Sreedhar's Journey

Some say age is just in the mind. I say it is in your general well-being, starting of course with your mind. Much of our aging comes from stress. I see heads nodding. Anger, anxiety, disappointment, greed, and the list can keep going. In a way, if we want to age gracefully, the choice is ours. I hear many, "hmmm's". Switching topics before I draw great debate, the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty. 1 Chronicles 23:3, Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and above; and the number of individual males was thirty-eight thousand. But later in the chapter it is mentioned that they were taken into service at the age of twenty and above. 1 Chronicles 23:27, For by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above; There seems to be a change of mind that requires deeper study. It is obvious a census was taken initially for those aged 30 and above. However, David's last words on the matter was to have those ag...

Have you built your house from scratch? I salute you. I have a friend in Canada who bought a barn and remodeled it to be a wonderful home. It is obviously huge with high ceilings, etc. As for me, my experience was in renovating our home that we bought some years ago. Thankfully my better half is an interior designer by training. I only needed a budget and my check book. David carefully budgeted a huge amount and prepared all the resources needed to build God's house. He then prayed for Solomon to be able to build this great House. 1 Chronicles 22:12, Only may the Lord give you wisdom and understanding, and give you charge concerning Israel, that you may keep the law of the Lord your God. The chapter also records the advice given to Solomon by David on how he should live. But given the history of Solomon's reign, it is evident that he did not follow this advice. We know the story. The kingdom was split in two after him. The rest is history. Yes, building the house of God is i...

In the old days people kept their money in the best possible safe places they could find. Every now and then they would do a counting exercise to both clean the money and ensure it is all still there. Some get very obsessed with this because they almost treat money as their god. David was also very obsessed with the strength of his armed forces that he decided to count them. What is the issue? Israel won their battles not because they had a large force but because, as we learned yesterday, the Lord does what is good in His sight. God gave Israel the victory. Not their numbers or their skills. The story in this chapter is a painful lesson for David. It caused him to repent and learn to honor God. 1 Chronicles 21:24, Then King David said to Ornan, “No, but I will surely buy it for the full price, for I will not take what is yours for the Lord, nor offer burnt offerings with that which costs me nothing.” This is an important milestone. The location for the sacrifice is Jerus...

Do you have big dreams? Sometimes we fall short because we made great strides towards the big dream and we STOP. We allow complacency to step in and we are never able to achieve what we had originally dreamed. David was no different. 1 Chronicles 20:1, It happened in the spring of the year, at the time kings go out to battle, that Joab led out the armed forces and ravaged the country of the people of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. And Joab defeated Rabbah and overthrew it. David stayed in Jerusalem and did not go to war. He was instead consumed by the power, riches and eventually women. You may disagree with me, but I believe that God was ready to expand and enlarge the kingdom beyond what is was. Perhaps totally defeat the Egyptians and the Assyrians. Can they do that? That's why the chapter ends with stories of how they were defeating giants. Father, let me not shortchange myself and settle for less.

Everyday is a new day. Anything can happen. New challenges. New issues to resolve. New problems to solve. Not enough time. Not enough resources. Your boss is after you for results. Family needs. Joab, David's chief of forces, takes a powerful stand and makes a wonderful statement. 1 Chronicles 19:13, Be of good courage, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. And may the Lord do what is good in His sight.” The army of Israel is facing 2 armies front and back. The Syrians and the people of Ammon. Very challenging indeed, but God is in charge. Joab does not say that God will give them victory. He says God will do what is good in His sight. Two things are observed here. Joab recognizes that God is in control. The second is that God will do what is right. We live under His strength and mercy. Father, you know best and you will take care of it.

You often get this question in the corporate world. Is your organization well organized with the right systems and processes? Are you using the best technologies? The usual final question is whether you have the right people. Do you have the right people doing the right jobs? King David seems to have all this in place as he expanded the territories of Israel like never before. 1 Chronicles 18:14, So David reigned over all Israel, and administered judgment and justice to all his people. As I read this chapter, it is truly amazing that a small clan can achieve so much. The boundaries extended into modern day Iraq, Syria and the borders of Egypt. The chapter finishes with mention of the people in his cabinet and the position of Chief Ministers occupied by his sons. Other rulers came to him and paid tribute. Only God could have done all this. From poor shepherd boy to leader of a super power. It started with him stating this. 1 Samuel 17:45, Then David said to the Philistine, “You...

