfy you with the gift of himself. He is no killjoy. Instead in his presence is fullness of joy!3 Drink of the waters he gives; it will quench your deepest longings and ultimately satisfy!
Allow some time to pass. It can be a few minutes, hours or days depending on the situation you are in.
The second step when in doubt is, ask God for wisdom1. Do not worry about how he is going to answer you.
If you are a genuine seeker, God will listen to you and he will give you the right guidance.
The third step when in doubt is to talk to people who genuinely care about you. Their advice can be coloured by their own fears, biases, or ambitions. That is okay. You still get a variety of colourful lenses through which you can see your situation.
Take time to think through all of them. At some point, like crystal clear water flowing over rocks in the stream bed you will hear, “This is the way; walk in it2.” When that happens it will be music to your souls.
The one thing you need to remember is that you alone have to take the final decision and accept responsibility for it.
Finally, when you are convinced about the merit and goodness of your decision, act on it with courage. Don’t look back.
There still will be challenges and criticism, setbacks and failures. But that will not shake you because you had dealt with your doubts already.
So here are the 7 takeaways when you are in doubt about anything, especially about taking a decision on a future course of action.
#1. Wait.
#2. Ask God for wisdom.
#3. Get opinions from others.
#4. Think through.
#5. Take a decision.
#6. Act with courage.
#7. Don’t look back.
These are simple things you can do when you are in doubt.
1 “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given him” — James 1:5 Bible NIV 1984. 2Isaiah 31:21 Bible
Get up!
Life is more about second chances than you can dream of. Champions and winners script success stories by rising up from the ashes of defeat. They are heartbroken when they see someone else lift the trophy for which they fought with sportsman spirit till the last moment. But that does not prevent them from pursuing their goal to win. You too should be like that. Don’t stay in your bed of despair. This is the time to get up!
Get up!
It might have been years that you stayed in this defeated mode. That doesn’t matter. God is not only the God of your past but of your present and your future as well. He is not limited by all that went wrong in your life. He is not limited by the victim stories you have told yourself and others countless number of times. He is not limited by all your negative circumstances, all those people who tell you that you can’t succeed, or any other force that is bulldozing you at this time. He wants to act decisively in your life. Therefore, get up!
Get up!
This one single act can change the way you think, act, and move forward. It is by taking this first step that you will realize all that the locusts have eaten away in your life. It is this one act of getting up that can change your destiny. Do not wait. Now is the time. This moment is your opportunity. Get up!
“Why are you downcast,
O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Saviour and my God”
Yeshua Messiah2
Jesus Christ3
Son of God 4
Son of Man 5
Lamb of God 6
Lion of the Tribe of Judah 7
King of Kings and Lord of Lords 8
Immanuel 9
Word of God 10
Redeemer 11
Word Made Flesh 12
Suffering Servant 13
Good Shepherd 14
Bright Morning Star 15
Prophet and Priest 16
Lily of the Valley 17
Rose of Sharon 18
Light of the World 19
Bread of Life 20
The Way, the Truth and the Life 21
The True Vine 22
The Resurrection and the Life 23
I Am 24
Altogether Lovely 25
Indescribable Gift 26
Saviour of the World 27
Firstborn from the Dead 28
Branch of the LORD 29
Wonderful Counsellor30
Mighty God30
Everlasting Father30
Prince of Peace30
Ancient of Days 31
The Holy One of Israel32
A Man of Sorrows33
The Hope of Glory 34
The Sun of Righteousness 35
Son of Abraham 36
Son of David 37
Friend of Sinners 38
Beloved 39
The Carpenter 40
Angel of His Presence 41
Horn of Salvation 42
Our Brother 43
Mediator of a Better Covenant 44
Christ the Lord 45
The Salvation of God 46
The Lord of the Sabbath 47
My Lord and my God 48
The Firstborn from the Dead 49
Wisdom of God 50
Power of God 50
Lord of Glory 51
Our Passover 52
Spiritual Rock 53
The Last Adam 54
Creator 55
Alpha and Omega 56
One Mediator between God and Men 57
Judge of the Living and the Dead 58
King of Righteousness 59
Author and Finisher of Our Faith 60
A Lamb Without Blemish or Spot 61
Living Stone 62
The Daystar 63
Word of Life 64
The Faithful Witness 65
Root of David 66
I Am . . . the Almighty 67
Lord God Omnipotent 68
The Amen 69
Jesus 70
The name of Jesus is the sure hope of salvation to all who believe in him. Jesus—the name that is above every name.
The Bible declares, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name, under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” 71
Again, the Bible says, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” 72.
Jesus also linked his name to answers to prayer. He said, “In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” 73
Finally, the Bible declares: because Jesus humbled himself, and became obedient to death—even death on a cross—God exalted him to the highest place, gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.74
One of the things that people easily forget is the fact that the name Jesus reminds us that we all need a Saviour. For this was the message that the angel gave to Joseph at the time of the birth of Jesus: “You are to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.” Yes, the coming of Jesus to this world was as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Jesus, the name that has the authority to forgive the sins of men and women. In his name repentance for the forgiveness of sins is preached to all the nations and to the ends of the world, today. Those who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.
