My Ruby dawg was half dead when she first came home. But she did and from the moment she got healthy, although she had no one to teach her, she always knew how to look after herself unlike my clueless man child. Nature and animals respond beautifully when God speaks to them but man doesn’t (Jer 8:7 & 10:12-13).

Man likes listening to his wisdom that asks him to put his trust in things he can do. In Jeremiah’s time, man thought the money he had invested in the temple would save him (Jer 7:4-11). In Jesus’s time too. (Matt 21:12-13). In our time too, this continues.

God isn’t interested in such work that proceeds from deceitful hearts, that have taught mouths to lie. He wants work from circumcised hearts, sensitive to His voice (Jer 7:28 & 9:5-6).

Has church work drowned out His still, quiet voice? Has the thrill of Bible study made our ears stiff with judgemental, spiritual pride that stops us hearing His voice? Are we doing what we think is correct instead of listening to His guiding voice? Do we forgive when needed, help when needed or go the extra mile when needed?

Or do we listen to our wisdom and hurry away like the Priest and the Levite in Luke 10? Time to ponder anew. Stay blessed.

Adeline Albert

It all started in a manger greatness was born from humble beginnings *The birth of Christ resembles greatness, how we start should never determine how we end * What God has for you is for you* Compliments of the season may your latter be better, greater and glorier than your past.

Thus says the Lord:
“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;

But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord.

Jeremiah 9:23, 24
We serve a God who shows and exercises loving kindness, judgement and righteousness in the earth. The above scripture portion tells us that if anyone glories, let him glory in that he understands and knows God.

The most precious thing on the face of this earth is to know, love, follow and serve God ( no Jesus no peace, know Jesus know peace ). The day we are saved and born again our story simply ends and the story of Jesus in and through us begins in our lives. Many know God, but they don’t give Him the first place in their lives, they give the first place to career, business, finances and family ( God first, family next and career and business last ). It is good to have all these, but all these should not take the first place in our lives. God should be our priority and He should be given prominence in every area of our life. If we give Him the first place in our lives then everything will come searching for us and get added to us.

The secret to succeed in life is to give God the first place in every area of our lives. There are many sucess stories in the Bible where men and women of God have attained great success in their lives, because they gave God the first place in their lives. Jacob was blessed by God in his mothers womb itself, he didn’t knew and his mother didn’t tell him about he being blessed, he went around cheating ( own father and brother not outsiders )for his blessing. In the end he realised that if he had God and His blessings on his side he need not run around cheating people for his blessings, he realised that he should be blessed by God, so he fought with God saying “I will not let You go until You bless me “and he was blessed indeed, limping limping he went into Egypt with his family of seventy and after four hundred and thirty years they came out as a great nation of Israel. Jacob’s cheating habits and wisdom didn’t give him success, but God’s grace gave him success.

Moses was chosen by God to deliver the children of Israel from bondage. God used him mightily by performing great miracles, signs and wonders through him. The secret of Moses success was God and Him alone he said ” I will not move forward until Your presence goes with me “. Moses success story was not in the rod or staff that he carried nor in his strength, but in the God that he worshipped.

David a man after God’s own heart was anointed to be the king of Israel, when Goliath was standing and cursing before him, David didn’t speak about his strength or wisdom, he spoke about the living God he said to Goliath ” you come to me with a sword, with a spear and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel. One small sling shot Goliaths story simply ended and Davids success story began. David success was not in the sling, nor the stone and not even in his strength, but in the living God.

Many could not fulfill their destiny in God, because they didn’t give God the first place in their lives. Saul was anointed by God to be the king of Israel, but in the end he left God and ran after medium spirits, his kingdom was taken away and given to David and he ended up taking his life with his own hands.

Judas Iscariot was one of the disciples of Jesus and he was the chief treasurer in His ministry. Like all the other disciples of Jesus even he had the power and authority to perform miracles, signs and wonders, but he didn’t use it ( you lose what you don’t claim and practice ). The other disciples of Jesus used this power and authority given to them they shook the whole world and turned it upside down for Jesus and they are remembered in and for eternity. Judas didn’t give Jesus and His power and authority the first place in his life, he gave importance to silver, he sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver and ended up taking his own life with his own hands, had he asked Jesus the creator of gold, silver and precious stones for some silver, He would have given him loads of silver along with gold and precious stones.

If we want to be blessed by God we should let go of our strength, wisdom and pride. We should learn to depend on God for anything and everything and give Him the first place in our lives only then we will be successful. Abraham was promised and blessed by God to be the father of many nations. Sarah tried to help God by introducing Hagar to Abraham and he brought forth Ishmael through her. God didn’t approve of him, so Abraham let him go and then only God turned Abraham into father of many nations through Isaac, had Abraham held on to Ishmael God wouldn’t have turned him into a father of many nations. Sometimes our strength, wisdom, pride, career, business and finances turns out to be a blessing blocker in our lives. It blocks the blessings of God in our lives, so we must let it go ( if God asks, not everyone, not all the time) and then we will see the blessings of God manifest in our lives.

Beloved give God the first place in every area of your life and see Him taking you to such heights, places and glory that you would have never dreamt or imagined.

But he who glories, let him glory in the Lord.

2 Corinthians 10:17
Heavenly Father thank You for the word, give us the grace to give You the first place in every area of our lives and to depend on You for anything and everything. Lord take away every blessing blocker in our lives which stops us from receiving the fulness of Your blessing. Lord give us the grace not to boast about anything in our lives except the name of Jesus and let the fulness of Your blessing manifest in each and everyone’s life in Jesus name we ask and pray.
Amen and Amen.
God loves you
Blessings

Alfred Joseph
Hyderabad Telangana India
[email protected].