I still remember the days before my Mum let me use her car that I would ride the bus to work. Those were truly the days. As a consultant, that walked into some important corporate and government offices, this may have seemed odd. But that was my life for the first 2 years of my working life. But God took me from that to an accelerated adventure of favor. Another man in history got even bigger favor. 1 Chronicles 17:7, Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel. David was forgotten when Jesse was presenting his sons to Samuel. After his anointing, he was divinely connecting with King Saul as both his personal musician and his fighting man. And then God promises him something bigger. 1 Chronicles 17:12, He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. This is the blessing God pronounces to David's son. This is a statement ...

When you receive great news, this is always a cause for celebration. It feels good. The more immediately you feel victory the more immediate you are ignited with victory. The people of Israel were greatly ignited to praise God as the ark was installed in Jerusalem. 1 Chronicles 16:24, Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. 1 Chronicles 16:31, Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; And let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns. This became a reality because David made clear steps to bring the ark to Jerusalem. He was obedient to God's call for them to worship God together. The people were blessed as the song was sung. They declared this among the nations prophetically. Father, the good news is for everyone to celebrate. I pray that all peoples will hear it and celebrate.

Producing a movie is not easy. But with proper planning it can be done. A good story and money is not enough. You need a good plan. And once the plan is developed you need to stick to it. Making changes midway may result in many things not being considered as these changes may need to be done with little time. The people of Israel also had to stick to the original plan. 1 Chronicles 15:15, And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders, by its poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord. The commands given by Moses from God are ancient, but still very much relevant. The message of salvation is ancient but still very relevant today. It is difficult to ignore the events of history that point to the fulfillment of ancient prophecies and writings. We need to stick to the original plan of God. If our personal plan is not in alignment with that, we will be operating suboptimally. God's original plan of salvation was given to every ancient civ...

Starting a new business in a market where competition is heavy is never easy. You have to be very clear about how you differentiate your products against your competitors. It needs to uniquely meet an unmet need. It needs to quickly establish credibility and build trust in the brand. David was a new king. Saul was defeated by the Philistines. David needed help. 1 Chronicles 14:14, Therefore David inquired again of God, and God said to him, “You shall not go up after them; circle around them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. In round one he did a direct hit on the Philistines. In round 2 God directed him to do it differently. All this required that David inquire and obey God. My learning from this is that no matter what you are doing, seek God and obey His commands. Do nothing with human wisdom. Father, I need Godly wisdom.

Transportation of goods over land is a great business. Most manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers do not want to have the hassle or the risk of managing a fleet of transport vehicles to deliver their goods around the country. King David had the same concern. Especially after a priest dies trying to support an unstable ark. 1 Chronicles 13:14, The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house three months. And the Lord blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that he had. As we read on into the next chapter we know that the ark is meant to be carried on the shoulders of the priests, and not on a cart drawn by animals. These were specific instructions given. In the process, the people of Israel learnt the holiness of God. They also learnt how His presence can be a great blessing. 1 Chronicles 13:14, The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house three months. And the Lord blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that he had. Father, there is really n...

When you are engaged in a fight you hope you have the support of many. I have never fought a physical fight, but certainly fought for government policy change and seeing God's will prevail in every aspect of my life, and my family's. David had a serious challenge with Saul, but he knew that God will take care of the situation. He had total confidence as many men of valor started joining him. 1 Chronicles 12:17, And David went out to meet them, and answered and said to them, “If you have come peaceably to me to help me, my heart will be united with you; but if to betray me to my enemies, since there is no wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers look and bring judgment.” The chapter seems to indicate tens of thousands joined him. God showed favor upon him as he stayed within God's plan for his life. He was weak for a period, but at the appropriate time he gained huge support. He waited for his time. Father, help me to be patient with your perfect timing for everythin...

