What Happened to them? are they gone Mad?

If we study and observe the Bible carefully, we will see some people who looks like mad, let us see few of them.

Noah: GOD told him that He is going to bring great flood on earth and so directed him to build an Ark to save HIS people and few animals. GOD said that he wanted to wash away all the evil people on earth along with animals, birds and all creatures. We never heard about a rain in the Bible before, but Noah was told about flood. When all the people on earth were enjoying in their own ways. Noah, to follow LORD’S word, started building an Ark to save many. His family joined him and helped him, it took 120 years for them to build the Ark, while spending most of their time for construction. When people saw this, many might thought Noah a Mad, repeating the same words of GOD for 120 years, not seeing a drop of rain and not even its sign on earth. To that generation Noah is a Mad, but if we go a little further, we will see only Noah and his family being survived from GOD's wrath and from the great floods that came on earth.

Abraham: When Abraham was happily living with his family, some unknown voice (voice of almighty GOD) told him to go away from his father's rich house, to the land that He is going to show him. The same GOD, also promised Abraham a great nation, and his off springs as many stars in the sky in number, when he was in those days of sadness for not having any child. Abraham believed this GOD and left his father's house, his brothers and his relatives. He also left his comforts, safety and security.

He became alone and started his pilgrimage to the promised land. People around Abraham might thought he was Mad, and might mocked him saying, "Hey Abraham, where is your GOD who promised you to give you Son? It has been 25 years by now and you still been telling us the same story. Now you are already100 years old."  Yes it has been 25 years he started from his Father's house, having no children yet. He went through so many struggles, famine and humiliation. But if we read his story to the end, GOD has blessed Abraham at the age of 100 a Son, the seed of great nation, from whom GOD made the country of Israel. GOD fulfilled HIS promise to Abraham. GOD made Abraham rich and blessed him with Sheep and cattle. For all this to happen, Abraham had to wait for 25 long years to inherit his promises, which people thought as a madness.

Moses: He was born in a slave family, but surprisingly brought up to the Royal palace as a son of the Kings daughter. Even though he is from a slave family, He was brought up as a royal prince. He might become the King of entire Egypt in time. He was leading his comfortable royal life in King’s palace. He was their future King, but He left his prince hood and counted himself as a slave and fought against the King. Do you know what happened?  He had to flee from his own kingdom to save himself from the King. The young man who once lived the royal life, chooses to go after the sheep and had spent his forty years as an ordinary shepherd.

What do you think of Moses? Doesn’t he seems like a Mad person? If he would have obeyed the King's commands and follows his orders, He might become the king of that country and would have enjoyed all the comforts in that royal palace. But now he is living in wilderness day and night and has become a shepherd. What a major difference, what a down fall..!, We know the life of a shepherd, they will have to spend most time in the fields away from their families and be willing to stay in  the fields whether it is rainy, sunny or even windy. What a miserable life he is living! Really he looks like a mad person to all who reads his story. But if we continue to read his end of the story, GOD appeared to Moses and made Moses the leader of his blessed people. Moses became a very good friend of GOD The Almighty. He gained a very good intimacy with GOD spending day and night for 40 days with GOD on Mount Sinai. What a privilege he got! GOD himself had referred Moses, just like a man to another man. GOD in whom we are living and in whom our life and soul are hidden, in whom our destiny is. GOD the creator, GOD the almighty, GOD whom no man can see, the same GOD descended on to the earth to talk with Moses. And GOD gave great privilege to Moses that GOD himself showed to Moses. GOD appeared to Moses with His glory. If we observe carefully we will know that GOD himself buried Moses. What a great privilege..!

If Moses, wouldn't had considered the earthly royalty as nothing, He would have died as any other king failing to save his own soul from eternal fire. But he wisely chosen to bear the reproach along with godly people indeed saving innumerable souls. Dear friends, if at all you are leading a worldly comfortable life, and if GOD asks you to leave those comforts and do HIS ministry, what is your response??? We all should say ‘Yes’, the path that leads to eternal life may seem to be narrow at the beginning, but once you enter into the path, GOD himself will walk with us providing our needs and straightening our paths.

Ruth: She is a pagan woman who married a godly person who came to their village from a far country for their daily bread, unfortunately she lost her husband and all the men in his family. She and her mother-in-law were only left in that family. When her mother-in-law Naomi told Ruth to go and marry some other young man, she refused to go. And if we observe Ruth's response, we might think Ruth as mad. She wanted to stay with her mother-in-law, who is helpless and poor and wanted to go with her where ever she goes. Now Ruth is staying near her father's house which is a safe and securing. There is no hope of happiness and comfort with Naomi. But Ruth madly says to Naomi, your people are my people, your country is my country and your GOD is my GOD and she continues "Other than death no one can separate us". What a bold and mad decision? Naomi is a poor widow planning to go back to her own country and told Ruth to stay back at her father's country safe. But Ruth madly says, I will follow where ever you go. They will reach Bethlehem which is Naomi's place after a long journey. Now Ruth is a stranger in that land, but she boldly lives for Naomi and works hard to meet their livelihood.

GOD, seeing her faithfulness and love towards her mother-in-law Naomi and towards her GOD, THE ALMIGHTY GOD blesses her and if we read to her end of the story, a godly man Boaz marries Ruth, which Naomi arranges. If we go a little further for our surprise from Ruth, who came from the people whom GOD abandoned from godly Jews people, David the great king born and Jesus the GOD and mighty Savior came into this world. Jesus was called the Son of David.

