Tuesday, January 14, 2020
The Serpent Leader vs the Servant Leader
UV 3443/10000 The Serpent Leader vs The Servant Leader
But only from the tree of knowledge (recognition) of good and evil you shall not eat, otherwise on the day that you eat from it, you shall most certainly die (because of your disobedience).
Genesis 2 v 17
God has from the beginning divided the world of options or choices into the permissible and the impermissible. The serpent leader focusses on the impermissible while the servant leader focusses on the permissible. For instance, sex within marriage is good and to be enjoyed but impermissible outside of marriage, legitimate gain through investment or hard work or enterprise is permissible but bribery, corruption, dishonest gain, thievery, robbery, extortion are not permissible. The serpent leader tempts people to do what is not permissible like adultery, rape, corruption, robbery and so on. The Servant Leader ( Jesus) through the guidance and leading of the Holy Spirit prompts people to do and enjoy the permissible including to enjoy good food, the fruits of their labour and so on.
The serpent leader tempts people to think that stolen fruit is sweeter and leads them to their moral downfall and eventual personal decay and death. The Servant Leader embraced death on the cross to enable people to overcome the presence and the power of sin in their lives. The Servant Leader teaches us to be aware like a serpent of the various forms of lurking or hidden evil as well as open or blatant evil in this world so that we do not fall a victim while at the same time to be like a dove in our being harmless, pure, untainted by sin. He wants us to be moral and spiritual victors in this world. The serpent leader distorts the image of God in which we were created but the Servant Leader restores us to that pristine and pure image. The Servant Leader wants us to enjoy legitimate pleasures without suffering long term or eternal consequences. He wants us to enjoy serenity and abundance. The serpent leader wants to imprison us with guilt, fear and negative emotions while the Servant Leader wants to liberate us.
The serpent leader gives people a false sense of immunity while they are doing the impermissible or the forbidden. He operates through the power of suggestion and our own thoughts and desires. He weakens us from inside by exploiting the chinks in our armour. The Servant Leader teaches us the higher ways of God that transcends the ways of human flesh. The serpent leader wants to shame and blackmail his followers while the Servant Leader leads, guides, protects and honours His followers.
Monday, January 13, 2020
The Serpent Leader vs The Servant Leader Paradigms
UV 3442/10000 The Serpent Leader vs The Servant Leader Paradigms
Now the serpent was more crafty (subtle, skilled in deceit) than any living creature of the field which the Lord God had made. And the serpent (Satan) said to the woman, “ Can it really be that God has said, “You shall not eat from any tree of the garden.”
Genesis 3 v 1
Mankind has a choice to follow either the serpent leader (satan) or the Servant Leader ( Jesus). Unfortunately, from the beginning, man began following the former. The serpent leader is skilled in deceit. He wanted to prove that God is a liar. In modern times, he is convincing many that God is a lie. He twisted the word of God to suit his purpose. He fathered evil in this world. He made it appear as if God had prohibited man from eating from any tree when in truth, He had forbidden them to eat only of the knowledge of good and evil. In contrast, the Servant Leader confirmed the word of God. The serpent leader broke the faith that existed between Creator and man. The Servant Leader restores faith between the Father and mankind.
The serpent leader teaches mankind to deceive others and learn his subtle ways. The serpent leader teaches people to exploit others for their own benefit. The servant leader teaches mankind to serve others and to be truthful. Early this morning I received a frantic call from an airline employee. He said that a young woman employee working under him had deceived a lot of people by promising jobs and collecting money from them. She had tried to embroil her supervisor in the scam by saying that the money was paid to him. She and her boyfriend even informed the media to try to blackmail him. This is how the serpent leader destroys peace, reputations, careers and lives of people. The servant leader in contrast came to save people and give them hope and a future. He gave Himself in order to do so.
The serpent leader injects the poison of his envy and bitterness into his followers. He takes people into captivity through temptations while the Servant Leader gave Himself as a payment, a ransom to set all people free. The serpent leader induces pride in people and teaches them to steal the glory of God for themselves while the Servant Leader always gives all glory and praise and honour to the Father in heaven. The serpent leader makes people foolish and vain while the Servant Leader makes people wise and humble. The serpent leader teaches people to be violent and aggressive while the Servant Leader teaches people to be gentle or meek. The serpent leader brings disease and afflictions upon people to rob them of their well being and joy while the Servant Leader heals and delivers people. The serpent leader revels in causing pain to others while the Servant Leader relieves their pain and fills them with joy, peace and gladness. The serpent leader will use any means to achieve his end while the Servant Leader uses only righteous means to do the will of God. The serpent leader uses many masks to lure people while the Servant Leader is true, authentic and genuine in what He thinks, speaks and does. The serpent leader causes people to lust for what is not theirs while the Servant Leader teaches people to give of what is theirs to others in need. Today, we can analyse and recognize whether a particular leader or leadership style conforms to the serpent leadership paradigm or the servant leadership paradigm.
