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In more than three decades of my Christian life, I have been blest by 2 types of Daily devos'
(matter not exceeding 500 words) in universal Christian literature. Not only those Devos'
which have a different theme everyday but also the ones which revolve around a certain
theme over a period of time, say a fortnight, have richly edified me. In fact, both
styles have their own inherent advantages. If the former style caters to the varying
spiritual needs of a christian from day-to-day, the latter aims 'to ground'
a child of God in a certain subject in order he derives the full benefits of the
deep insightful study of a certain topic, spread over a fixed span of time.
In my Daily devo page, I have consciously tried to go in for 'a blend of both the
styles' whereby within a constant theme, I would be aiming to focus on different
facets of it which admittedly is a closer imitation of the 'Constant theme' style
than the 'Varying topics' one.
Having dwelt on the topic of Christian journey in the previous month, now in the month
of Febraury, I intend to focus on a monumental piece of Jewish history….the
Conquest of Canaan, with its particular relevance to modern day breed of
Christian spiritual warriors.
Once again, let me wish you a happy and an edifying read…
Suresh Manoharan
February 12th
Standing one’s ground
The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood
firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the
whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground –
Joshua 3:17
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The sensational account of the crossing of River Jordan holds out, yet another valuable lesson for us.
While the awe-inspiring account of River Jordan parting is inspirational, just as inspirational
and edifying is the selfless disposition of the Priests who led the way carrying the ark on their
shoulders. The very thought that these steadfast Priests who carried the ark stood their ground
in the middle of the River till the millions had reached the safety of the shore on the other side,
fills our heart with approbation for them, for it requires a tremendous fortitude and resolve
stemming from a God fearing heart.
The selfless perseverance of those Priests who carried the ark focusing at the universal good
unmindful of their physical discomfort would always stand in sharp contrast to the selfishness
of many a self-serving spiritual leader in Biblical history (eg…Eli and his sons –
I Sam 2:2),
who showed no qualms in furthering their self-centered interests at the expense of the common public.
Dear friends, are we exhibiting a resolve of those Priests’ who carried the ark when it comes
to pursuing the good of others’? Are we in leadership positions steadfast in our stand,
when it comes to protecting the interests of those who follow us? Or are we using double
standards when comes to our interests vis-à-vis the interests of our innocent followers?
Will posterity remember us appreciatively like we do that perseverant Priests of Joshua’s time?
Would our lives of selfless service be an inspiration for future generations? Time for some serious
introspection, really!
Prayer:
Father, help us to rise to such levels of selfless service that our lives would bring glory to
your Name besides enhancing our testimony. In Jesus’ name. Amen
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