MARKED: What Does it Mean to be Marked by God?

What Does it Mean to be Marked by God?*

When I pondered the word "marked," I searched for a perfect definition. I found various meanings, including distinguished characteristics, chosen, and graded. However, the archaic meaning of "marked" as "attention" resonated deeply with me.

Attention from God.

In God's word, Psalm 67 says:

God, mark us with grace and blessing! Smile!

The whole country will see how you work,

all the godless nations see how you save.

God! Let people thank and enjoy you.

Let all people thank and enjoy you.

Let all far-flung people become happy and shout their happiness

because You judge them fair and square,

you tend the far-flung people.

God! Let people thank and enjoy you.

Let all people thank and enjoy you.

Earth, display your exuberance!

You mark us with blessing, O God, our God.

You mark us with blessing, O God.

Earth's four corners - honor him!

At first, the psalmist had the posture of asking or inquiring, but when the psalmist got to verses 6 and 7, he acknowledged that he had already been marked by God. God has marked us with His blessing. We have the full attention of the Almighty God, and that means He has placed us on the spot to showcase His glory and God never forgets those He marks.

Because we have been marked, we are not just mere mortals. When we wake up each day, we should step out with the full consciousness and confidence of one God has specifically distinguished for grace and blessing. The enemy does not dictate our lives, but our detailed lives have been written out by God, and He said we are marked.

Trusting in God's Promises

Even in difficult circumstances, we can trust in God's promises. After getting up from bed and seeing the number of bills that I was stuck with, the groceries were out and I was low on cash, yes I became low on emotional support, but God reminded me that I am marked for His blessing and grace. He placed a word in my heart for that moment. 

The miracle is not just in the plenty but also in the little.

Our declaration to God each day is: "You mark us with blessing, O God, our God." 

And beloved you have God's full attention. 

Stay Revived!

Finding Comfort in times of Distress, God answers to our deepest troubles.

GOD ANSWERS: You will Not Be Ashamed. 

"God has an answer for every question or feeling that our heart ponders." This statement has become a cliché among religious people. However, I recently found myself questioning its validity.

Last week, two significant events occurred that brought this question to my heart. A family friend called, devastated because her father, who had been ill, had just passed away. Later that evening, I saw that a younger age mate had gotten married. Slowly, I became sad, not because I envied them, but because I felt God did as He pleased. Why couldn't He prevent bad events, and why was it taking so long for me to achieve my goals in my life_?

Finding Comfort in God's Word

I blurted out at that moment, "Let the _rapture_ just take place." Living had become a burden, and I felt overwhelmed by my _everyday living struggles_. But then, I felt a cooked-up feeling eating away at my heart.

The next day, during _prayer and devotion_, the Lord led me to Isaiah 54. I felt the Lord speaking directly to my heart:

Isaiah 54:1 (MSG) - "Sing, barren woman, who has never had a baby. Fill the air with song, you who've never experienced childbirth! You're ending up with far more children than all those childbearing women."

God says so!

The day before, I felt ashamed because I had, in my sense, achieved nothing. I had only counted my losses and not seen the good things the Lord had done. But then, I read 

Isaiah 54:4 (MSG) - "Don't be afraid - you're not going to be embarrassed...Don't hold back - you're not going to come up short."

At that moment, I strongly related to the plight of the widow. Something we hold dear or consider of great importance has been taken away, or our life is far away from our expectations. We consider hiding in shame, scared of hearing our voice because we're afraid it might betray our inadequacies.

But the Lord has come to say to us, "You are not going to be embarrassed. Don't be afraid." Everything can happen, but you won't know shame. Your business might have crumbled, but you won't know shame. Your marriage might have failed, but you won't know shame.

The indignities that came with that "widowhood" will be forgotten, and all the humiliation will fade from your memory. Your maker is all out for you. God answers, and the answer for you is that you will not be ashamed.

Stay Revived!

By Guest writer

Trusting the Process: Finding Blessings in Unexpected Ways"

"Ugh, my legs are shaking. Another stressful day at work, and I've been unable to catch the bus home for over two hours now. I've been stuck in the same spot, waiting. I'm exhausted, hungry, and too tired to talk.

What's funny is that I stopped to use the restroom by the mall while heading to the park. Imagine if I hadn't done that and spent two hours waiting for a ride on a journey that should only take an hour and a half! It's almost the end of the year, and I thought traffic would be lighter, but no, it seems to have gotten worse coupled with the hours I spent waiting for the bus, there was still traffic. I've never had such a hard time finding a bus before. All I could see were cars going a quarter of the distance I needed to go. I knew that at this rate, I was going to end up paying more than I expected.

I kept mumbling some words of prayer, and then, to the glory of God, a car came by, heading halfway to my destination. I hopped in. When I got in, the driver said he was going to my location, and he called some others because he thought he wouldn’t find passengers at that time.

In those waiting seasons, what do you do? Do all the options seem like the right choice just to get out of that season?

Maybe the answers we’re looking for won’t come the way we expect.

Maybe God is teaching us to take our eyes off the challenge for a while and see how we can find the same answers through a different channel. Yeah, maybe God is teaching us something, and everything will turn out well in His way and in His time.

Romans 8:28 (NIV): "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

God decided when to create us and when to bring us into the world. He decides where He takes believers at each point in time based on our obedience to His instructions. Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."

That means, based on His word, He will never take us to a place where we will be frustrated. The waiting might be tiring, and it may feel like nothing is happening, but we don’t need to understand how He will bring the blessings we desire. We just need to trust the process and His ability to make it happen."

Beauty from the Shadows: Finding Faith in Distress

Have you ever felt like God is distant, unresponsive, or even uncaring? You're not alone. I have struggled with feelings of anger, bitterness, and disappointment towards God, especially during times of distress.

"I became offended with God," a friend shared. "After years, I stopped praying and talking to Him. Like, how could He allow me to lose my parents after all our commitments to Him?"

What do we do with our pain? 

What do we do with our grief? 

How about those moments when it seems as if God is so far away, but we need Him to be near to take all our problems away?

The Bible offers guidance on this. In 2 Corinthians 7:10, Paul writes:

"Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back on the way to salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets."

When the Bible describes going to God with our distress bringing us salvation, it highlights peace in storm, provision in lack, safety in the face of danger, direction in moments when we feel so lost, and several other feelings that tend to snatch us from God's hand. 

The Enemy's Tactics

The enemy knows that to waiver our faith and trust in God, he must bring up human feelings that leave us questioning God's ability to care for us or if God has always been there for us.

But here's the truth: God cares about you. He wants to take care of you and see to it that you do not lose your faith. Even in distress, God is near.

So, what can you do today? Bring your distress to God. Share your pain, your grief, and your fears with Him. He wants to carry you through it. We serve a God who wants to be the shoulder we lean on. 

 Remember that God is always near, even in the darkest moments.

Stay Revived!