In his name you will find pardon and forgiveness and reconciliation with God and acceptance wtih God and a home in heaven for ever and ever.
Jesus—his name is the sweetest name which you can utter on earth or in heaven time without end. Jesus, the name which rings with authority and power. There is no other name like the name of Jesus.
Therefore, to the question, “What is in a name?” the answer is, everything.
Perhaps a rose, like Shakespeare said, might still smell as sweet by another name; but life and love and peace and joy and forgiveness and healing and compassion radiates with brilliant light in the blessed name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ who bled and died on the cross for you!
Let me conclude saying there is no other name like his matchless name!
“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
— John 1:29 Bible
— 1“What’s in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.” — William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
The truth will set you free if you stop looking at your past and lost opportunities to the new thing that God is willing to do in your life.
The truth will set you free if you stop thinking that you are good enough and instead come to God realising that like everyone else you too are a sinner in need of God’s mercy.
The truth will set you free if you are ready to give up the spirit of despair you entertain in your mind and exchange it for a clothing of praise and joy that God wants to gift you with.
The truth will set you free if you are willing to believe that God invests in people who count themselves failures and will build a future for you even when others have rejected you.
The truth will set you free if you can remember that at no point in life are you outside God’s love, outside God’s reach, and outside God’s care and compassion and mighty power to help.
The truth will set you free if the only thing you have to offer God is a broken heart; the only prayer you can bring him is “Have mercy on me,” and the only promise you can make is “I love you, O God.”
The truth will set you free if you can look at the cross and see the forgiving love of God and trust that he hung there bleeding in your place and there is nothing that will separate you from his love; ever!
My best friend and I were standing outside our church premises talking. This was early 1990’s.
Sunday morning it was. Time around 11:30am. From the footpath where we stood, suddenly we saw a man walking barefoot on the tarred road.
He was lean and thin. His eyes looked fierce and piercing. He had a slight beard, face weather-beaten, and hair raven-black. He was wearing a white shirt and dhoti.
He looked like a fiery prophet of old leaping straight out of the pages of the Bible to life.
He was looking at no one and speaking to no one; but simply walking ahead on the royal highway of the Trivandrum city just in front of Museum gate near LMS Compound.
Hanging from his neck were two cardboard placards on the front and back, one in English, the other in Malayalam.
It was written in bold black thick letters:
Prepare
to meet
your God
–Amos 4:12.
It was a silent fearless proclamation of a great truth. That man is destined to die once, and after that face judgement.1
Neither the intense heat of the day nor the traffic distracted the stranger. He kept walking on and on.
Pandemic Covid-19 the likes of which the world has never seen before triggered in my mind the memory of that lone stranger walking.
I wonder how long it will be before his message becomes real; frighteningly real?
1Hebrews 9:27
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of hosts– Malachi 4:1
If you are broken in heart because of your sin, your mistakes, your failure or any other reason you can think of, come to God who will show you mercy.
If it is sin, there is a fountain of cleansing opened for you.
If it is mistakes you have made, there is with God the possibility of making good to come out of them.
It it is failure of some kind, and you are thoroughly defeated, still God will give you hope and strength to rise up.
All this because you cannot exhaust his mercy.
“O God, help me” is a prayer to which he responds with full attention.
“O God, remember me” is a cry he hears even when death is creeping in through the doors.
When you feel forsaken, rejected, alone, and having no strength to take even one more step; then cry out to God. You will find mercy.
Oh, the riches of God’s mercy! It is undeserved kindness towards us. He remembers that we are but dust and has great compassion on us.
The hands that stretched wide on the cross and bled is the surest sign of God’s great mercy to you that is wider than you can think or imagine. So come and find mercy.
Do not delay to come to God. The Bible says soon someday this world will see the wrath of God against sin and evil; and the judgement of God. Then the door of mercy will be no longer open. 1Psalm 51:1 Bible
A sunset is a beautiful moment. Watching it from the beach is lovelier still.
A sunset paints the sky a glorious canvas of blazing colours. If it isn’t God, who else can paint like this each day? I don’t know one.
A sunset can bring sadness. For it means saying goodbye, looking back at opportunities missed, and regretting words and actions that could have been avoided.
A sunset is a mystery: We standing at the edge of a ball hurtling through space at immense speed watching a ball of fire seemingly go to sleep far far away. Isn’t man truly small in this big, vast, immeasurable universe?
Finally, a sunset can remind you of dreams and visions. Centuries ago, one unforgettable dream came to a man called Jacob who rested his head on a stone pillow. He saw angels ascending and descending on a ladder resting on earth and its top reaching heaven. Above it stood the LORD.
Jesus, when he came centuries later, identified himself as that ladder Jacob saw bridging heaven and earth, God and mankind.
Next time, you watch a sunset, think of the promise that God made to Jacob that night: “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go1.” What better promise to have than God watching over you and being with you.
1Genesis 28:15 Bible
Blessed sunset and the hope it brings to our lives.
