Multiple Identity and A Dynamic Relationship

UV 1206/10,000 A Powerful Identity and A Dynamic Relationship
But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.
Isaiah 41 v 8

The reference in this uni-verse to Israel is to the spiritual nation – the chosen ones of God who belong to all nations and peoples. Each believer is like Jacob, a person chosen by the Lord. Each of us has a deep, intimate, sacred , personal covenant relationship with God. It is not a blood relationship but a relationship based on a sacred agreement with God. The closest parallel we have in human life is the covenant of marriage. It is based on inviolable vows and mutual eternal commitment regardless of circumstances. Each of us in our struggles with God and in life is like Jacob. We want to get ahead without God but then we finally realize through our life experiences that we can find our rest as well as our rise only in the Lord and with His continual help.
Each of us is a servant of God. Paul considered himself a bond servant of Jesus as he was redeemed or purchased by the blood of Jesus. We are called to serve God as a chosen vessel. Each of us is called to fulfill a specific purpose in our lives. Formerly, we were servants of sin. We were prey to the curse of disobedience. But when we become servants of God redeemed by Christ, we are set free to be children of God and Friends of God. Now that we are the children of Abraham by faith, we should do the deeds that Abraham did or would do. Jesus said, “ A servant does not share all the secrets of the master. But I have shared all things freely with you. I treated you not as servants but as friends.”


Every believer is a seed of Abraham. The seed of faith is planted in our hearts and it grow to bear fruit over a lifetime. We are like Abraham Friends of God. Like a friend, we can talk with Him and share our lives with Him. We can confide in Him. He can confide in us. He encourages us and enables us to pursue our cherished goals and dreams. We carry His message of friendship to the rest of the world. As Abraham was shielded, guided, led and blessed by God, each of us is shielded, guided, led and blessed. As Abraham’s faith was subjected to some difficult tests, our faith too would be subjected to tests of endurance and strength. As God did the impossible in Abraham’s life, He would do it gladly in our lives. But we will realize at the end of it all that it is not in the achieving but in being with the Lord that is the source of our joy and strength.

Prateep V Philip

The Dew of Leadership

UV 1205/10,000 The Dew of Leadership

And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.
Judges 6 v 40

Gideon wanted a sign of confirmation from God that He would save Israel from the powerful Midianites through his leadership. The first time he asked that the fleece of wool would be wet with dew and the ground all around dry. He could wring a bowlful of water when he squeezed the fleeze. He sought another sign- this time he asked that the fleece would be dry but on all the ground around there would be dew. After this double confirmation, Gideon had no more doubt that God would deliver the Midianites into his hands. He was so full of faith that he went against the Midianite army with just a force of 300 armed only with trumpets and earthen jars and a burning torch. Gideon remembered the testimony of his forefathers of how Jehovah had done mighty miracles that led to the deliverance of the Jewish nations from the bondage of Egypt. He knew that God was capable of delivering Israel as He had done before but he only wanted to confirm and be sure that he was the one chosen to lead, the one who is anointed by Almighty God with His power.

Similarly in our struggles and battles, we too can seek a sign of confirmation from the Lord. I once asked for a sign of His favour and He showed me several signs in the form of seven rainbows over several months. The Lord knows we are human, that we are weak in faith, that we can be filled with doubt and discouragement at times. He knows that we are often bewildered by the odds against us. He is willing to give us a sign. He is willing even to give another sign to confirm that the sign He gave is indeed from Him and not a mere fluke or accident.

Hezekiah was another king who sought a miraculous sign of God’s favour. He asked that the light on the sundial move forward and then he asked that it move back a few degrees. Both Gideon and Hezekiah did not ask for a sign from God in a casual manner but with great reverence. We must not ask for a sign in order to test God but only to find encouragement and strength. When the spirit of leaders around the world is dry, the Lord will send the dew of His grace, love, power and compassion upon His chosen vessels. He will give a bowlful to drink and to be strengthened in the spirit that we go forth and lead more and more people to victory and joy in life. As scripture says, “ The tender mercies of the Lord are fresh every morning”. He gives us a fresh anointing with the dew of His anointing every morning to face the challenges of the day and end it victoriously. The word “ dew” stands for a combination of determination, energy and wisdom. He will give us the determination, the energy or enthusiasm and the wisdom to be godly leaders in this generation, to wrest great victories for His glory.

