How do we receive the Word of God?

Part1- The Prophet

Jeremiah 36:2 “Take a scroll of a book and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel, against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah even to this day.  4 Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah; and Baruch wrote on a scroll of a book, at the instruction of Jeremiah, all the words of the Lord which He had spoken to him.

Jeremiah receieved the word of God, and immediately acted on it. He called Baruch and dictated to him everything that God had told him. He had to recall everything. He remembered it all, from the first time God spoke to him, through all the times that his heart was troubled, through all the threats on his life, and through prison. These are probably issues that he would have wanted to forget, but he didnt, because God was with him through it all. He had to neglect his feelings and do what God had asked him. Even though he knew that he would be in danger of death for doing it, again.
    Are we like the prophet when we receive God’s word? Or do we hide and refuse to do as God asks? Or do we do what we need to and brace ourselves for what comes after? Or are we like Jeremiah who continues to work for God even when he is in danger of death?
   Take time to think on it today. And ask yourself if you even hear God when He speaks, or if you just go about your life like it’s yours alone. How do you receive the word of God?

One of those days…

In one of my bad days, feeling alone and confused, longing and wanting for something that no one seemed capable of offering, I thought to myself, life is about being selfless. We really  wish others would be there for us when we are down and in desperate need  for contact with another person. Sometimes, even if we do have that person with us, the longing deep inside of us is still there, it feels insatiable.

The world seems so full. So full of life, of promise, of opportunity. But in the end, it is just so empty. Because even though others may understand how we may be feeling, no one can really help. Not even Google has all the answers we seek. Math doesn’t have all the solutions to our problems, and not even science can explain all that happens on the inside of us.

Feeling alone and useless, I have often sought answers in the wrong places, because the right places seem so far. And the distance to God seems like it will take a lifetime to cover. It may take all of my life to truly be with Him as I long, but I just wish I knew what to do with myself when I don’t know what to do with myself.

At some point, nothing seems to make sense. Not school, not work, not even life. Being a human being isn’t as easy as it looks. It is difficult to live, and not just exist; because living is a selfless act. Living needs to bring life to others, and not suck the life out of them.

Nothing can or ever will satisfy our longings, or fill our empty spaces inside of us. We just have to keep going blindly, not knowing if we will feel better, but hoping that we do.

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Believing is an everyday thing… 

A book unread

She is a book that’s still being written. I can’t say I know her, but I can say I know enough to get by. I know how she walks with confidence, very few would know that she asks herself if she is beautiful enough. She convinces herself every time she remembers that she is wonderfully and cheerfuly made by her Father. She is intelligent, she might doubt herself from time to time, but time after time she sees that she is. She just needs a little bit of convincing. She is a christian; that doesn’t mean she is flawless. It just means that she is willing to admit that she needs fixing by the Messiah.
     She is a book that’s still being written. I can’t say I know her, but I can say I know enough to get by. She is reserved. It might take forever for you to know her but, if she let’s you in, know that you are lucky. She is a nice person. If you get to know her, you will fall in love with her personality. You will teasure her, and the time spent will be memorable. You will hang the memories on the wall.
   She is a book that’s still being written. I might know a thing or two about her, like how she loves to write and damn, she is a good writer. If only she could believe in herself more. She is creative. I believe that one day she will be one of the stars that we watch from the sky. She is talented. The way she plays, she can turn a grey sky blue. Maybe one day she will win a Grammy, but I doubt that she ever saw herself like that. I wish she could. Because when she does, I will say, “I knew her, we used to get high on Fanta together…Kas”.
    She is a book that’s still being written and the pages of her life I am still reading, if she allow me. She is a book still being written. I can’t say I know her but I know enough to get by.

By Kyaka Lusanso

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Believing is an everyday thing… 

Called by name

Exodus 31:2-3 “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,

God calls each one of us by name. He knows who you are, who your parents are, your tribe, your history, your past, your future.   He knows who you are, where you come from, how you behave, and what kind of person you are. And then He gives you Himself. So that you become the way you are supposed to be.
   He has hand picked you, so never feel like second class. In His infinite wisdom, He took the time to create you. Just as He created Adam out of clay, He created you, in love to be who you are. So that He could call you by your name. So that He would seek you out of whatever cave you are hiding in. He is our God. And He knows His own. He knows you, the same way He knew Bezalel and called Him by name, fully describing who He was so that no one coud make a mistake of thinking God called someone else with the same name.
   You are loved by a good and perfect Father.

