On Intersections Between Strong & Weak (A 2012 Musing)






[Image by Lucy James Photography on Flickr]

An Intersection between Strong & Weak is actually between Sweet & Bitter. Two polar opposites. Two extreme roads, one narrow, the other wide. Two arrows, one bent, the other straight. Two diversions. Two different choices. Two peas in a pod, one dark, the other bright. Two separate lives. Two characters. Two split personalities. Two roads to take but only one choice.

There's a secret I'd like to share with you-- When the year 2012 arrives in all its majesty and splendour, you will (consciously or unconsciously) have to choose between being tenacious (strong) or lax (weak). So tell me, dear friend, which road would you find yourself taking when you get to this intersection? Strong or weak?

More than 2000 years ago, God bestowed an unusual strength upon a guy who grew to be tall, good-looking, and fully endowed with his daring dreadlocks and almost arrogant well-defined muscles. The Talk of the Town indeed. Who didn't know him? There was no one who couldn't tell of his great exploits. Even foreigners were very much aware.

His unusual strength was given to him for a reason-- that he should deliver the Israelites out of the hand of the Philistines, so that the children of Israel could once again feel God's presence and know that He was indeed their protector and Father. So God chose a barren womb to bring forth a hero. His name was Samson, and at some point in his life (let's call it an intersection), he had to choose between Strength and Weakness.

See, he was born to be set apart. Called a Nazirite from the womb, he was destined to be holy by staying away from wine or grape juice, and fresh grapes or raisins (anything that was plucked from a grape-vine). He was also not to shave the hair on his head or go near a dead body. (References: Judges 13 & Numbers 7). But one sad day he defied destiny by eating honey out of the mouth of the carcass of a lion, he who was supposed to stay away from the dead. From that day, it seemed as if his life went on a downward spiral. He kept getting caught in the wrong places and with the wrong women who tempted him, and in the process lost his dignity and was captured by the Philistines. Sadly, the Bible says in verse 20 of Judges 16, "But he did not know the Lord had departed from him."

So he was plunged into captivity where he became a DISGRACE and a scornful topic in front of the Philistines who he was supposed to be defeating. But here's the thing, even in captivity he made a very important choice between strength and weakness, and in the last few hours of his life he called out to God, "O, Lord God, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines."

And with his last breath, He pushed the pillars of the building in which he was chained, taking down about three thousand men and women (Philistines) in the process. It was recorded that Samson took out more enemies at his death than when he was alive. What a triumph.

YOUR OWN STORY:

Now, your own story will be different and more triumphant than Samson's, in Jesus' Name. No, you will not go before your time.

The point is that today I encourage you to choose STRENGTH in 2012. No matter what circumstances have come your way in 2011, whenever you stand at the intersection between Strong & Weak, choose STRENGTH.

Choose strength. Choose victory. With one blow, defeat failure. Even if you failed at something in 2011, remember that the Word of God says, "For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again," (Proverbs 24:16). Also remember the Word that says, "Through the Lord's mercies, we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning, great is Your faithfulness," (Lamentations 3:22-23). It is never the end of the battle until the victory is won. So dear friends, aim for the crown in 2012. It is yours for the taking. Isaiah 61 prophesied about Jesus saying, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon [Him], because the Lord has anointed [Him]...to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." Any year can be your acceptable year if you believe. 2012 can be your acceptable year. Because Jesus was born, you are free to take the victory. Because of Him, you can start afresh because of God's grace. Sin no longer has any hold on you because He bore your sins when he died on the cross. Because He chose to be strong for you, you can also choose to be strong today. And whatever you believe by faith will be yours.

Please, when you stand at the intersection of Strong & Weak in this new year, tell me you will choose STRENGTH and defy all odds.

God bless you, readers. HAPPY NEW YEAR...and looking forward to writing again in 2012. May God strengthen you with His own strength in 2012, and may you never give up because He has not yet given up on you. Would love to read from you in the comments, and until 2012...Ciao!!! Choose strength :)

He Sees The Depths of Your Nakedness, So Run to Him






[Image by Jean Goff on Flickr]
"People! Come and see. Please, I beg you. Listen to me," she screamed. She wasn't yelling to anyone in particular, but to everyone who dared to stop and listen.

It was a busy market-place, oh yes, she knew. But what had happened to her only minutes ago had compelled her to discard all sense of reason.

She halted every worry about the way she looked some miles before she got here. Crazy hair, sweaty face. No longer did she care about appearing delusional. She just kept running, loose, wild, and free like a mad woman. "Quick," she told herself. "Faster." She wanted to tell everyone the news. Lost her pair of bathroom slippers in the process, but she didn't care. Couldn't find her scarf, so she allowed the wind to blow through her naked brown strands of hair, plunging them into mad cascades down her back.

"Believe me when I tell you this," she screamed again. "He saw my nakedness." Maybe no one stopped to listen because not one of them understood what she meant by nakedness.

"No, no. I don't mean my body. I mean he told me everything I've ever done. Secrets about my life. And not just that, He has given me what no one else can ever give me. Living water. Come and see this man."

One young boy finally stopped to listen. Then an old woman. Suddenly, at the mention of her nakedness, people began to stop to listen. And one by one she told them what had happened at the well...

(true story told in the form of fiction)

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Nakedness is the very essence of you. No clothes. No coverings. No false appearances. Nothing of that sort. I tell you, your nakedness reveals you just as you are. In your birthday suit- the way you were born.

Let's look at two instances of nakedness.

#1. When Adam and Eve sinned, they realized the essence of their nakedness. So it was that when God came to walk with them, as He usually did in the cool of the evening, they ran away from Him because they knew He'd see right through to the depths of their essence. So they decided to flee, shameful of what they had done.

#2. The woman at the well, hers was a different story. She did not feel judged when Jesus saw her sin, instead she felt His love when He offered her rivers of living water. (Full story in John Chapter 4).

What was the difference between these two instances? In the first, nakedness brought guilt, but in the second, it exposed love. Jesus came to redeem us from the judgment nakedness reveals. His salvation tore the curtains of the temple so that you can run into the Holy of Holies. No longer do we need an intermediary, He has carried the burdens of our nakedness to the Father, and we are now the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. In other words, when God looks at your nakedness today (your mistakes, your sins), He sees Jesus on the cross. He sees His Son's righteousness.

He sees everything you've ever done since the day you were born till this very hour. He sees you when you wake up in the morning, to when you sleep at night. He sees you as you read this blog. He sees your sins. He sees your struggles. He sees your determination and accomplishments. But more than that, He sees your VICTORY in Christ.

So, today...please run to Him. Yes, even because He sees your nakedness. Don't hide in the bushes, you cannot hide from God. Run to Him. He is merciful. His hands are waiting to embrace you. Run to Him. He is the Father of the Prodigals. Run to Him. He is the redemption for your naked sins. Run to Him. He is the source of living water. What man cannot tell you, He will tell you about yourself. What man cannot do for you, He will do for you.

There's no longer the need to run away. Jesus has paid a very dear price for you. You can now run to Him when He sees your nakedness, not away from Him. That's what the woman at the well was trying to tell the people.

Question for the Day: Have you ever considered running to someone who sees and knows everything about you (and who genuinely loves you)? God does, so run to Him first. I Love you readers, but God loves you more. Looking forward to reading from you in the "comments." Happy 1st of December. New month, new beginnings :)