Sreedhar's Journey

We live in a world where electricity and water are taken as a given.  We feel it immediately when either of these are down.  There is almost no back-up.  You need both.  They are essential for modern (and especially city) living.  I am typing away at my computer this morning. However, before I could do this, I needed water to freshen up, and electricity to operate this computer.  But still there is something (or someone) more essential. Isaiah 46:9-10 Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’ Isaiah continues in His message from God speaking about how beasts of burden carry the human made statues adorned with gold and silver.  Let's get it straight one more time. There is something more essential than electrici...

Are you being watched?  Is it a foe or friend?  Do you have anything to fear or get upset about?  Even though your children do not want to be watched, they always appreciate it in the end.  I think.  At least I would love to have people checking on me and having sincere concern over how I am doing.  But too often we expect it and fail to realize that we need to reach out first.  We need to stay connected and allow people to minister to us.  We tend to isolate ourselves and find "things" to occupy us. Isaiah 45:22-23 Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath. Through Isaiah, in this chapter, God makes clear His attributes and what He is capable of. He has total control of human history and can even bless a king (Cyru...

Some time ago I read news about a person who went amok and used a machete to destroy a number of statues of gods in a temple. Yes, the statues could not protect themselves. This is not the same as a church being attacked as it is just a building. But here we have gods being attacked with no ability to protect themselves. Isaiah 44 speaks quite directly about this. The fact that the same wood, and now perhaps plaster, is used for multiple things. Read the chapter by clicking the link here and you will understand what I mean.  Here is a small extract. Isaiah 44:16-17 He burns half of it in the fire; With this half he eats meat; He roasts a roast, and is satisfied. He even warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm, I have seen the fire.” And the rest of it he makes into a god, His carved image. He falls down before it and worships it, Prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!” God is determined to save us. Look to him for your salvation....

I have taken the cross Canada bus service a number of times during my days as a student in Toronto. It cost only CAD 99 one way from Toronto to Vancouver allowing as many stops as you want along the way. As a student it was cheap and I could visit my friends and see the Rockies. The part of the journey that was most boring was the travel through the Canadian prairies. And so, I would try to time my journey to pass through this part at night. The road was straight as far as the eye could see and flat. All you could see was wheat fields and the occasional grain silos and farm houses. It almost looked barren like a desert. But actually it is so rich and reminds of this verse in Isaiah 43. Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert. Yes, God promises to provide prosperity in the midst of a difficult phase of our lives. Agriculture was important for the pe...

Too often we are so full of ourselves. An American slang meaning we only think of ourselves and ignore the needs of others. What happened to compassion, relationships and hospitality. There are many more things I could say about mankind but you know it just as well or even better. A 75 year Harvard study Ted speech went viral because I think what was shared resonates deep down in each of us. We need relationships to make us happiest. Click here to go watch the video . We know it! Likewise, God is clear in His message in chapter 42 of Isaiah. Isaiah 42:6-7 says, "I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house".  The language used here is very personal and inclusive. God not only wants to maintain His divine relationship with the Jews but He wants to...

Ever felt helpless in your life and did not know where to turn to? I have experienced that many times, and I am very thankful that I could turn to God and He gave me peace. While living with your parents you don't really have to worry about much except perhaps when there are disagreements within the family. I came to know the Lord when I was 14 and so when I left home to study in Toronto I knew God and I knew I could turn to Him when I felt helpless. He is better than any help you can get. He will figure out what friends and resources are needed to help you. The phrase "I will take care of it" rings in my ears. Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. The people of Israel were no different. God was their help in times of need.  Not only did God provide protection and victories against their enemies but also allowed vegetation...