Now the serpent was more crafty (subtle, skilled in deceit) than any living creature of the field which the Lord God had made. And the serpent (Satan) said to the woman, “ Can it really be that God has said, “You shall not eat from any tree of the garden.”
Genesis 3 v 1
Mankind has a choice to follow either the serpent leader (satan) or the Servant Leader ( Jesus). Unfortunately, from the beginning, man began following the former. The serpent leader is skilled in deceit. He wanted to prove that God is a liar. In modern times, he is convincing many that God is a lie. He twisted the word of God to suit his purpose. He fathered evil in this world. He made it appear as if God had prohibited man from eating from any tree when in truth, He had forbidden them to eat only of the knowledge of good and evil. In contrast, the Servant Leader confirmed the word of God. The serpent leader broke the faith that existed between Creator and man. The Servant Leader restores faith between the Father and mankind.
The serpent leader teaches mankind to deceive others and learn his subtle ways. The serpent leader teaches people to exploit others for their own benefit. The servant leader teaches mankind to serve others and to be truthful. Early this morning I received a frantic call from an airline employee. He said that a young woman employee working under him had deceived a lot of people by promising jobs and collecting money from them. She had tried to embroil her supervisor in the scam by saying that the money was paid to him. She and her boyfriend even informed the media to try to blackmail him. This is how the serpent leader destroys peace, reputations, careers and lives of people. The servant leader in contrast came to save people and give them hope and a future. He gave Himself in order to do so.
The serpent leader injects the poison of his envy and bitterness into his followers. He takes people into captivity through temptations while the Servant Leader gave Himself as a payment, a ransom to set all people free. The serpent leader induces pride in people and teaches them to steal the glory of God for themselves while the Servant Leader always gives all glory and praise and honour to the Father in heaven. The serpent leader makes people foolish and vain while the Servant Leader makes people wise and humble. The serpent leader teaches people to be violent and aggressive while the Servant Leader teaches people to be gentle or meek. The serpent leader brings disease and afflictions upon people to rob them of their well being and joy while the Servant Leader heals and delivers people. The serpent leader revels in causing pain to others while the Servant Leader relieves their pain and fills them with joy, peace and gladness. The serpent leader will use any means to achieve his end while the Servant Leader uses only righteous means to do the will of God. The serpent leader uses many masks to lure people while the Servant Leader is true, authentic and genuine in what He thinks, speaks and does. The serpent leader causes people to lust for what is not theirs while the Servant Leader teaches people to give of what is theirs to others in need. Today, we can analyse and recognize whether a particular leader or leadership style conforms to the serpent leadership paradigm or the servant leadership paradigm.
Sunday, January 12, 2020
Living in the Shadow of God
UV 3441/10000 Living in the Shadow of God
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty (whose power no enemy can withstand)
Psalm 91 v 1
The shadow of a person is the most insubstantial part or facet of him or her. In fact, it is not real but only a reflection of an object on the ground. Yet why does the Psalmist David refer to the shadow of the Almighty for He is also invisible and He is pure Light that cannot cast any shadow? It implies that even the shadow of the Almighty God is more real, substantial and powerful than even a solid fortress or any array of weapons that the enemy can organize against us. The shadow is always bigger than a person. The Almighty occupies the highest and most important place in one’s heart. Since He is pure Light and there is no darkness in Him, He overshadows us in all of our ways. The shadow follows a person faithfully wherever he goes. Likewise, the Lord follows us and watches over us day and night.