Prateep V Philip

Vengeance is From the Lord

UV 1203/10,000 Vengeance is From the Lord

It is God that avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people under me,

2 Samuel 22 v 48


God is the One who avenges His people. Vengeance is from the Lord. He is a righteous judge and He subdues the enemies of the righteous. When we take it upon ourselves to judge others and to take revenge , we are taking the place of God. This is the reason Joseph did not take revenge on his brothers for their treachery. He said, “ What you planned for evil, God turned to good. Am I in the place of God to now judge you?” The desire for vengeance stems from a lack of faith in God that He is both all powerful, just and all knowing and that He would take action at the right time and in the right way. When we retaliate in like manner it is vengeance but when God acts it is justice of the ruler.

There is a natural spirit of vengeance in every human being. Till we avenge ourselves, we cannot find peace. But we need to surrender this spirit to the Lord and bring it under submission to Him. If we fail to do so, the fox of bitterness will destroy the vineyard or the kingdom of God within us. God wants us to bless our enemies and not to curse them. When we do this, we please Him and He undertakes to do justice for us. Joseph forgave his brothers and did not harbour any grudge or resentment against them. As a result, he became a fruitful bough.




The Lord will vindicate our righteous stand in life. He vindicated David against all the depredations of Saul to take his life and prevent him from advancing to his God-ordained and anointed position of being king of Israel. David withheld his hand from taking the life of Saul even when God delivered him into his hands just to test him. David swore that he would not touch the anointed of the Lord. No one can stop God’s will from being fulfilled. He lifts us from the miry clay and keeps us on a rock to stay. He is indeed the Rock of ages, the cleft for us to hide from the storms of life, the attacks of our adversaries. He defeats their conspiracies and insidious plans. Abraham had many powerful enemies living all round his camp. But God protected him and brought them under his influence and writ.


Prateep V Philip

Key to Quietness

UV 1202/10,000 The Key to Quietness


When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only:

Job 34 v 29


When the Lord is pleased with us, His face shines on us. He blesses us and causes us to be a blessing. No man can stand before us or trouble us. No dog can raise its tongue in front of us, as scripture says. We will have quietness and assurance in us and around us. Anyone who plans to foment trouble against us will fall in the very pit he digs for us. We have the peace that surpasses human understanding. He removes both sorrows and fears far from us. He encourages us and motivates us to do His bidding. Our thoughts, emotions and will are focussed on the Lord and He will guide us into perfect ideas and plans, perfect relationships and perfect decisions. We are stable as a rock and will endure all the raging waves around us without being moved. We will see the hand of the Lord in all that we do and wherever we go. He will give us rest round about from our enemies. We will trust the Lord and we too will be trustworthy. He will establish us and make us secure.


But should the Lord choose to hide His face from us, nobody can save us. We cannot hide from His anger or displeasure. The Lord will find us even as He found Adam and Eve hiding after the fall of man. We cannot see Him anymore or discern His hand in any of our affairs. We will be overtaken by our own fears, guilt and sorrow. Nothing can ease our feelings or give us quietness or rest from our sorrows and fears, both real and imagined. The Lord’s anger once aroused is formidable and implacable. It is like a raging fire that no water can cause to cease or abate.



The Lord does not make a distinction in how He deals with man whether a lone individual or a great nation. Those who honour Him whether an individual or a whole people will be greatly blessed, preserved and protected. No weapon can prosper against such as these. But those who disbelieve and so make Him appear to be a liar, those who disobey and rebel against His holy and just will, those who ignore Him and His Word will not be able to see His face for He will hide it from them. They will mockingly say that He does not exist though their own conscience affirms His existence. They will be restless and their minds will be like a battlefield always fighting fears, guilt and sorrows. No one can predict what their next actions will be or how their end will come. They will be unstable and restless like a helpless wave that is tossed about by the wind and water of the sea.


Prateep V Philip

Grace and Humility

UV 1200/10,000
For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
Romans 12v 3
Scripture states clearly that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Our faith in God is proportionate to our humility. Our humility depends on how realistically we assess ourselves in the light of the Word and with the aid of the Holy Spirit. Grace is a gift given to us by The Lord to fulfil His purpose and to meet our need. When we hold too high an opinion of ourselves we cannot receive grace. We become too filled with ourselves for God to be able to fill us.
Thinking soberly about ourselves implies that we need to know the extent of our faith and know the strengths and weaknesses of our faith, character and abilities. We need to assess ourselves in terms not of our earthly qualifications, position, wealth or intellectual prowess but by the kind of fruit of the spirit that is in evidence in our lives. How loving are we? How joyful are we regardless of our circumstances? How peaceful are we despite the storms and strife of life? How patient are we with others? How kind are we to those who work under us ? What is the extent of practical goodness we are demonstrating in our lives on a daily basis? How faithful are we to The Lord in our daily walk ? There should be no sign visible or hidden of a kind of spiritual pride or of self righteousness that makes us think that we are better than others or that we are entitled to greater respect or recognition.