Do you love history? I love it and so does my Pastor. In fact he has a Masters degree in Ancient History. We both agree that the Bible is a great source book to understand the actual behind the scenes human activities. There is a key time when history turned and has had impact through the ages. 1 Chronicles 11:4, And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus, where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land. David and his men went on to defeat the Jebusites and called Jerusalem home and the City of David. However, over the years it has been the center of controversy. It started with the founder of a major religion calling it a major holy site, the Ottoman empire conquering it, followed by the crusades, and the reestablishment of the nation of Israel. My focus today is not on Jerusalem and what it means to the Jews, Christians and other faiths. It is the fact that these are historical facts. If we can agree on this, then we need to seriously consider God's great...

I have a big challenge. I love to serve but there is only one of me. And so when I make a commitment I cannot fulfill, it is bad. I will endeavor to pace myself to keep everything in order. I will continue to submit everything to God to gain greatest order in everything I do. But Saul had a different problem. He was unfaithful. 1 Chronicles 10:13, So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the word of the Lord, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance. Saul put himself in a corner when pride, arrogance and self reliance caused him to ignore God. It is a bad move. Anything done with human effort alone does not work. It is deprived of God's hand and wisdom. Why do something without the input and blessing of someone who is all powerful, all knowing and all present? Father, let me never do anything without your power and strength.

When you are going to move to a new place you will need to find a place to stay. It can be stressful to keep looking and not find an appropriate home. We had such an experience 9 years ago. By God's grace everything worked out well within 1 week so that we could move out of our temporary accommodations and go to a place we could call home. The people of Israel probably experienced the same thing. 1 Chronicles 9:2, And the first inhabitants who dwelt in their possessions in their cities were Israelites, priests, Levites, and the Nethinim. As they started to move back to Jerusalem they must have had a stressful time finding suitable accommodation. The hardship was probably great. But in the process they found their permanent home after 70 years of captivity in Babylon. Yes, there is hardship in moving. When you forsee this hardship, you do not want to move. But when God says move you move, go through temporary hardship and settle down for God's new blessings in a new place. F...

In any organization even the lowest ranking and lowest paid individual matters. I am reminded of the court case in Indianapolis where a business was sued for over a million dollars because a cleaner did not put up a wet floor sign and someone slipped on the wet floor. The customer facing staff can make or break an organization. For this reason even the smallest tribe in Israel is mentioned here. 1 Chronicles 8:40, The sons of Ulam were mighty men of valor—archers. They had many sons and grandsons, one hundred and fifty in all. These were all sons of Benjamin. You may feel insignificant and wish to be in the background, but you are important. God chose you out of the many. The numbers may be few but you are called for an important plan. You may be just putting away the chairs, but your work speaks into the lives of those that sat on it. Father, help me encourage those who have been called to serve in both big and small ways.

There are two wars that are considered modern day wars and were labeled world wars. However, looking back in history, there have been significant wars involving much of the civilized world. The Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes, Alexandra the Great, Romans, Arabs, Moghuls and the list goes on. The people of Israel recounted in these early chapters of Chronicles the might of the Israeli army. 1 Chronicles 7:5, Now their brethren among all the families of Issachar were mighty men of valor, listed by their genealogies, eighty-seven thousand in all. Does God need numbers? While the entire chapter seems to emphasize the strength of the fighting force of Israel, there is a need to look at what God is able to do with the few. How few can it be? I believe really few. Our strength comes from the power of God. The word valor is similar to strength. God provides the supernatural ability and divine ordinance for victory. Father, I will not trust in chariots or horses. I will trust in you...