Since God is pure Light and Jesus defined Himself as the Light of the World, to live in the shadow of God is to live in absolute light. The shadow of the Lord is His presence, unseen but real that accompanies us wherever we go and whatever we do. We cannot hide from it even if we ascend the skies or descend to the bottom of the sea. We need to in fact, hide in His presence constantly, dwell or reside continually in Him so that He presides over our lives. He is a trap buster. He covers us under the pinions of His wings of prayer and the word. We are absolutely secure and safe, ensconced under Him. No weapon can prosper or develop against us without His knowledge or permission. He protects us from unknown and known threats and enemies, from visible and invisible ones. He preserves us from death till it is our appointed hour and after that gives us eternity as a reward and prize for our faith. We need not fear any evil or disease or foe. To live in the shadow of God is to continually resort to drawing wisdom from Him, power from Him, grace from Him, mercy from Him for our offences, big or small.
Like a shadow, He is not intrusive or obstructive. He gives us the freedom to choose what we wish to do with our time, our resources, our opportunities. But He remains at arm’s distance or only a prayer away. He is closest to us in our troubles and afflictions. He helps us deal and overcome open assaults like that of a lion and subtle, deceitful attacks as of a serpent. He rewards us with both long life on Earth and eternal life in Heaven. He rescues us and honours us in the course of our lifetime. We can always find our rest in His presence. His word and the Holy Spirit comfort us in our difficult hours. His presence turns these difficulties into blessings. He induces and infuses His strength and His power to enable us to surmount these challenges so that we emerge wiser, stronger, better at the end of our struggles.
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty (whose power no enemy can withstand)
Psalm 91 v 1
The shadow of a person is the most insubstantial part or facet of him or her. In fact, it is not real but only a reflection of an object on the ground. Yet why does the Psalmist David refer to the shadow of the Almighty for He is also invisible and He is pure Light that cannot cast any shadow? It implies that even the shadow of the Almighty God is more real, substantial and powerful than even a solid fortress or any array of weapons that the enemy can organize against us. The shadow is always bigger than a person. The Almighty occupies the highest and most important place in one’s heart. Since He is pure Light and there is no darkness in Him, He overshadows us in all of our ways. The shadow follows a person faithfully wherever he goes. Likewise, the Lord follows us and watches over us day and night.
Since God is pure Light and Jesus defined Himself as the Light of the World, to live in the shadow of God is to live in absolute light. The shadow of the Lord is His presence, unseen but real that accompanies us wherever we go and whatever we do. We cannot hide from it even if we ascend the skies or descend to the bottom of the sea. We need to in fact, hide in His presence constantly, dwell or reside continually in Him so that He presides over our lives. He is a trap buster. He covers us under the pinions of His wings of prayer and the word. We are absolutely secure and safe, ensconced under Him. No weapon can prosper or develop against us without His knowledge or permission. He protects us from unknown and known threats and enemies, from visible and invisible ones. He preserves us from death till it is our appointed hour and after that gives us eternity as a reward and prize for our faith. We need not fear any evil or disease or foe. To live in the shadow of God is to continually resort to drawing wisdom from Him, power from Him, grace from Him, mercy from Him for our offences, big or small.
Like a shadow, He is not intrusive or obstructive. He gives us the freedom to choose what we wish to do with our time, our resources, our opportunities. But He remains at arm’s distance or only a prayer away. He is closest to us in our troubles and afflictions. He helps us deal and overcome open assaults like that of a lion and subtle, deceitful attacks as of a serpent. He rewards us with both long life on Earth and eternal life in Heaven. He rescues us and honours us in the course of our lifetime. We can always find our rest in His presence. His word and the Holy Spirit comfort us in our difficult hours. His presence turns these difficulties into blessings. He induces and infuses His strength and His power to enable us to surmount these challenges so that we emerge wiser, stronger, better at the end of our struggles.
Saturday, January 11, 2020
Acknowledging Sovereignty and Availing His Power
UV 3440/10000 Acknowledging Sovereignty and Availing His Power
And we will do this ( that is, proceed to maturity), if God permits.
Hebrews 6 v 3
We should aim to do things in our lives only if it is the perfect or pleasing will of God. Even if it is something we greatly desire but if it does not seem to be His will for us, we should avoid it. We should be willing to drop a thing if the Lord indicates through His word, through counsel or as indicated by circumstances. “If God permits” or “Dei Vide” should be a constant refrain of our lives. Not a step we take or move we make should be without His specific permission. When He permits it, we know from the peace of God that pervades our souls. When He does not permit it, the Holy Spirit will forewarn us.
We ought not to resist the will of God but we should resist the enemy of our souls who is always persuading us to believe that God is a liar, to disbelieve His word. When we yield to the perfect will of God, He increases our yield. We should not boast that we will do this or that in the future but always be convinced that we will do it only if the Lord permits. When we do so, we are humbling ourselves before the Lord and He will surely bless whatever we are proposing or planning to do.