It is an axiom that the more we lower ourselves before God He will lift us up and bless us and make us a blessing. Our thoughts, words and actions should prove to people that we consider ourselves humble servants of God chosen not due to any higher merit or quality but due to the sheer favour and sovereign will of The Lord. A constant reminder of the extent of our past unfaithfulness and life of sin would peg us to the ground. Considering others better than ourselves and trying to learn from those aspects would also add to our grace. We should never think how much we have done for The Lord rather we must think how little we have done for The Lord in comparison with all He is and all He has done for us.

Holistic Growth and Security

Unless The Lord builds the house, they labour in vain who build it; unless The Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
Psalm 127 v 1
The first part of this Uni-verse regarding building the house implies building our lives while the second part regarding guarding the city has two different but complementary connotations:
the first part implies our growth, health, progress, sustenance, accomplishments and contribution. The second part implies our collective and individual security. Both growth and security hinges on The Lord. He is the capstone, the keystone, the cornerstone of the edifice of our lives that we build day by day over our lifetime. The house is referred to with the definitive article 'the ' and therefore it is not about building a particular house but all of our plans will be brought to fruition and visions are fulfilled only by the grace of the capstone. It is He who enables us to succeed. It is He who blesses our efforts or else it will be all in vain. Our lives itself will be in vain but for the love, mercy and grace of The Lord. He makes our lives meaningful, purposive and progressive. When He overshadows us like He did the craftsman of the temple at Jerusalem Bezaleel, He will give us helps ( plural is used to indicate the different types of help He sends our way). He will give us new ideas that are creative and innovative. He will help us overcome known as well as hidden threats.

I heard the story of an owner of a security company of how despite the best of locks and security, he could not prevent the murder of his wife. I told him that though I am a senior police officer with men and weapons and wherewithal to command I depended on The Lord for our security. I was given this thematic verse as a promise when I was posted as a Commissioner of a city. The city was facing inprecedented floods at the time I took charge but The Lord proved that He is The Lord even in the midst of the flood and safeguarded the citizens and those who watched over them.

Both our well being or our prosperity as well as our security rests with The Lord. The knowledge that He is the builder and the One who watches over us is a great source of strength and confidence for every believer. This belief should prompt us to cling to God like a leech. But He is disappointed that most people everywhere in these times cling to money and power. It gives people a false sense of security, happiness and immunity. Then when events and circumstances overtake us, we tend to turn to God and acknowledge that He alone is the source of our prosperity, well being, visions, plans, ideas, growth, health, security and life itself in all it's aspects. When we please The Lord by overcoming our amnesia and complacency, The Lord takes back the self assigned role of builder and watchman of our lives. He watches over us day and night. He provides for us while we are sleeping unaware of His invisible but caring presence always hovering over us and hemming in on is on all sides like a protective hedge or better still like firewalls.

A Snare in the wake of Great Victory

UV 1199-10,000 Then Gideon made it into an ephod and set it up in his city, Ophrah. And all Israel played the harlot with it there. It became a snare to Gideon and to his house.
Judges 8 v 27

Many leaders start well and do well but do not finish well. Gideon was invited by the men of Israel to rule over Israel hereditorily like a king as a mark of their appreciation and gratitude for his leadership. Gideon declined the offer but instead as an afterthought he asked them to give their gold earrings out if the spoils of victory. A huge quantity of such a tribute weighing 1700 shekels of gold was so collected. Gideon turned the collected ornaments into an ephod, a memorial to celebrate his leadership and victories that he set up in his nature city Ophrah. Scripture record that it became a snare or a trap for Gideon and his family. Later we learn of how Abimelech killed seventy sons of Gideon. A seemingly small compromise can lead to a big setback, disgrace or disaster.

We need to be wary and wise to avoid any snare set for our leadership. It coukd look like a small give in to our own ego or desires but it could cause permanent damage to our impact and legacy. This is the meaning of the line in The Lord s prayer, " lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil."

Gideon sought a small reward or recognition for his heroic efforts on behalf of Israel. That enabled satan to lay a trap for him. After our greatest victories there is a strong possibility of our being tempted if we do not attribute all the glory to God and Him alone. We should not gloat over our victory but believe it to be the grace of God that helped us.