Have you been keeping things for a rainy day? It can get pretty crowded when you accumulate too many things. You sometimes forget what you got. However, we have a Heavenly Father who does not forget. There is a Jewish priest that was taken into captivity not forgotten. 1 Chronicles 6:15, Jehozadak went into captivity when the Lord carried Judah and Jerusalem into captivity by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. In this chapter there is an elaborate mention of the genealogy of the tribe of Levi, and the lands given across Israel for them to dwell in. However, the people of Israel continued to rebel against God and forced many of these priests to include worship of other gods. But God preserved a remnant. Jehozadak was remembered, brought back to Jerusalem and was mentioned as one of the key individuals used to rebuild God's house and the sacrifices. This priest remained faithful. I am reminded of the need to stay faithful to the call God has on our lives. Father, I will remain faithful ...

If someone something significant for you, do you easily forget? You may remember the incident but your interactions with them may not reflect your gratitude. Such was the case with these tribes of Israel. God did some significant things for them. 1 Chronicles 5:20, And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all who were with them, for they cried out to God in the battle. He heeded their prayer, because they put their trust in Him. It goes on to say that God took over. 1 Chronicles 5:22, for many fell dead, because the war was God’s. And they dwelt in their place until the captivity. However, they forgot all this so easily in the ensuing years and worshiped the gods that were in the land. They acted with great foolishness and God removed His protection and presence, leading them to be defeated by the Assyrian army. They had a great legacy of God's abiding presence but they forgot. 1 Chronicles 5:24, These were the heads of their fat...

Are you a praying person? I am. It is so refreshing to be able to meet with the creator of the Universe and have a wonderful discourse with Him on the day's activities gone by and what we can look forward to. Jabez in ancient times did the same. 1 Chronicles 4:10, And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested. He had the boldness to ask for blessing of enlarged land. But this was not all that he asked for. He also asked for God's hand be with him, keep him from evil and that he will not cause pain. This reminds me of the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples. This word to me today is confirmation of what I need to share to the nations today. Yes, God we need to come to the Heavenly Father with boldness, seeking His help to keep us from evil and be with us always, so that our ...

Do you have a complicated family structure? God's design for the family is one father, one mother and children (I know childless couples but I am adding them here as part of normal biological process for a family). However, relationships have become complex with divorce, greater sexual promiscuity, single parents and same sex attracting. Our ancient days patriarchs had the same problem. 1 Chronicles 3:9, These were all the sons of David, besides the sons of the concubines, and Tamar their sister. Why indulge? There is a founder of a major religion who also had challenges controlling his fleshly desires. God desires that we look to Him and not man. Jesus is truly the only way, truth and life. No one compares to Him. We can only honor and respect a fellow human being, but God deserves our worship and praise. Father, let me not look to man but to you. Jesus is the author and finisher of my faith.

Do you know your family tree. Unfortunately, no one in my family documented this. I only know that my paternal and maternal grandparents came to Malaya, as it was called at that time, from Salem, Tamil Nadu and Kanur, Kerala. I am sure there are some amazing stories of adventure, challenge and success from my family tree. The people of Israel were no different, but they have great records. One of the significant ones is the lineage of David. 1 Chronicles 2:13-15, Jesse begot Eliab his firstborn, Abinadab the second, Shimea the third, Nethanel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, Ozem the sixth, and David the seventh. Jesse had 7 sons, but David was the forgotten son tending sheep. He had great adventures, challenges and success through his life. He started early. He was first anointed to be king before he turned 20. He was skillful in killing bears and lions, and playing musical instruments and singing. God was hiding him till an appropriate time. But, his time was early. This was the same ...

The Middle East has rich history. Because early civilization started there and spread to other parts of the world, many customs and beliefs can be traced back to the Middle East. I just started the first book of Chronicles. It has a detailed history of the people's lineage. Some prominent kingdoms are mentioned. One of these Edom. 1 Chronicles 1:43, Now these were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before a king reigned over the children of Israel: Bela the son of Beor, and the name of his city was Dinhabah. The Edomites are relatives of the people of Israel through Esau the brother of Jacob. These people lived in an area that is roughly in modern day Jordan. Possibly some Jordanians are from this ancient people. They developed government with chiefs and a combined or collective kingdom. All this happened before Israel had a king. Who was Israel's king? God! Father, you are the King of kings and the Lord of lords! I may be leading or directing an effort , but you are ...