It amounts to acknowledging the sovereignty of the Lord when we constantly seek His approval for our every move. It shows we trust Him and Him alone with all our hearts. He will pour His grace and wisdom into all that we attempt and bring it to fruition. Surrendering our wills to the Lord amounts to dying to our own. It now becomes the responsibility of the Lord to enable, help us till the conclusion of whatever matter we are considering and even beyond. If God has permitted a thing, no one and nothing in this world or beyond can prevent it or hamper it. He will enable us to overcome any hidden hurdles or hindrances. When we say, “If God permits,..” we are invoking His presence and His power. No power on earth will now stand in the way. The Lord now partners with us in every aspect of it. At the end of the day, since we are conscious of His real time help and grace, we do not hesitate to give Him the thanksgiving and the glory.
Being A Prince With Principles
UV 3439/10000 Being a Prince with Principles
Each ( one of them) will be like a hiding place from the wind and a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry land, like the shade of a huge rock in a parched and weary land ( to those who turn to them).
Isaiah 32 v 2
Jesus as Kings of Kings, as eternal King, as King of righteousness, raises His children to be princes of His people. Moses was a prince of Israel, even as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. A prince by His definition is one who lives by His principles. Each believer is a prince. He is to be a hiding place or refuge to people affected by the storms of life. He is to comfort and strengthen them even as the Lord is a refuge and shelter to all who come to Him by faith. He is to refresh others even as he is refreshed by the Lord. He is to be the rock that provides shade in a dry and weary land even as Jesus is the Rock of Ages.
We are to be the channels of blessings we have received from the Lord to the world. The light we have received we are to transmit to the world. The wisdom and grace we have received we are to pass on to others in need. The prince of Jesus is in sharp contrast to the leaders of this world who in practice follow the precepts of Machiavelli advocated in his book, “The Prince.” The inheritance we share with the Prince of Peace is primarily spiritual and only physical and natural to the extent needed to serve the spiritual purpose. We are to arm ourselves with the strength of Jesus. We are to wear the full armour He provides in terms of defensive and offensive weapons. The principalities of darkness or the princes of darkness shudder with fear when we speak His word for it pierces these like a sword pierces human flesh. When we follow the principles of Jesus, we have the peace of God or the favour of God in all that we are and all that we do.
The metaphor of the “streams of water in a dry land” in contrast to the metaphor of “shade of a rock in a parched land” stands for the soft and hard principles we are to follow in our lives. We are to be hard with the hard and soft with the soft or hard where hardness is required and soft where softness is required. He equips and enables us for our context and circumstances. When we follow Him, we both flow like a river and stand still like a rock.
Each ( one of them) will be like a hiding place from the wind and a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry land, like the shade of a huge rock in a parched and weary land ( to those who turn to them).
Isaiah 32 v 2
Jesus as Kings of Kings, as eternal King, as King of righteousness, raises His children to be princes of His people. Moses was a prince of Israel, even as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. A prince by His definition is one who lives by His principles. Each believer is a prince. He is to be a hiding place or refuge to people affected by the storms of life. He is to comfort and strengthen them even as the Lord is a refuge and shelter to all who come to Him by faith. He is to refresh others even as he is refreshed by the Lord. He is to be the rock that provides shade in a dry and weary land even as Jesus is the Rock of Ages.
We are to be the channels of blessings we have received from the Lord to the world. The light we have received we are to transmit to the world. The wisdom and grace we have received we are to pass on to others in need. The prince of Jesus is in sharp contrast to the leaders of this world who in practice follow the precepts of Machiavelli advocated in his book, “The Prince.” The inheritance we share with the Prince of Peace is primarily spiritual and only physical and natural to the extent needed to serve the spiritual purpose. We are to arm ourselves with the strength of Jesus. We are to wear the full armour He provides in terms of defensive and offensive weapons. The principalities of darkness or the princes of darkness shudder with fear when we speak His word for it pierces these like a sword pierces human flesh. When we follow the principles of Jesus, we have the peace of God or the favour of God in all that we are and all that we do.
The metaphor of the “streams of water in a dry land” in contrast to the metaphor of “shade of a rock in a parched land” stands for the soft and hard principles we are to follow in our lives. We are to be hard with the hard and soft with the soft or hard where hardness is required and soft where softness is required. He equips and enables us for our context and circumstances. When we follow Him, we both flow like a river and stand still like a rock.