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Believing is an everyday thing… 

The potter and His clay

Jeremiah 18:3-4 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.

Notice here that the potter does not throw away the clay that does not mould into the shape that he wants. He instead remoulds it into something more fitting. A lot of times, we ask God why He made us the way we are, whether physically, or not.  Do we ever pause to think that if He made us something else, we would be deformed? We would not be as good as we are now.  The potter knows what He is doing when He is moulding the clay. Our job is just to let Him mould us. When He sees that we come out imperfect, He remoulds us into something that is great. Because who He is does not make second class.
   The remoulding may be painful because then we are growing into stronger and better versions of ourselves. It is not easy, but there is a reason the potter uses clay and not glass. So we will not break, we just need to trust Him to work on us. And we will be the vessels that He envisioned us to be. The vessels that carry Him within.

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Believing is an everyday thing… 

Holding hands

 Isaiah 41:13 For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’

When I read this, the picture that forms in my mind, is that of a father holding the hand of his child. This gesture, simple as it may look, to the child is more than just that. It is protection, and an assurance that for as long as the father holds the child’s hand, everything will be okay. No matter how scary the situation.
    This is what God is telling us today. He will hold your right hand, saying ‘Fear not’. It is very difficult not to fear or worry when the situation call for it, and it really doesn’t make sense to tell someone not to be scared after you present something scary to them. But I think that the more you fear, the more you should hold on to God’s hand. That contact, that connection, will give you an assurance of His presence. And that will give you the strength you need, and will gradually ease your fears.
     Let God hold your hand. That way, even if you let go, He won’t.

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Believing is an everyday thing… 

Manuals for Life

I wish life came with a manual. You know, like when you get born, a book comes along with you in plain English or Lozi or Tonga or whatever language you spoke and your parents or guardians had to read it to you everyday so that you would know why you were born. I think life would be a lot easier like that. If you were destined to be a model or a footballer then you would know that subjects like chemistry and commerce didnt apply to you or your future.
You would know who you were going to marry, that is if you were meant to marry. And you would know not to give your children crazy names like ‘pack and go’ or ‘loadshedding’. You would also know when puberty kicked in that you didnt have to try everything that all th other kids were doing because in th end, you wouldnt really be accepted in th cliques anyway.
The manual would be as small as a brochure and not as big as an oxford dictionary (i definitely do not mean th mini version). Then we wouldnt feel lazy to read it. Maybe we’d just read it to get things over and done with. We’d probably wish we didnt have th manuals in th first place because even when we knew we sucked at math, we would still want to try it. Some of us would be ecstatic at th idea of not having to solve for x who clearly ran away because she doesnt want any of us. When are mathematicians ever going to get that?
But life doesnt come with a manual, and no one really knows how to go about it. We just wing it and when things dont work out, kuichaila. We miss great opportunities, meet all sorts of people, lose th ones we love and grow old and become boring because we block out our childish imagination as we grow older. But such is life. Its not easy, but we can make the most of it.

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Believing is an everyday thing… 

I am me

I am not always a good listener. Sometimes, I zone out and imagine myself in another place doing something fun. I don’t always know how to communicate because I prefer to not tell people things. I get high on Fanta and act crazy when I am with friends. I act innocent with people I don’t know, I act normal with family, and I am a little bit noisy. I am me.

I leave my room in a mess sometimes, I don’t like to bath most times, but I do it anyway. I don’t like company often, but I realise that people make me smile. I am not always concerned by world issues or the news. I am oblivious to the fact that people see things in me that I don’t, because most times, I only think about me. I am me.

I am difficult and stubborn without trying. I had the potential to be a rebellious teenager. I am trying to see where I am going. And even though I don’t know who I am, I know that I am me.

I have a lot more flaws than are evident. I am not perfect. I think I have tried to be, and realised that no one is perfect. I am not always pleasant company. I am not always friendly. I do a lot of things that people don’t like. But I also hurt, I get sad, I get angry, I experience good things and bad things, and I guess that is what makes me, me.

Me is all I have to offer. Me comes in this package and certain things cannot and will never be changed. You just have to accept me as I am because I am me.

This is me…

Dru_Dru

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Believing is an everyday thing…