No Strings Attached

In a world of hidden clauses where so many shy away from commitment, it is not uncommon to hear advertisers lure prospective customers with phrases like “No questions asked” “No strings attached”. In fact, there is even a cool way of saying “No Strings Attached”; it’s NSA! The urban dictionary defines “No strings Attached” as being in a relationship with someone, while still dating other people,  so there is no anxiety of worrying about where he or she is,  or what they are doing.

Against the background of the foregoing, when we hear the bible say  “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deuteronomy 6:5), we are tempted to say “God, you ask for too much!” Yet God does not hold back in His affection towards us. 

God loves us extravagantly, He is lavish in grace!  He expresses His total commitment to us when He says “I will never leave you or forsake you!” Before Dolly Parton or Whitney Houston ever voiced the song “I will always love you” God had those words penned down "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness" (Jeremiah 31:3). Actually, the contemporary English version of the bible simply says "I will always love you!" 

The famous television talk/game show host, Steve Harvey, had his family show up on set some time ago as a surprise for his birthday. The children all talked emotionally about how much their dad had done for them, but the one kid that blew my mind was the one who with trembling lips thanked Steve Harvey for giving him his name to bear.  1^st John 3:1 puts it this way; “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding (Ephesians 1:8).

When Joshua was afraid to take a step forward in leadership, God reassured Joshua that He’s got his back; "Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you"(Deuteronomy 31:6). How many times have we longed to hear such reassurances from a man and never got it? Even when man  promises, he may fail us, but with God we have a rock solid anchor where we can rest our hearts.

What can we give to a God who has given us everything? In the closing words of a famous hymn, When I survey the Wondrous Cross,  by Isaac Watts, this worshiper writes; “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all!” Only after we give it all in our relationship with the Lord can we really begin to find true meaning, purpose, and fulfillment in our relationship with others.

 “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself” (Luke 10:27)

The House of Obed-edom

The Ark Of The Covenant

 The first time I read about King David’s attempt to bring the ark of God to Jerusalem, I was perplexed and deeply troubled. The Bible says Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God (the symbol of God’s presence) and took hold of the ark to steady it because the oxen nearly upset it. The anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down for his irreverent act; he died right there by the ark of God (2 Samuel 6:6-7).

David was angry because of the Lord's outburst against Uzzah. Unwilling to go further with the ark, he set it aside to the home of Obed-edom, the Gittite. I was kind of offended too; until I found out in God’s word that He had laid out a detailed instruction on how His ark was to be carried (Number 1:51). David got a re-do and did it right the next time. He was so happy, he danced himself out of his clothes!

As wonderful as that story is, David is not the object of my focus today. I am looking at Obed-edom, the man who received the ark of God into His house when even the King was scared of the “killer ark.” If Obed-edom’s children were as inquisitive and as adventurous as most children are, there was every possibility that they would touch the ark, they could get killed too! But this man, helpless to defend himself against the king’s verdict, trusted himself and his family to the mercy of the God who could kill and make alive; the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob!

God shined His face on Obed-edom. In three months, God so blessed the house of Obed-edom, that even the King was envious of him! I wonder what kind of a blessing that must have been. I don’t know! What I do know was that it was a tangible blessing, a visible blessing, and the prosperity that surpassed the wealth of a palace!

Obed-edom accepted the Lord and brought Him home with him. Would you accept the Lord in your life today? Would you carry His presence into your home and give Him a revered and honored place in your family? God wants to be more than just “the silent listener to every conversation” in your home. He wants you to allow Him influence your words, your actions, everything! If you do, He will bless you with such blessings that money cannot buy. Such blessings that made King David green with envy!

“The blessings of the Lord maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it” (Proverbs 10:22).

A Tribute to Mothers

 

 

 My Mother’s Well

Long  Ago, in the little village where I grew

Before the bore holes or city water came through

We learned to celebrate the blessings of nature

The sun’s glow, the earth’s rain, God’s own signature

My mother’s well would fill up with water,

Slowly diminishing as the sun grew hotter

But it was no secret among those who lived in the hood

My mother’s water lasted longer than others could

One hot sunny afternoon a neighbor’s child walked up my yard

In the hope that he would draw from the little water we had

I looked at the well, drying daily at the sun’s heat

Soon I’ll be searching for water way down the street

Then I told my mother we would have to stop the giving,

Otherwise, how else would we be living?

She shook her head, smiled with love, and looked at me squarely   

“Not so my son, not so my son” she said in a voice that spoke clearly

“Water is a gift from God, without it all life will die”

“We will give until we run out,  when we stop they’ll know why"

“What if we turn them back now, and on their way God sends His rain?”

“Then every opportunity for kindness would be gone down the drain!"

The lesson in kindness I learned from my Mom that day

remains in me to this very day!

“A virtuous woman who can find? She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness” (Proverbs 31: 10, 26).

There's Nothing like a Mother's Love!

Welcome

We are all products of a relationship; in the natural as well as the supernatural. Somewhere in the sands of time, a man met a woman, and by the reason of the interaction that took place between them, you were born, in the physical.

If you are born again, you came out of a love relationship between God and the world that He loved so much, He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

Relationships are the fine fabrics that weave our lives together. We interact with family members, friends, brethren in God’s family, colleagues at work, and many others that God brings our way in the path of life. Think about it; weather you realize it or not, your life is impacted by people every day, just as much as you impact the lives of others.

The meditations of your heart, your smile, the words you say or do not say, your body language, your attitude, all come to bear in charting the course of your day. What you  do with the actions of others, the words spoken to you (or even the unspoken words), the hugs, the handshake, the compliment, or the lack of it may set the tone for the next couple of hours or  days  of your life. 

You  may be stuck at a point for years or soar to your highest potential  because of the words or actions of some body else.

If my interactions are that important in making me who I am, it becomes critical that I pay attention to the relationships in my life, and have a plan to build and to preserve those affiliations that enable me to fulfill my God-given purpose here on earth.

It is to this intent that I begin this blog and reach out to touch someone who is determined to build and to preserve, living a full and robust life, and leaving a legacy behind; a joy of many generations!

"For every house is built by someone but the builder of all things is God"(Hebrews 3:4)