God’s love is for the whole world. It includes you, as well as me. Therefore, you can be assured you are loved.
God’s love is sacrificial. God gave his Son Jesus to shed his blood and die on the cross because of his love for you.
God’s love is a gift. The best way to respond to it is to say “thank you Lord” and accept it.
Do not tell God you are not good enough; for he knows all about you and still loves you.
God’s love brings joy and peace to your life–peace because God forgives your sins, and joy because he accepts you as his child even when you are far from perfect.
Therefore tasting God’s love should make us grow more in humility even as his love drives out fear from our hearts.
God’s love is not just about emotions. He loves you so much that he disciplines you to make you better. He doesn’t leave you to be comfortable with your sins. His love shines a penetrating light in your darkness so that you see who you really are and what God wants you to be.
Finally, there is no place on earth where you are outside the love of God. His love is long, wide, and deep, it is higher than you can reach.
Today, you can open up your heart to God’s love for he has said, “I have loved you with an everlasting love!”
A tree has always been a symbol of life. It has become more so after Jesus died on a wooden cross.
Peter, the foremost disciple of Jesus, comments: “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree.”
The precious blood that flowed from his body brings forgiveness of sins, peace with God, and unending life to those who believe in him. The wounds of his body bring us healing.
On the cross he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows. He became a curse for us to save us from all evil. For it was God’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer that we might have life, and have it to the full.
His light guided people to a change of heart and inspired them to move away from sinful living. He came to set people free from what held them in slavery and bondage.
His light made people aware of who God really is like. Not as One against them but as their Father in heaven who desired to forgive them and rebuild their lives!
In spite of shining God’s love in the lives of people, he was despised, hated and rejected. And while he who created light lay bleeding on the cross the sun stopped shining and darkness came over the whole land.2
But then his light burst forth with great joy when he rose up again alive from the dead. And he lives forever. And he upholds you each day in prayer before God and his throne of grace.
“But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap about like calves released from the stall (Malachi 4:2 Bible NIV 1984).”
Joy is more than happiness. While a lot of good things make us happy; joy is not attached to things or achievements.
This is because joy is a God-given gift. It is an outflow of what God is. He is full of joy.
Well, that itself should surprise you with joy. More so, because he desires that you have joy in life; and not just happiness.
Joy can bring health to your internally. It can bring healing to you as much as medicines can.
Joy looks forward to long-term goals with hope instead of looking at present day difficulties and giving up in despair.
Joy is not limited. The best example is the angelic announcement to shepherds at the first Christmas. He said, “I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people.”1
Joy is easily lost if we allow the worries of life, wrong habits, and relationship problems to choke it in our hearts.
But joy can bubble forth and flow over when you are at peace with God, having your sins forgiven, and enjoying friendship with him.
Finally, joy is found in prayer. It is God’s promise. So just walk up to God, talk with him, unburden yourself, and carry back his joy with you.
Thank you dear teacher for your farewell wishes to our batch.
It was not only a bouquet of love but also words that set our hearts ablaze with hope to face life ahead with courage in such uncertain times.
Looking back, there are two magnificent things I like to highlight: One, our batch always was like family. Two, the blessing of having such wonderful teachers who not only taught us well but cared for us individually.
These two things made the four years of our life on campus memorable and a period in life that we all will cherish for an entire lifetime.
I stand here with a heart full of emotions. I have stood here to speak many times before; but never had thought that this moment would come so soon.
Life forward is going to be exciting, adventurous, and dreams come true. But saying goodbye is tough. It is not the buildings, not the events, and certainly not the journeyings that we will miss.
Yes, there is something more dear teachers and students-It’s the bond of love and friendship that we have built that will remain and pass the test of time.
But now, in a few hours time, we walk away from this Campus with a heart full of memories spiced with gratitude to God for the blessing of the opportunity of having been part of this Campus and Alma Mater.
I believe, that as our Principal had exhorted us the first day in our college, we have left this place a better place than when we came in.
I wish to place on record our heartfelt thanks to our Respected Principal, and beloved teachers for their guidance and blessings and for shining a light on our paths.
Thank you dear friends for your unique contribution in all activities that we enjoyed doing together.
Regrets are there in every life. Wasted years can be one of them. There is no point looking back and crying over all that was lost.
What you need now is a promise of hope. There is Someone who can enter into your past and bring meaning out of time lost, opportunities gone by, and mistakes made.
You need not worry how God does it. He has promised that if you seek him with all your heart and you turn away from wrong ways and habits in your life he will draw near to you.
Patiently, lovingly, and with a firm hand of discipline, he will taken the broken pieces of your life and stitch, merge, fuse, and mould them together. It might retain the scars of the past. But now the difference will be that they too make the design of your life beautiful.
But believe it or not, you need to yield the control of your life over to him. Unless invited to take over the driver’s seat, God won’t step in.
At times, you might feel like advising him what to do. Avoid this backseat driving tendency. Ah, it takes time and many failures and mistakes to learn that he knows what he is doing.
My dear friend, God loves you. He simply won’t give up on you. He is concerned for you. He will not forget you.