How big is the universe? Check out How Big is the Universe for some thoughts on this matter. If you read it, you will get a sense that the scientists can only tell you what they have seen and measured. They are unable to tell you anything more. They can postulate additional ideas but they would not be able to tell you for sure. What does the Book of Life say? This is the book that helps us for anything in life, if we care to study it. Isaiah 40:12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, Measured heaven with a span And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales And the hills in a balance? The saying "There is more to it than meets the eye" is quite apt here. We cannot know more than God. The more you know, the more you know how much you don't know. But we choose to minimize Him to things that we create with our own hands and worship them. Isaiah in this chapter refers to that . This chapter is so ri...

Cautiousness is an important character quality taught and shared in the Character First program that I am responsible for in the region. Through my days in both the corporate and ministry sphere there have been glaring lack of cautiousness in my life. Sometimes they result in minor negative consequences and other times major loss. The kingdom of Judah was to suffer major loss due to Hezekiah lacking this character. Isaiah 39:2 And Hezekiah was pleased with them, and showed them 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. The Babylonians were considered to be from a far country by King Hezekiah. I suppose it is all relative. But they were not far enough to be able to one day over run Jerusalem and fulfill the prophecy Isaiah gives after Hezekiah shows off everything Jerusalem has. Watch wher...

Our days are numbered from the day we are conceived. Or, should I say, before that. God in His sovereignty knows exactly how long we will live. He knows us. Jeremiah 1:5 says he knew us before we were even conceived. Our lives can be said to have been preconceived by God. While He gives us free will, He has foreknowledge of our actions and circumstances and outcomes. He also listens to our pleadings. Abraham did that for Lot and Hezekiah did it for his life. Isaiah 38:5 “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years. Isaiah 38:7-8 And this is the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing which He has spoken: Behold, I will bring the shadow on the sundial, which has gone down with the sun on the sundial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward.” So the sun returned ten degrees on the dial by which it had gone down. The day turned back for a mome...

No one wins a war as the saying goes. Each warring party equips themselves as much as possible for the fight. Much is thrown into this effort but everyone loses. I believe the imminent war being waged against Jerusalem by the Assyrians was no different. But God is having his last say and things can turn out very differently. Isaiah 37:20 Now therefore, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord, You alone. Hezekiah finished his prayer cry to the Lord and God honored his prayer. Verse 36 says, "Then the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses—all dead".  How do that many people within an 8 hour period die? Assuming that is the window of sleep. Only God can do it. Need a miracle? Yes, I do. I need a few. Cry out in prayer before God. Father, I need your interventi...

Winning a battle is not easy when you do not have the necessary arms and personnel. Great dependence is placed on neighboring countries to support the defenses of another country. When you are hard pressed to get the right level of support, you might as well surrender. Such was the case with Hezekiah in the defense of the last city of Judah, Jerusalem. What would you do? Isaiah 36:14-15 Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you; nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, “The Lord will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” ’ You are in a seemingly checkmate situation. No where to go? Except what your enemy says. Hezekiah stood his ground but his lieutenants tore their clothes due to hopelessness of the situation. The enemies are at the gates and there is no escape. I have found myself in a corner many times in my life. The greatest corner was experienced in my lat...

I heard that Israel has some great agricultural technologies that takes arid desert soil and makes it suitable for growing crops. I am reminded of that when I read Isaiah chapter 35 where the desert is transformed to become a place full of life. Yes, it is a miracle of God and His blessing. Isaiah 35:4 Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear.  Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you".  You may be going through a desert experience but God is ready to transform your environment, and your life.  When things get hopeless do not despair.  The Lord who watches over us has got it all.  When we least expect it, He will intervene.  What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul.  You can attempt to keep everything good and right, but because it is human effort it will not last.  Get with God, the Maker of Heaven and Earth. Father, let the ...