So Dear reader, if we observe, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Ruth, they all left their comforts and Loved the GOD with all might and heart and followed him with whole heart. For the people who see them they might look Mad, but GOD made those mad people as wise people on earth. Do you want to become Mad for Jesus? Do you want to achieve great things for Jesus? Then where is your hard work? Where are your sacrifices? Where is your Madness? I have seen so many people who left their Jobs, families and own comforts for the sake of Jesus and his ministry. All of them are blessed by GOD. In the very beginning, they might went through afflictions and sufferings, but GOD helped them in all their afflictions and made their name great..! GOD had givcn them double folded blessings for whatever they left for the sake of Jesus. GOD honored them before all men where ever they were put to shame.

It is written in the Holy Bible that my people will never be ashamed and where ever they were put to shame HE will make their name great, and HE also promised them the blessings with double portion for whatever they did for the sake of his kingdom.

May GOD give us the madness to live for his glory. Amen.

Beyond our Expectations...! Part I

Hi Friend..! Are you going through trails and tears..! You believed in a GOD who says that HE is real and wonder working, the creator of this entire world and the universe. Still are you undergoing through so many problems and struggles that are looking like they can devour you like a roaring loin and a heavy cyclone. Do not disappoint, there is a hope for you..! Because you have believed in the real GOD, who created you and the entire universe, who has full control over your problems and fears. Let me give some examples from the Holy Bible
 
GOD told Abraham, to leave his family, friends, his own land and country. GOD commanded him to go to a place where HE is going to show him. Abraham obeyed GOD, guess what after obeying? There came a severe famine in that land..! GOD gave Abraham a land and then the same GOD allows famine to this given Land, then Abraham went to Egypt and lived there as an alien. When I read this, I asked myself, why did Abraham left all his comforts and followed the Lord? Above that his wife was taken as Egypt king Pharaoh's wife. What a pity state of Abraham? He left his father’s old gods and every one at home just for sake of invisible GOD and he followed HIM with all his faith. Yet going through famine and humiliations!
 Where is the GOD who promised him an increase of his off spring like the stars of sky and sand of sea? Why is HE so silent? Can’t HE prevent Egyptians taking away Abraham’s wife as King’s? Can’t HE prevent the famine? Dear beloved, we all thinks the same, we all will expect the GOD to lead us in a smooth and soft way where there is no fear, problems and struggles. This is our thinking, avoiding problems rather than facing them.
 
  Understand my friend, it is not GOD's desire to put his children in troubles, instead He is leading his children in odd paths to make them strong in faith and holy. He is teaching us how to depend on GOD through unexpected circumstances, He wants to glorify his name through giving us strength in life’s storm. He is our father watching us always, He will never leave us alone. In our struggle and sorrows He is always with us bearing more than us, if you closely observe Him, you will surely find Him bearing, consoling and strengthening. He walked already in great trials, now again HE is walking with you in your trails, He is so nearer than anyone in our trouble, please believe in Him and just cry for His help. He will come for your sake like a mighty warrior and fights your battle, all that you have to do is to just wait in hope and see. That’s it.
 
  GOD works beyond our expectation. We all will try to avoid problems but GOD is willing to take our problems to make us strong through all these sufferings, bearing along with us. GOD brought Abraham to the point he can bare. Right on time GOD interfered and punished Pharaoh's family for taking Abraham’s wife. Abraham did nothing but patiently waited for GOD because he knows in whom he believes, that HE is able to give his wife back without any spot and holy as she was before. GOD honored his faith and gave his wife, Sarah back to Abraham. Besides this, GOD gave him more cattle and servants and made him rich. Finally, Abraham went out of Egypt as a rich man. Because of the famine he came to Egypt and because he came to Egypt, Sarah his wife was taken to King's palace to become king's wife. At very beginning, these two incidents will look like why GOD allowed this? But if we see the end, GOD used this path of traversal to bless Abraham with cattle and make Abraham rich. GOD never said in the holy book that Abraham did a mistake while saying Sarah as his sister. It is GOD's way of treating his people. Even in our short comings, and daily sins GOD is saying we are his chosen people and His Holy nation.
 
So  dear friend, let us try to execute GOD's plan with all faith and hope and let us try to make every trouble a blessing by putting our burden on HIM, who died for us on the cross and paid penalty of our death sentence. He made us His people a holy nation, so let us try to live as GOD wants us to live. Let us follow GOD's standards because we are not of this world, if people in this world who doesn't know the real GOD are living in good ways, then how much good and holy life should we lead. Let us glorify GOD through our faith, patience and good deeds. This message is not only for you, but for me and for all, who are so called Christians. Amen!
 
The story is not over yet, now comes the important and amazing part, GOD called Abraham when he was seventy five and told him that He will bless him offspring. Abraham patiently waited for GOD for twenty five years. In while GOD blessed Abraham with sheep and cattle, but has no child. Abraham took one wrong step in his misunderstanding, but GOD is so faithful to him and blessed him with a son. Shall we study a little of his situation, Abraham might been saying to all people that GOD is going to bless him with a child. May be he would have even prepared a cradle to the un-born child. People might have been mocking Abraham, counting, it’s been five years, ten years, twenty years and twenty five years, now you are hundred years old and your wife of 90 years old. Where is your GOD who promised you to bless you with offspring? How can you have child in this age? Who will wait for twenty five years? But Abraham waited for GOD. GOD honored his faith and gave Sarah strength to conceive a child. At the age of hundred Abraham was blessed with a child. What a wonder? Who will expect a barren old Grand Maa will give birth to a boy? It is GOD’s miracle. If you are able to believe in Him, He is able to do more than what we ask for in our prayers. So let us cry at his feet like a child cries at his father. He is our father, He gave His only son Jesus for our sins and made us His children, as He said, If we cry day and night, He will surely give us his Holy Spirit and sends his floods of blessings on us.
 
There is future for you and your hope will not cut off. If you lament in the evening and night, it is written that you will be happy in the morning..! That is our GOD. So let us shout for joy in our troubles and trails.