In the old days you used to hear the term POW and MIA. Today, with the many atrocities that go on, there is little heard about prisoners of war (POWs), or POW camps. Instead, you hear more about missing in action (MIA) personnel. Warfare is implemented cruelly like in ancient times. But there is one person that experienced great favor. 2 Kings 25:27, Now it came to pass in the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, that Evil-Merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. After 37 years, Jehoiachin was released from prison and provided a regular stipend. He must have been well taken care of in prison to be able to survive that long. And now this king of Babylon shows him great favor. I believe that God's promises to Father Abraham were not forgotten. Father, I know "you've got my back". You will always be there.

Malaysia just went through a transition of power back to the longest serving Prime Minister. Given the politics in the country, it is difficult to talk about the change in power based on political parties or idealogies. It can be quite confusing. Judah was no different. It was a mess. First the breaking into two kingdoms and their worship of foreign gods. They were between two superpowers. Egypt and Babylon. In the end Babylon won, and Egypt stayed out of the conflict. 2 Kings 24:14, Also he carried into captivity all Jerusalem: all the captains and all the mighty men of valor, ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths. None remained except the poorest people of the land. The politics of the region continues to be complicated today. In ancient times, if you lived during those days, you would have said Israel and Judah is gone and there is no hope of revival. But in God's wisdom, He preserved a remnant that the Babylonian empire and the Medes protected. This is an am...

When there is new understanding it should be followed by change. It has been said that if at least 2% of a population feels strongly about something, it could lead to radical change. The king of Judah got new understanding. He decided to have another read of God's word, but this time with all peoples. 2 Kings 23:2, The king went up to the house of the Lord with all the men of Judah, and with him all the inhabitants of Jerusalem—the priests and the prophets and all the people, both small and great. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant which had been found in the house of the Lord. Great change happened after this. Anything that was against the word of God was destroyed or taken away. It was drastic and probably supported by the people. One of our Haggai Leaders is going to speak about writing for the web in the Philippines. This is so encouraging. We need the Word of God to be presented actively on the web for the sake of lost souls. We need mor...

Have you looked in your book shelves recently? Did you find a book that you really liked before, or you found a book with an interesting title that you started to read. This happened in ancient times in Israel. What a discovery. 2 Kings 22:8, Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. There was excitement. The king's men were on a different assignment. They were to collect monies collected at the temple and give it to the craftsmen to repair the temple. Immediately after reporting on this they revealed their discovery. 2 Kings 22:10, Then Shaphan the scribe showed the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king. The rest is history. King Josiah tore his clothes and inquired of the Lord. Judah returned to the Lord because they discovered God's Book and read it. Father, let me discover ...

Yet again there is another bombing by a terrorist group targeting innocent people. When is this going to stop? Are they a part of the world's fastest growing religion? In ancient times there was a Jewish king that also shed innocent blood. 2 Kings 21:16, Moreover Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides his sin by which he made Judah sin, in doing evil in the sight of the Lord. Great judgement was proclaimed against the people of Judah for this. Manasseh  constructed and worshiped many gods. He made many human sacrifices to his gods. It appears that in these modern times these terrorists groups are doing the same in the name of their god. Father, I pray that they will find Jesus who is the way the truth and the life.

I am sure you have been told to never trust strangers. Once I was approached by a total stranger who said he needed to borrow a bicycle. My friend and I did not trust him, but we let him borrow my friend's bike while we followed him from the back in my bike. However, we lost him! Hezekiah trusted total strangers. 2 Kings 20:13, And Hezekiah was attentive to them, and showed them all the house of his treasures—the silver and gold, the spices and precious ointment, and all his armory—all that was found among his treasures. There was nothing in his house or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them. Isaiah chastised Hezekiah and said that these Babylonians will plunder everything and even take captives to work as eunuchs. Hezekiah was serious in following God's ways but some pride and ego crept in. The question we must all ask ourselves is, "Why are we doing this?". If it is for selfish ambition, STOP IT! Father, help me do all things for the benefit of othe...