Thursday, January 9, 2020
The Path of the Righteous by Faith
UV 3438/10000 The Path of the Righteous By Faith
Praise the Lord ! (Hallelujah) Blessed ( fortunate, prosperous, and favoured by God) is the man who fears the Lord (with awe-inspired reverence and worships Him with obedience), who delights greatly in His commandments.
Psalm 112 v 1
When we praise the Lord, He raises us in our lifetime on Earth and even raises us from the dead. We are blessed as it implies that the Lord has chosen us out of all mankind. We look to God for everything with a sense of awe, wonder, gratitude, expectation. He will not disappoint us. His word which contains both His promises to claim and His commandments to obey are the source of great delight to us. As long as we do these things, we live in extreme favour of the Lord. He will cause whatever we do to prosper. He will cause the dead things in our lives, dead hopes to come alive. Our hearts are circumcised by Christ and the Holy Spirit so that we serve the Lord wholeheartedly. The layer of deceit, pride, self will that covers the human heart is peeled off. When we walk in all His ways each and every day, it shows we respect the Lord. The Lord surround our circumstances even as our circumstances surround us. The salvation Jesus provides is 360 degrees or in every conceivable direction, in every situation we confront in our daily lives.
The marks of blessing of such a person are detailed in Psalm 112- His children and descendants will be mighty on earth, they will be blessed. He prospers financially, too. He believes passionately in God but behaves compassionately. He is generous and just. He will never be defeated or feel insecure. He leaves a legacy of memories of his good deeds and good nature. He will be honoured in public. He will not be overtaken by bad news. His heart is steadfast and he is consistent. His enemies will not triumph over him. He will be vindicated. He remains upright and values integrity over any temporary gain through wrongful means.
In contrast, the desire of the wicked will amount to nothing. He will perish along with his dreams. He will be full of bitterness, jealousy, anger, frustration like Cain when he saw Abel finding extreme favour with the Lord. The wicked will become proud and foolish leading to decisions and choices that will bring about his eventual downfall. They will be like the dust that the wind blows away with no trace as if they never existed. We realize that there is only one right path that we can take- follow the One who described Himself as The Way, The Truth and the Light. All other paths lead to pathology.
Praise the Lord ! (Hallelujah) Blessed ( fortunate, prosperous, and favoured by God) is the man who fears the Lord (with awe-inspired reverence and worships Him with obedience), who delights greatly in His commandments.
Psalm 112 v 1
When we praise the Lord, He raises us in our lifetime on Earth and even raises us from the dead. We are blessed as it implies that the Lord has chosen us out of all mankind. We look to God for everything with a sense of awe, wonder, gratitude, expectation. He will not disappoint us. His word which contains both His promises to claim and His commandments to obey are the source of great delight to us. As long as we do these things, we live in extreme favour of the Lord. He will cause whatever we do to prosper. He will cause the dead things in our lives, dead hopes to come alive. Our hearts are circumcised by Christ and the Holy Spirit so that we serve the Lord wholeheartedly. The layer of deceit, pride, self will that covers the human heart is peeled off. When we walk in all His ways each and every day, it shows we respect the Lord. The Lord surround our circumstances even as our circumstances surround us. The salvation Jesus provides is 360 degrees or in every conceivable direction, in every situation we confront in our daily lives.
The marks of blessing of such a person are detailed in Psalm 112- His children and descendants will be mighty on earth, they will be blessed. He prospers financially, too. He believes passionately in God but behaves compassionately. He is generous and just. He will never be defeated or feel insecure. He leaves a legacy of memories of his good deeds and good nature. He will be honoured in public. He will not be overtaken by bad news. His heart is steadfast and he is consistent. His enemies will not triumph over him. He will be vindicated. He remains upright and values integrity over any temporary gain through wrongful means.
In contrast, the desire of the wicked will amount to nothing. He will perish along with his dreams. He will be full of bitterness, jealousy, anger, frustration like Cain when he saw Abel finding extreme favour with the Lord. The wicked will become proud and foolish leading to decisions and choices that will bring about his eventual downfall. They will be like the dust that the wind blows away with no trace as if they never existed. We realize that there is only one right path that we can take- follow the One who described Himself as The Way, The Truth and the Light. All other paths lead to pathology.
