LOVE IS THE TRUE RELIGION

In the book Mark chapter 10 verse 17 to 27, we are told of the story of the rich and the kingdom of God. The rich man wanted to enter the kingdom of God but he wasn’t willing to part away with his wealth. He obeyed the commandments of God and he was righteous but he worshipped his wealth. When you give to the poor you are giving to God. If you didn’t do these for the least of these then you didn’t do it for me. (Matthew 25: 40). This scripture tells us that when wealth is given to us by our Father, we are supposed to share it with the underprivileged.

 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.  Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. (1Timothy 6:17-19)

 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. ( James 1:27)

THE SAMARIAN WOMAN AT THE WELL

The Samaritan Woman at the Well

In John Chapter four, there was an account of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus asked for a drink of water from the Samaritan woman. The woman was surprised that a Jew could ask a Samaritan for a drink, for Jews did not associate with Samaritans at that time. A conversation then followed between Jesus and the Samaritan woman. Jesus answered her in verse ten that if you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and He would have given you living water. Jesus told her later on that everyone who drinks water from the well will be thirsty again but whoever drinks the water He gives them will never thirst. He concluded by saying that the water will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life. The woman then asked Jesus for His water. The woman was truthful to Jesus when he asked about her husband. It was shameful to be married five times at that time and still be unmarried. However, the woman was very truthful despite her shame. She came to Jesus in truth; just as she was. In verse 23 to 24 Jesus said “yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit and His worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth”.

When praying to our Father in heaven, irrespective of our shame, we must come to God in prayer, just as we are from a sincere heart. There should be no cover ups just like the Samaritan woman who laid it all bare at Jesus’ feet in order to get living water. For this is the kind of worshipers that God wants.

THE WIDOW'S MITE

In Mark 12: 41-44, we are told of the story of the widow who gave out all she had into the temple treasury. In monetary value, she gave just two coins but to Jesus, she gave the greatest. Out of her poverty, she sacrificed everything she had for the kingdom of God. Was she not thinking of saving the money for her basic needs?  She put the kingdom first, by observing God’s greatest commandment which is Love the lord your God, with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and love your neighbour as yourself.(Luke 10:27) The money might be used for the poor like herself which is the love she has shown to people. “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen”. (1 John 4:20)

She also put her faith in Matthew 6:33-34 when dropping those last two coins. Which reads “but seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Finally, she set her mind on things above and not on earthly things. (Colossians 3:2)

IT CAME IN A PACKAGE

I had made earlier arrangements for a taxi driver to pick me to work since there was no bus service where I lived. On that fateful day, I called the taxi driver telling him to pick me up. He answered by saying that he couldn’t make it. What a disappointment? I didn’t know what to do; the time was too short for me to make another arrangement so I decided to walk out of the house hoping I may find an empty taxi. As I was about to cross the road, I saw a taxi far off. So I waited for it to draw near. As it drew near, I realized that the taxi was empty, and then I stopped the car. I politely asked the driver whether it could take me to where I was going, he replied in the affirmative. As I sat down in the car, I asked the driver whether he normally came this way. He said; no madam, I just took this turn not knowing why. I said quietly to myself, God thank you. So we engaged in a conversation and he told me about a two bedroom house he was looking for someone to rent. I have been looking for an apartment, I told him. Guess what, the house was so close to my place of work and the price was very low compared to other two bedroom houses. To crown it all, my taxi fares were also off. Sometimes, things that we think are disappointments are actually blessings in disguise.

A CONTRITE HEART

I gave my curriculum vitae to a woman who was in a capacity to give me a job. She promised, she will call me immediately she got home. I waited and waited for six months for her call. I was getting frustrated and I was tired of waiting. So I knelt down on my knees helplessly and prayed to God. I acknowledged the fact that it was God who will help me and not her after all. A day after, I received a call from her, saying she never looked at my curriculum vitae until yesterday.  She gave me a job offer which was a perfect fit for me. God indeed answered my prayer when I came to Him with a contrite heart.

 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
 My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2