Who is God to You?

After reading the Book of Ezekiel, I discovered that Ezekiel frequently referred to God as the Sovereign Lord. This revelation led me to notice the many other instances throughout Scripture where God's sovereignty is mentioned.

For example, in Ezekiel 45:9:
“This is what the Sovereign LORD says: You have gone far enough, princes of Israel..."

And in Amos 4:7:
“This is what the Sovereign LORD showed me: The Sovereign LORD was calling for judgment by fire; it dried up the great deep and devoured the land.”

To be sovereign means to be in charge, to be the ruler. As I reflect on this, I've come to realize that often, when God is encountered in the Bible, people tend to name Him based on what He did or the circumstances in which He appeared. For instance, when Hagar called God the EL-Roi, she did so after feeling unseen and neglected in Abraham's household as a slave. After she ran away, the Lord spoke to her, asking her to return. In that moment, Hagar realized that she was not just a pawn in Sarah's plan, but that everything was part of God's greater purpose. She named God El-Roi, meaning "The God Who Sees Me."

This made me reflect on a question that I would like to share with you today: Who is God to you? What have you experienced that has led you to call Him by a particular name? For example, if you call God your help, how has He helped you in a way that makes you identify Him as your Helper? Or are you calling Him that simply because someone else does?

When we begin to meditate on the little ways the Lord works in our lives, we start to recognize His sovereignty. God deals with each of us uniquely in ways that cannot be compared to anyone else's experience. Some may see Him as their Helper, others as their Ever-Present Help, and still others as their Healer and Restorer.

So, who is God to you? What is it that you can't live without, the thing that sustains you and enables your survival? God is calling us to trust His sovereignty in our lives, so that we may experience Him personally and truly come to understand who He is.

Stay revived!

The World's Light

If I had the chance to choose the kind of life I wanted, I would opt for one with no battles to fight, just a smooth ride. There are moments when I look at the lives and celebrations of acquaintances and wonder, "What effort has this person put in to achieve this victory or beauty?" Not because I wish them ill or have bad intentions, but because I'm curious.

As I study the story of the blind man, I begin to wonder how he lived with his impairment and accepted it. What thoughts did he have about his disability? The fact that his disability was regarded as a reward for being born in sin by passersby and members of the synagogue is heartbreaking.

But here's what God says to us: "Situation is for my workings to be displayed." Just like Jesus declared, we also say that as long as we are in the world, we are the world's light (John 9:5). So, even if my situation remains challenging, I am committed to God that His light will be manifested through me.

The place where the enemy thinks we will let go of God is precisely the point where God wants to prevail. It's easy to trust God when everything is going well in our lives, but how do we feel when the miracle we've been praying for is achieved by someone who doesn't seem to be working as hard for God as we are?

Jesus says, "As long as I am in the world, I am the world's light." It doesn't matter what situation we find ourselves in; as long as Jesus can be seen through it, that's all that matters. We realize that every situation is an opportunity for God's workings to be displayed.

We don't cast blame, we don't focus on cause and effect, and we don't look at our hopes, which might be dwindling. Instead, we look at the light God is willing to shine in those moments. Jesus took the blind eyes of the man born blind and shone His light through him. And when He speaks of us shining our light, He does this shining in us and through us.

We choose Jesus and believe that We are the World's Light. 

Stay Revived!

Jesus at the Center.

Who is at the center of your life? Who runs your life? Who guides your path?

It's easy to say that God is our everything, but does He truly occupy the central place in our lives?

When I began to meditate on whether Christ is truly my everything, I reflected on how I had addressed and reacted to various issues, challenges, despair, fears, hopes, and dreams.

Having fears is natural, and feeling doubtful can seem easier, especially when faced with setbacks. However, Christ does one thing: He rolls our lives forward.

I've witnessed Him do this in my own life, rolling my life forward step by step, and filling me with hope and confidence.

Initially, I had desired a dramatic, rollercoaster-like movement, but He chose to work differently.

I often share a part of my story from 2024, which marked the beginning of my hope story. That year, I faced attacks on my mental health, finances, family, and job, and it seemed as though the crises kept piling up.

Doubts about God's goodness arose, my hope wavered, and anxiety intensified. Yet, amidst these battles, I found God, and I heard His voice.

God gave me a message of hope and a victory song. Although I have been a Christian for a long time, I recently made a conscious decision to make God the center of my life.

God desires to be the One revolving our lives. As the Psalmist said in Psalm 16:8, "I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken."

The Psalmist came to understand that when God runs our lives, stability is assured. His eyes were fixed on God, and God took the central place, plotting every angle of his life accurately.

A few weeks after crossing over into the new year, my sister shared with me, "I don't know why, but I have so much hope about 2025. God has told me that it will be the year of settlements."

That word has continued to resonate in my heart, and 2025 has felt like a gift package from God. This package is still being unveiled by Him.

So I ask you, beloved, will you make God the center of your life? God plots the best engineering graph, and imagine when He takes the compass of your life and creates beauty out of it.

Like David, we can say, "I have made God the center of my life," and with Him by our side, we will not be shaken.

Stay revived!

You Cannot Hide from God: A Lesson from Jonah

 As I studied the book of Jonah, a song my mom often sings came to mind. It goes, "You cannot hide from God, you cannot hide from wherever you go, whatever you do, you cannot hide from God. His eyes are fixed on you."

It's fascinating how, at times, we believe we can hide from God. This was exactly what Jonah thought when the Lord gave him a specific instruction. Jonah was told to deliver a warning to the people of Nineveh because of their wickedness. Instead of obeying, Jonah chose to flee. He boarded a ship bound for Tarshish, heading to the furthest place he could imagine, thinking that perhaps by running away, he could escape God's call. He even went to the lowest part of the ship, believing that God would either not notice or that He would change His mind and choose someone else for the task.

What Jonah failed to understand was that the sovereign God who saw the wickedness in Nineveh and called him to speak to them had the ability to see him wherever he hid. When God has a purpose for you, He will go to great lengths to ensure you fulfill it, even if it means removing you from your comfort zone. God can shift your circumstances and take you out of your circle of friends, all to place you in a position where you will be willing to listen to Him.

Jonah 1:2-3 (NIV)
"Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me."
"But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord."

Are there instructions or tasks that the Lord has given you that you are running away from? Jonah tried to escape, but God pursued him. While Jonah was on the ship, God caused a violent storm that threatened to tear the ship apart. The crew, desperate for answers, cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Even in his disobedience, Jonah knew the storm was because of him, yet he was still asleep, hoping the situation would resolve itself. He even suggested they throw him overboard to calm the storm, perhaps thinking that by surrendering to the sea, he could escape God's pursuit.

But Jonah didn't escape. Instead, God had already prepared a fish to swallow him, and he spent three days in the belly of the fish. Even in the depths of the sea, God saw Jonah. He heard Jonah's prayers, and God’s words remained consistent. When we run from God's calling, it's remarkable how He often reminds us of the last instruction we tried to avoid.

Have you ever felt like delaying or avoiding God's command, thinking He might change His mind or that maybe, just maybe, running away from the people who encourage you will allow you to live life your own way?

But remember, when we choose to live for Christ, we no longer live for ourselves. We are called to live the life of Christ, and God never gives an instruction that will burden or harm us. His plans are always for our good. He equips us with the strength we need to carry out His will.

If God has given you an instruction, trust that you are capable of fulfilling it. With Him, you can do all things.

Stay blessed!

Stay revived!