Sreedhar's Journey

Are you famous or infamous? I was labeled a traitor to the country once because of the internet newspaper I ran. I was both popular and unpopular. However, the Chief Secretary of the government at that time took a chance on me and got me to teach character building to students at the government training center. It was quite an experience as we spent Saturdays training about 4 or 5 batches. David also had a similar experience. 1 Samuel 21:11, And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying: Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands’?” He was a known person and it was going to be difficult to get hidden from his pursuer, King Saul. Everyone recognized his abilities and what he could do to his enemies. But here he was in hiding. God picked David and anointed him king in his youth. But, here he was hiding from his predecessor that has been rejected by God. Fear appears to have gri

Do men cry? Of course they do. It pains me to know that some people give a false impression that men must be unemotional. I remember when I received news that my father had collapsed and died, I did not cry. But when I had to start sharing the news with others my controls were down and I broke down. David, a man after God's heart, cried. 1 Samuel 20:41, As soon as the lad had gone, David arose from a place toward the south, fell on his face to the ground, and bowed down three times. And they kissed one another; and they wept together, but David more so. King Saul hated David to the point that he wanted to kill him. His son Jonathan was a close friend of David. Jonathan could not believe that his father would want to kill David. Two men wept together in the field. Jonathan was shamed by his father for being a friend to David, and David was under great stress trying to understand what he had done wrong. Their therapy was to cry. Father, as I cry before you, I know it is your way o

Have you ever been caught in an embarrassing position? Don't tell me. I am sure you want to forget that time. Most times we bring it upon ourselves. You could have been angry, fed the wrong information or drunk. Saul too was caught. 1 Samuel 19:24, And he also stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” Saul got very angry and wanted to spear David. Then he went looking for him in his house. Not finding him there he found out that he went with Samuel. 3 sets of messengers were sent by Saul to meet David. But they all ended up prophesying. Saul ended up the same way. God obviously intervened. This has never happened before. God protected David. Father, you have creative ways to protect your people. Thank you for doing that with me and others in my care.

The old advice given by some leaders is that you must be repressive and push your subordinates hard. They need to know you mean business. If you are lax, they will climb over your shoulders. This is absolutely wrong. In my years in leadership I have realized one thing. Respect is earned, not expected or demanded. People follow you because they want to. Not because you demand it. David was a people person. 1 Samuel 18:16, But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them. David's life is totally orchestrated by God. He gets anointed as king in his youth, gets recommended to play music for King Saul, gets noticed as a man of war when he kills Goliath, builds a great reputation with the people through his successful conquests, and mingles with the common man. A man after God's heart. This is a great leader. Father, there is no other way to lead well. Help me to have your heart. This is the only way to have success.

The David and Goliath story is well known and shared with many children through books and presentations. The sad thing is that many think it is a fairy tale. They fail to realize this is the start of David's demonstration of how God was with David from his early years. David had no fear. 1 Samuel 17:32, Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” There is mention that David is a youth. But when he triumphs over Goliath, he is well recognized and no more an obscure shepherd boy. The story of David is greatly inspirational. You cannot not build great lessons from this man and his life. It provides us a picture of what the youth of the world can achieve, if ready and available. Father, I must train well the youth. They are capable of more than we know or expect.

Choosing a new leader is not easy. Many organizations have built their culture and practices around a leader. In some cases the leader has become the icon of the organization for stakeholders external to the organization. Its image or brand value can be greatly impacted with a change in leadership. In Israel's case it was going to be for the better. 1 Samuel 16:7, But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” God taught the people a big lesson. Outward appearance don't count. What matters is the heart of a leader. In this case a leader who is after God's own heart. The person needs to be ready to behave the way God would. He comes highly acclaimed and with a strong biodata. So much so that he enters Saul's presence to serve him after being anointed king by Samuel. 1 Samuel 16:18, Then o

Many organizations have pursued various quality certifications for the primary purpose of differentiating their goods or services against their competitors. However, all quality systems are as good as the people that follow them. Namely, the employees of that organization. They could be checking off the boxes in the form, but not actually checking the product. Saul had a problem with obedience. 1 Samuel 15:15, And Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.” Saul was constantly seeking the approval of man. He did not care if Samuel's instructions were not followed. In fact he set a distance with God by calling Him Samuel's God. Instead, Saul builds himself a monument. He is ready to take the focus from God to himself. I will not repeat everything said in this chapter but this changed the course of history. The whole situation brough