As we grow older do we get hearing problems?  I am not sure.  But, I certainly had an ear issue the other day.  It was both silly and funny.  A small piece of soap got stuck in my ear canal. Don't ask me how it happened.  For a whole night and morning I went around hearing with one ear and ringing in the other.  I tried everything and finally had to go to the doctors.  It was a quick process and the attending nurse and physician had a good laugh. Isaiah 34:1 Come near, you nations, to hear; And heed, you people! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, The world and all things that come forth from it. If ever there is a need to see or feel the desert experience, read this chapter. Such was the case for this area where God pronounces judgement. The chapter starts with the verb "hear". Are we hearing Him? Otherwise, the desert experience is coming. Father, help me hear you. I want to walk in the pleasure of your will and avoid the ...

Many have set and pursued their vision and mission.  Some have written them down and have made detailed and diligent steps.  Whether written or unwritten, they would need to figure out their personal core values that drives them to fulfill their vision and mission.  For a follower of Jesus Christ, these core values are completely a given, and are completely driven by God. Isaiah 33:5 & 6 The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, And the strength of salvation; The fear of the Lord is His treasure. This chapter has some keywords to be picked up and not taken lightly. Justice, righteousness, wisdom, knowledge, salvation and the fear of the Lord. Almost like big core values that God is telling the people of Israel to have in order to be successful in the Lord. I have meditated on this and have done further study.  My failings have been gre...

It is human nature to seek to be in a position of comfort. However, sometimes this means at the expense of others, i.e. someone else's comfort is compromised or we got it through evil means.  You are gaining at the expense of somebody else. Isaiah 32:7 Also the schemes of the schemer are evil; He devises wicked plans To destroy the poor with lying words, Even when the needy speaks justice. Whole nations have been wiped out because the attitudes of the nation moved towards a lack of compassion and justice. A nation cannot stay vibrant and alive for too long under these conditions. Such was the case for Israel. Isaiah 32:17-18 The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, In secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places, Wake up my soul and do what is right in God's sight. Operate with compassion and justice. Walk away from evil things and e...

I believe this is repeated in many homes. My wife is a very orderly person. Everything gets put away including the husband's "stuff". So when he goes looking for his "stuff" in the middle of his "mess", he finds no "mess". Panic stations! Then she says it is right there. Look closer. After 1 hour, or sometimes after a day, you finally find it. You thought it is lost or the wife threw it away but it was right there in front of you. Just in a slightly different place. Can you identify with this story? Our relationship with God is like that. Isaiah 31:3 Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; And their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out His hand, Both he who helps will fall, And he who is helped will fall down; They all will perish together. God is there. He has always been there. He has never gone away. In the midst of trouble He is still there. But many times we look elsewhere for help. Don't...

Failure is a given.  However, what you do with that experience will determine whether you build on it on get into a cycle of failures.  We need to understand the deeper reasons for a failure, learn from it and do differently the next time. Isaiah 30:1 “Woe to the rebellious children,” says the Lord, “Who take counsel, but not of Me, And who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, That they may add sin to sin;  The message is clear. No Godly counsel and without the power of the Holy Spirit.  The people of Israel will fail (and have failed before) if they are depending on Egypt to defend against Assyria. But the Lord is gracious. As they cry out in their adversity, God comes to thwart the plans of the adversary. He is gracious. Isaiah 30:18 Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him. We...

Recovery is so important. Whether you are sick. You are playing a sport. Or, running a business. I read two New Zealand sports news in the past that demonstrates recovery. The Black Sticks (New Zealand Hockey team) were down 2 goals to Australia but they managed to recover and win 3-2. The Highlanders (Otago, New Zealand professional Super Rugby team) were down big time but they did not give up. They scored 2 tries close to each other towards the end of the second half but lost by 1 point. There is room for recovery. Isaiah 29:22-24 Therefore thus says the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: “Jacob shall not now be ashamed, Nor shall his face now grow pale; But when he sees his children, The work of My hands, in his midst, They will hallow My name, And hallow the Holy One of Jacob, And fear the God of Israel. These also who erred in spirit will come to understanding, And those who complained will learn doctrine." Jerusalem was so...

