joyancejames

Tag: faith

  • The Vibranium Shield

    Most of the millennials and Gen Zs would be well acquainted with Steve Rogers, not so sure about the subsequent generations. One thing Captian America has taught is that shield need not be just a weapon of defense, in the hands of the Captain it becomes a formidable weapon of offence.

    In the spiritual warfare, which we all are a part of, the shield is an important defense. It protects us from the constant barrage of projectiles from the enemy. Though most Christians today would spend most of their lives oblivious to the warfare, it would be altogether unwise to believe that the faith we inherited due to birth in a Christian family or upbringing will provide immunity in the warfare.

    Hebrews 11:6 NLT
    [6] And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
    https://bible.com/bible/116/heb.11.6.NLT
    F.F. Bruce wrote, “Faith is the organ which enables people to see the invisible order.”

    Ephesians 6:16-17 NIV
    [16] In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. [17] Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
    https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.6.16-17.NIV

    Another important lesson we learn from Captian America is that although the shield is remarkable in hand-to-hand combat but in ‘Avengers Infinity War’ we see that when facing an overwhelming army, he weilded a Mjölnir (never imagined Norse mythology could teach something about faith!)
    In the spiritual warfare armamentarium, the sword of the spirit (Word of God) is the only mentioned weapon of offence, whereas the rest are for defense. In these perilous times we need to unsheath the sword available to us to take on the army. When our Lord Jesus was tested in the wilderness, He countered with the word of God. Jesus frequently quoted the Word when He taught the disciples or when He debated the ‘religious elite’.

    Romans 10:17 NLT
    [17] So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.
    https://bible.com/bible/116/rom.10.17.NLT
    This implies that the shield is bound to weaken when not fed and fueled by the Word. As we dig deeper into the mines of the Word of God, fortifying both our defences and offense, may we be able to say like Shimon Kefa (Peter), “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the word of eternal life.”

    God bless!

  • What I Cannot Hold

    What I Cannot Hold

    What my hands cannot hold, I give into the hands of the One who holds me.

    What I cannot hold – my regrets from yesterday
    What I cannot hold – my worries about tomorrow
    What I cannot hold – how today unfolds
    What I cannot hold – what I wasn’t meant to handle
    What I cannot hold – what others think of me
    What I cannot hold – what they will say of me
    What I cannot hold – the crushing weight of the responsibilities, dreams and aspirations.

    Just as the toys are age group specific, what if the things we strive and struggle with the most are age/season specific too.

    What is too big for my palmar grasp may be perfect for the Father’s grasp.

    He holds it all together!

    Psalms 36:5-6 MSG
    [5-6] God’s love is meteoric,
    His loyalty astronomic,
    His purpose titanic,
    His verdicts oceanic.
    Yet in his largeness nothing gets lost;
    Not a man, not a mouse, slips through the cracks.

    https://bible.com/bible/97/psa.36.5-6.MSG

    He’s got the whole world in His hands and yet He still holds your hands.


    Isaiah 41:13 NLT
    [13] For I hold you by your right hand— I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.
    https://bible.com/bible/116/isa.41.13.NLT

    God bless 😊.

  • No, Mary did not know!

    Picture & Ceramic Credits – Jemy Philip @ https://www.instagram.com/withjoy_jemy?igsh=ZDE5ZHgxc21sY3hs

    Am I late for Christmas? The title sounds, like the curt – unexpected answer to the famous poetic song by Mark Lowry, ‘Mary did you know’. Indeed, Mary did not know, although the song puts these across as rhetorical questions that Mary may never answer. Just as it was with Mary, we may never know the full extent of the power and purpose as God fulfills His promises in our lives.

    He chose an unsuspecting, peasant Jewish girl to carry the One who carries us in His arm, to calm the baby who would calm the storms and calm our fears too. He chose her to play with the One who calls each star by name, to answer the calls and cries of the One who answers our prayers. How could she know what the future held for her, isn’t such knowledge too wonderful for human minds!

    Michael W Smith wrote in his famous song,
    “Nobody knew His secret ambition
    Nobody knew His claim to fame
    He broke the old rules steeped in tradition
    He tore the holy veil away
    Questioning those in powerful position
    Running to those who called His name
    But nobody knew His secret ambition
    Was to give His life away”
    Nobody knew, neither Mary nor His brothers, nor the disciples. None of them could even begin to fathom when He would expound from the scriptures the things that would come to pass. They just had to trust Him completely.

    Mary did not know what her future held, as she held the One who holds our future. Mary chose to keep things in her heart, things which were beyond comprehension. Let this be a call for us to keep things in our hearts, to trust where He leads, there He will provide. We may never have all the answers in this life, we were never meant to, the sheep only needs to follow, trust & obey.

    The 150-year-old hymn exhorts us thus,
    “Day by day, and with each passing moment,
    Strength I find to meet my trials here;
    Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
    I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
    He, whose heart is kind beyond all measure,
    Gives unto each day what He deems best,
    Lovingly its part of pain and pleasure,
    Mingling toil with peace and rest.”

    God bless you!