Leadership is about making wise decisions. I am always reminded of Proverbs 9:9, where it says that the wise will be made wiser with teaching, and the righteous will increase their learning. You cannot make wise decisions if you are not wise and righteous. Saul was probably dumbfounded when his son takes the war to the Philistines singlehandedly with his armor bearer. 1 Samuel 14:6, Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.” Saul appears to be upset when the Philistines start to disperse. He makes a roll call to see who is not there. He does other things wrong in this chapter, including starving his people and wanting to kill his son for eating honey. Saul is a great case study in poor spiritual and human leadership. Father, I see and hear this and I seek your wisdom to lead well. Protect my steps as a lea

What is your agenda when you do good to someone? Is it to help them with their wellbeing? Or perhaps is it an enticement to receive a favor? A bribe? What is your real agenda? When we do good what is our agenda? I need to do a "heart check". Saul had his heart checked by God, and it did not look good. 1 Samuel 13:14, But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” Saul focused on the doing so that people could see and acknowledge him. But God is watching the heart. It is difficult to see the heart unless you spend personal time with the person. Saul was very concerned about how he looked with the people. 1 Samuel 13:8, Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. The people were leaving. Saul was losing his hon

I shared at devotions yesterday that prayer is an important component in achieving our God given vision. Prayer helps us connect with Him, releases His favor and yields the power of the Holy Spirit into our situation. If we neglect to pray we are only shortchanging ourselves. Samuel made a commitment to pray. 1 Samuel 12:23, Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way. I also made a commitment to pray daily as part of my personal goals when I joined a one month programme 10 years ago . It has totally transformed my relationship with God and how I operate through the day. In the same verse Samuel commits himself to teaching the people the good and the right way. My learning here is that it is not good enough to pray, but I have to teach. Father, I will pray and teach.

Are you angry? Are you thinking of revenge? Are you scheming ways in which you can get back at someone. It's not worth it. You will only get a bad stomach. Saul was picked to be king but some despised this. There was a call to kill the traitors but Saul said no. 1 Samuel 11:13, But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has accomplished salvation in Israel.” In the heat of the moment we want to do irrational things. After we have done it we wished we could take it back. But it is too late. There is no excuse for this behavior. We only have ourselves to blame. You have total control over your feelings and actions. It is a matter of personal decision or choice. Don't blame someone else. Father, let me always choose right.

Are you a shy person? Unable to stand before crowds of people. Perhaps you fill inferior and out of touch with all that is required of you. But there is no reason to feel that way when the Lord is with you. Samuel says to Saul, for God is with you. 1 Samuel 10:7, And let it be, when these signs come to you, that you do as the occasion demands; for God is with you. When faced with the real thing. The crowds and the stage. You shake and you sweat. You get all numb and tongue tied. Saul was big time scared. 1 Samuel 10:22, Therefore they inquired of the Lord further, “Has the man come here yet?” And the Lord answered, “There he is, hidden among the equipment.” The question that I have is when God is for us, who can be against us? That is all that matters. The God of the Universe is our partner, counselor and friend. Whom shall I fear. Whom shall I be afraid. He has opened the door that no one can shut. He is the Alpha and Omega . The beginning and the end. He is our deliverer in the d

Who do you listen to in the daily course of your day? Your wife? Your boss? Your children? A friend? Or, no one? It can become very lonely if you listen to no one. The TV and radio, and now the internet have become great ways to feel that you are not alone. But it robs us of the relationship and ultimate listening partnership we can have. Samuel had a great listening partnership with God. 1 Samuel 9:17, So when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him, “There he is, the man of whom I spoke to you. This one shall reign over My people.” Every step that Samuel took was prepared by God, and God directed Samuel daily. Would you not want to have that kind of relationship with God, the creator of the universe. This was obviously developed over time from when Samuel was a child. Are you ready for God to speak to you? Father, I am listening.