Are you are forgetful person?  I am.  And so, I must write things down to remember them.  It is so easy with the many issues of life to forget even the important matters.  Yes, important but still can be forgotten.  I get into trouble with my family when I forget.  I have to make sure I am listening well, writing them down, and doing what is needed. Isaiah 28:10-12 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.” For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, To whom He said, “This is the rest with which You may cause the weary to rest,” And, “This is the refreshing”; Yet they would not hear. The message in this chapter is very simple. Are you listening? "Precepts upon precepts" is repeated a few times. There is clear order to be followed but it is also clear that people are not listening. It says here that they are "drunk". They have...

I admire the resilience of the Jewish people.  In spite of the many efforts to undermine their well being, they have thrived.  The biggest area they have had great success is in the area of science and technology.  Witty inventions! Google this word in the bible. It will take you to Proverbs 8:12 where the KJV uses this phrase. And then look at the business, media, science and technology world and you see how that presents itself. As you do research on the people involved, I am reminded of how much the people of Israel are involved strategically in each of these. Isaiah 27 shows God's mercy for these people. Isaiah 27:13 So it shall be in that day: The great trumpet will be blown; They will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria, And they who are outcasts in the land of Egypt, And shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem. Do we get jealous? No, it helps us understand God's heart for a people or lineage that came through a fai...

It has been said that when you travel a winding road or you are on a boat in rough seas, always look straight ahead and fix your eyes on a far object, or the horizon.  This will help you get over your car or sea sickness.  I will never forget the time when the whole family had trouble with sea sickness when we went whale watching.  We made the mistake of sitting inside the boat where you could see "nothing". Isaiah 26:3-4 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. God promises to defeat our enemies. The chapter starts with a wonderful statement of promise.  Yes, we have gone against God. The people of Israel have done that in days past. But as they cry out to God for His mercy and repent of their old ways, God is ready to forgive and give them salvation. That is His promise.  Stay right with God, and His promises are for you. Isa...

Do you have a sense something major is coming soon?  Many of the major powers of the world have issues at home starting with the US President, the UK, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and you can more I am sure.  And then you have major "initiatives" funded/sponsored by groups of individuals, organizations and/or corporations with significant personal interests in these initiatives like LGBTQ!, legalized recreational drugs, legalized prostitution, and legalized infanticide.  But praise God something happened 2,000 years ago that was prophesied 700 years before that. Isaiah 25:7-8 And He will destroy on this mountain The surface of the covering cast over all people, And the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever, And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; The rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken. Wow!  Only God could have orchestrated something like this to d...

If you subscribe to the tweet handle that runs an earthquake monitoring service, you will notice how much the earth is moving. In fact, just a few minutes ago, an earthquake hit Papua, Indonesia.  I am not sure if the frequency of them happening has increased, but certainly they have been more noticed with all the monitoring that is now in place.  Are you worried?  Many of us live in areas where earthquakes are possible. Isaiah 24:19-20 The earth is violently broken, The earth is split open, The earth is shaken exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, And shall totter like a hut; Its transgression shall be heavy upon it, And it will fall, and not rise again. Chapter 24 in Isaiah is clear that in the end times the judgement of God will come in the form of an earthquake, among others. However, the issue is not about the lead up or the experience of the end times. It is about where we are in our relationship with God. The chapter c...

What are you planning? All plans require a list of tasks, resources required and a time table. A successful plan will yield great reward, and such was the case for the ancient port cities of Tyre and Sidon.  Isaiah 23:8-9 Who has taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, Whose merchants are princes, Whose traders are the honorable of the earth? The Lord of hosts has purposed it, To bring to dishonor the pride of all glory, To bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth. They served a hinterland that had great produce and were a transit port for many vessels that came through the region. However, whatever said and done, God has final say over its success. He can bring up and down commerce and determine the fate of nations. The prophecy is given and 70 years is mentioned before these port cities can recover from destruction. All in the Lord's hands. My life and material wealth are all in God's hands. I can devise the best plan possible bu...