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
Learning from the Eternal Farmer
UV 3437/10000 Learning from the Divine Farmer
So teach us to number our days, that we may cultivate and bring to You a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 90 v 12
We need to be taught to number our days. Naturally, we assume that we will live long and we can do the things that seem important later on. This gives rise to the spirit of procrastination. Naturally, we are under the illusion that we will live forever. We lack foresight as well as hindsight. Only when we listen to God and His word, will our hearts be quickened or made alive. When we come to grips with God, we come to take a grip on life. The Holy Spirit will teach us to know how finite, limited are our days on earth. He teaches us how mortal, how quickly our souls can depart from our bodies. He will teach us how infinite, how amazing is the wisdom and grace of God. He will teach us how to use our time and opportunities wisely and also get a time sense, how to do, say and decide the right thing at the right time. He will teach us not to set too much store by our earthly goals and results, whether good or bad but to judge ourselves in the light of eternity.
We are accountable for the days we spend on this planet. One of the chief purposes and one of the best ways we can spend it is by cultivating a heart of wisdom. Our hearts are naturally perverse and inclined to evil just as land left to itself will give rise to all kinds of weeds and wild plants. It requires thinking, careful consideration of what to cultivate to make even the most fertile land useful and beneficial to its owner. It requires planning. It requires consistent implementation of the plan. It requires devotion, determination, dedication, discipline and diligence. It requires ploughing, watering, fertilizing, removal of weeds, levelling and so on to make the land fruitful. So also we need to cultivate our minds and hearts to make it fruitful to the Lord. It requires a sense of vision. It requires patience as the vision grows and bears fruit.
We need to number our days as we are to be possessed of a sense not just of vision but of urgency. We need to make our hearts wise or productive within the days allotted to us, whether more or few. The Word is the best plough to create the furrows in our minds, the best leveler to level out our pride, arrogance and other angularities or irregularities. The Word is the best seed to plant in the heart and mind. The Word is the best manure to help us endure, the best fertilizer to multiply the results of our efforts. The Word is the water of life to our hearts to soften it to make conditions just ripe for the right seed to grow, mature and reproduce after its kind. We need to surrender our hearts to Jesus and the Holy Spirit for all these processes to take place, some simultaneously, some sequentially.
So teach us to number our days, that we may cultivate and bring to You a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 90 v 12
We need to be taught to number our days. Naturally, we assume that we will live long and we can do the things that seem important later on. This gives rise to the spirit of procrastination. Naturally, we are under the illusion that we will live forever. We lack foresight as well as hindsight. Only when we listen to God and His word, will our hearts be quickened or made alive. When we come to grips with God, we come to take a grip on life. The Holy Spirit will teach us to know how finite, limited are our days on earth. He teaches us how mortal, how quickly our souls can depart from our bodies. He will teach us how infinite, how amazing is the wisdom and grace of God. He will teach us how to use our time and opportunities wisely and also get a time sense, how to do, say and decide the right thing at the right time. He will teach us not to set too much store by our earthly goals and results, whether good or bad but to judge ourselves in the light of eternity.
We are accountable for the days we spend on this planet. One of the chief purposes and one of the best ways we can spend it is by cultivating a heart of wisdom. Our hearts are naturally perverse and inclined to evil just as land left to itself will give rise to all kinds of weeds and wild plants. It requires thinking, careful consideration of what to cultivate to make even the most fertile land useful and beneficial to its owner. It requires planning. It requires consistent implementation of the plan. It requires devotion, determination, dedication, discipline and diligence. It requires ploughing, watering, fertilizing, removal of weeds, levelling and so on to make the land fruitful. So also we need to cultivate our minds and hearts to make it fruitful to the Lord. It requires a sense of vision. It requires patience as the vision grows and bears fruit.
We need to number our days as we are to be possessed of a sense not just of vision but of urgency. We need to make our hearts wise or productive within the days allotted to us, whether more or few. The Word is the best plough to create the furrows in our minds, the best leveler to level out our pride, arrogance and other angularities or irregularities. The Word is the best seed to plant in the heart and mind. The Word is the best manure to help us endure, the best fertilizer to multiply the results of our efforts. The Word is the water of life to our hearts to soften it to make conditions just ripe for the right seed to grow, mature and reproduce after its kind. We need to surrender our hearts to Jesus and the Holy Spirit for all these processes to take place, some simultaneously, some sequentially.
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