Lee Yen and I have a daughter and 3 sons.  There are great gifts from the Lord.  Uniquely and wonderfully made with huge plans and ideas for the future.  Our one and only desire, as parents, is to see them rise up to be God fearing individuals that will follow God's ways and impact the world with their unique gifts.  Not great academic results, or great wealth.  If this is given to them then it is for the purpose of fulfilling their unique calling.  As they seek first His kingdom and His righteousness everything else good will follow.  However, Samuel, like his predecessor, did not have a good experience with his sons. 1 Samuel 8:1-3, Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel. The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice. I can feel for Samuel, and you may be asking how th

When you are desperate you would do anything. Sometimes this drives us to do things that will not yield long term benefit, or make it worse. But here the people of Israel are desperate to be released from the oppression of the Philistines. Samuel gives great wise advice. 1 Samuel 7:3, Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the Lord, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” They took the advice and throughout Samuel's days there was peace and Israel got back some of its territories. It was so simple but it took awhile for them to understand. They, like the Philistines, did not fully understand the significance of the ark of the covenant. They only feared it because people died around it. Are you desperate? Get right and pursue the God of the Universe. Father, let me not lose sight of you

We all grew up curious, but our parents made sure we were out of harm's way, or they warned us about dangers. One of those times I did not heed my parent's warning was when I played with a power socket behind the TV. I got quite a jolt and probably cried loudly. My curiosity got the better of me. A worst thing happened when the Philistines finally figured out that they needed to return the ark. 1 Samuel 6:19, Then He struck the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord. He struck fifty thousand and seventy men of the people, and the people lamented because the Lord had struck the people with a great slaughter. This reminds me of sin. We are always curious about the effects of sin. Those engaged in it seem to enjoy it. But your God given conscience says, NO. But you still do it and you suffer the consequences of the sin. Don't try Brothers and Sisters. There is great freedom when you run from sin. The pleasures of sin are only for a short time,

When you are down with a flu, do you go out and spend the night out on the town? Do you party all night with your flu? Please excuse the expression. You must be either stupid or crazy! You are not being sensible. You are doing something that causes your condition to persist, or even get worse. The Philistines are also stupid or crazy. 1 Samuel 5:7, And when the men of Ashdod saw how it was, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is harsh toward us and Dagon our god.” Their god just got whacked and the people started getting sick because of a powerful God. Who do you call when you have this situation? The logical thing is to call the powerful God. What did they do? They sent the ark out of their city. I am using blunt language here because it is no point being sensitive to people's feelings when they lose the plot. Father, help me to show the loving and faithful God you are to all peoples.

When someone speaks, do you pay attention? Our mind can switch between so many things that we could be doing injustice to the person we are listening to and to ourselves when we get distracted. We need to make a personal decision to stay focused and keep our full attention with the person we are speaking with. The people of Israel were distracted. You wander what the distraction was. 1 Samuel 4:3, And when the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Shiloh to us, that when it comes among us it may save us from the hand of our enemies.” They were distracted by the worship of other gods. When they lost and were desperate they turned to Eli and his sons to take the ark into battle. Their hearts were divided. They treated the ark like any other god. The whole episode led to the death of Eli and his sons in addition to a great defeat for Israel. 1 Samuel 4:1

How old must you be before you can effectively engage in adult conversations? Most governments in the world, if not all, only hold a person responsible for their actions when they reach 18 or thereabouts. But is that the right age? I would prefer to go back to God's design. God designed puberty at the age of about 12. Jesus went to the temple to engage the teachers at that age. Samuel was also picked to hear God at that age based on the historian, Josephus. 1 Samuel 3:1, Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation. He is called a boy here but his transition to adulthood is imminent. We are all always giving excuses for our young people when they are fully capable of taking responsibility and getting things done. Based on what we read in this chapter, it is apparent that Eli had groomed him and helped nurture Samuel before he became a young man. His first call to adulthood was supernatura

A mother's love for her children is unmatched. She would do anything possible to gain the best for them. At the same time they go through huge stresses of life in meeting the needs of the family, as well as expectations set. Hannah was one such person, but she had a wonderful husband, Elkanah. As a couple they blessed this child Samuel greatly. 1 Samuel 2:19, Moreover his mother used to make him a little robe, and bring it to him year by year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. Hannah gave up her oldest and only son without asking the Lord for more. But she was blessed with 5 more children. What a testimony of faithfulness. 1 Samuel 2:21, And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the child Samuel grew before the Lord. While our mothers have great love and wish for the best for us, God has specially chosen each of us. It is up to us to fulfill our God given destiny. God only wants the best as

I am my parent's oldest and only son. There is always a thought that I may have a brother but that is not known. In many cultures, while daughters are important for different reasons, sons have an important role in the family because of the passing of the lineage to the next generation. This is true in the Hebrew culture. 1 Samuel 1:22, But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “Not until the child is weaned; then I will take him, that he may appear before the Lord and remain there forever.” Hannah sought the Lord heavily for a son and the priest Eli blessed her request. Hannah however made a commitment to dedicate the child to the Lord for His service. He was to remain for the Lord's service forever. Though having a son was important, Hannah was prepared to give up her first born son to the ministry. She may not have any more children but she had faith in the Lord to give up her son for the Lord's service. Lee Yen and I have great hopes for our children. Bu

How far into the future can you see? As for me, not very far. However, I do have a vision for the future. It is built on God's purpose for my life. How that vision will be achieved globally is becoming clearer and I continue to seek God's wisdom on this. When Ruth came with child a number of people spoke some great words to Naomi, her mother-in-law. Ruth 4:15, And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.” These are words of encouragement and prophesy. They speak life into a life filled with death in the past. Naomi reached her bottom but God had a special plan for her and her descendents. The baby Obed was born to Boaz and Ruth. As they sought God and His righteousness, the vision became a reality. Father, help me to be like Naomi and Ruth. Never give up just pursue God and His ways.

Are you a patient person? In the Character First program, that I have been using the last 17 years, patience is defined as accepting a difficult situation without giving a deadline to remove it. However, on the other hand, the person being waited on needs to also demonstrate good character by acting quickly. Responsibility is knowing and doing what is expected of me. In this chapter you have both character qualities being discussed by Naomi. Ruth 3:18, Then she said, “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.” Ruth could act unwisely by rushing into the relationship with Boaz. Boaz could leave the matter to much later to be resolved and not care about the whole thing. Naomi gave good advice to Ruth. Father, help me work responsibly and with patience. I must do that which is assigned today. Not tomorrow.

Many of us have the usual mother-in-law stories and many times create humor out of these stories. The word in the English language is clearly indicating a relationship by law. But in the Word of God the original Hebrew does not relate to the same thing. Ruth 2:19, And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where have you gleaned today? And where did you work? Blessed be the one who took notice of you.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, and said, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.” The word mother-in-law comes from the Hebrew word chômâh, which means to join ; a wall of protection: - wall, walled. Therefore, once you are married, you are joined and enjoy a wall of protection with the parents of your husband. This is not by the law of the land, but God's economy. Naomi was gracious in releasing her two daughters-in-law but Ruth chose to remain joined with her. In the Indian and Chinese culture it is the same. We have the same term for both sets of

Lee Yen and I got married in 1991. We met in 1986 at church and were active in the works of the church, including missions and the young adults group. We only started courting with her family's blessing in April 1991. We had a joint family meeting middle of that year and got married in church on December 28. It was the start of a wonderful union. I thank God for Lee Yen and the commitment we made with each other. Our theme verse for the wedding was this verse in Ruth. Ruth 1:16, But Ruth said: Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. Lee Yen and I were from very different cultures. Our wedding had the message delivered first in English, Chinese and then Tamil. Our friends and relatives, many of them prebelievers, heard God's Word for the first time, including the verse above. At that time neither of our parents were Ch

In today's world everyone seems to be celebrating their ability to do what they like, instead of what is best for their eternal good. One of the most important area is sexuality. While we can accept that having attractions towards a person of the same sex may occur in people, we cannot accept that this is normal. It is not.  Don't get me wrong. I am friends with people with this lifestyle but I pray that they will be released from it. This problem has been there through ancient times, including the period of the judges of Israel. The issue with the tribe of Benjamin being potentially lost is because of this. The book of Judges finishes with this verse. Judges 21:25, In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. There are countries in the world that have decriminalized homosexuality, allowed same sex marriages, and now are expunging records of those convicted in the past for sodomy. By accepting this behavior you are breaking the fami

Israel has a lot of history. I am not sure when I would ever be able to go there. As I read the Bible I continue to be amazed by the rich heritage the Lord gave the people of Israel and the followers of Jesus Christ. They were not a perfect group of people, and probably this contributed to them being used as lessons for all of us. One such lesson is how the Benjamites responded to the advance of the Israeli Army against them for committing a vicious act as described in my previous post. The people of Benjamin suffered badly. Judges 20:35, The Lord defeated Benjamin before Israel. And the children of Israel destroyed that day twenty-five thousand one hundred Benjamites; all these drew the sword. Man has never been perfect and various sacrifices were instituted to receive forgiveness for sins committed. The people of Benjamin felt proud and arrogant, overlooking the sin of some of their brethren. Gibeah is probably no ordinary place as Saul reigned there. But nevertheless a great sin h