Author: Jacinta da Cruz Rodgers

I have been committed to teaching the truth of the Word of God beginning with Trans World Radio on Bonaire, N.A and Swaziland, Africa (1969-1980), then through churches in the United States in both English and Portuguese and then through ministry in Israel (2005-2006). This ministry continues through local Bible studies and outreach to the world via the internet. I have written a book about my life from that of an orphan in Brazil to missionary in 5 countries. You can find out more on the "Book" page of our blog site.

O Que E a Vida?

A vida não é só chorar;

Ela é também cantar, dançar

Ela é celebrar;

A vida é em si o fôlego de Deus

Vivificando cada momento

O Sêr humano, confirmando

A fidelidade do Seu amor

Em tempo e fora de tempo.

A vida é um choro, lágrimas caídas

Soluços expressos do íntimo

Como trovão, relâmpago é ao tempo

Assim é a limpeza da alma

Trazendo equilíbrio ao viver

Maturidade, entendimento

Para o amanhã suceder

Vida é braços estendidos

Para ajudar, acolher um aqui, outro acolá

Para amar num calor humano

O sofrido, o miserável e rejeitado.

A vida é uma virgula, separando

Estação no espaço do seu tempo

Primavera, verão, outono e inverno

Mas a vida é também sorrisos

Refletindo gratidão, razão porque amar

A suma e mais importante ação

Registrada por Deus, quando na cruz

Seu coração pingou no seu e no meu,

O perfeito amor gravado com pena de ferro

Pra nunca se apagar.

A vida é a essência da sabedoria de Deus.

Ela é a fé, que nos transporta a Ele

A Esperança da eternidade com Ele

Ela é a promessa viva

A certeza que nunca desaponta

Dum futuro bonito e brilhante

Na presença de Jesus pra sempre!

And They Were Blessed

In the beginning, God created the woman to be man’s help mate, “for Adam there was not found a helper meet for him.” And then the first surgery happened while God put Adam down for a deep sleep. While he slept, God took one of his ribs or a part of his side and closed up the flesh (Gen. 2). So, the woman came from one of Adam’s ribs. We can’t imagine how a body is formed from a rib, with all its intrinsics complicated parts coming together to form the perfect creation of a body. But so it happened that the woman was created to be a help mate for her husband. All through the ages, women carried the character of a leader in certain things, as she became the mother of her children, and the controller of her household. Proverbs 31 well gives a picture of a virtuous woman. The picture given does not show her to be passive, but one that shows her active in every aspect of life. What her husband and children had to say about her? “Her children rise up and call her blessed and her husband boasts of and praises her [saying], Many daughters have done virtuously, nobly, and well, but you excel them all” (Prov. 31:28-29).

There are a few women in the Old Testament I would like to mention for their courage in times of great challenges. Debora the prophetess and the only woman Judge in Israel, left a legacy of leadership many of us admire; it ultra passes that of many men of yesterday and today. In her simple life style, she sat under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came up to her for judgment; and she sent and called Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “Has not the Lord, the God of Israel commanded you, Go gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 men from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun? And Barak said to her, If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go. And she said, I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the trip you take will not be for your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Debora arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.” (Judges 4). That was not an easy task Prophetess and Judge Debora took under her. She was rewarded however, with victory, and her life lives forever in the pages of the Word of God. Among others, there is Esther. A young Jew who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives taken away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried into exile.

Hadassah had no father, and no mother; they both died and Mordecai took her as his own daughter. Hadassa was the chosen girl to replace the king’s wife Vasti for not submitting to her husband’s orders in his great celebration. She was dethroned, losing her position of queen. The law of the country was that the queen could only appear in the presence of the king when called. Meanwhile, Mordecai her uncle, learned of a plot that to destroy all the Jews from the province of Babilon. Being a Jew, he took the matter to Esther for a solution in her position of a new queen. He warned her, saying, If you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall arise for the Jews from elsewhere, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this and for this very occasion? Esther instructed her uncle to gather all the Jews present in Shushan, and fast for me; three days night or day. I also and my maids will fast as you do. Then I will go to the king though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish (Esther 4). Queen Esther sacrificed her life to save her nation with courage and determination. This is a beautiful act of love for her people. And she found favor in the king’s sight and he held out to [her] the golden scepter that was in his hand. He said, What will you have Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of the kingdom. (Esther 5). The story has a nice ending, because of faith and courage of a young girl.

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Jacob and the Stone Pillow

When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob (Genesis 25:24-26).

This is the beginning story of two brothers – Esau and Jacob. A story with future significance that has shaped their world and continues shaping, embracing the entire world as it turned to the future of yesterday and will continue writing its pages until the end. The emphasis is given to the younger brother, Jacob. To start with, his name means supplanter. Jacob well lived his name, bringing grudges between the two to this day. The older, Esau was supposed to be the right heir of the blessing before his father Isaac died. But Jacob was always envious of that blessing, so much so that he would not give his brother a bowl of soup without having him give up his blessing. That had come when Isaac was old and his eyes were dim, so he could not see, he called Esau his older son, and said to him: My son! And he answered him, He I am. He said, See here now; I am old, I do not know when I may die. So, now I pray you, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out into the open country and hunt game for me, and prepare me appetizing meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat of it, to giving you my blessing before I die (Gen. 27:1-4). But Rebekah had a plan for her favorite son, Jacob, that of stealing the blessing from her older son to give to his brother.

Jacob hesitated for a while, but went along with it and deceived his father, dressed as Esau with a delicious meal which Rebeka- his mother prepared. In his desperation, when he came to receive his blessing, Esau tried to kill his brother from that day onward. Not a beautiful picture in the pages of History. But God had His plan to write on those pages- a story that would make a difference in the entire world through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. As things were taking place in the lives of the brothers, Jacob had to flee to the house of his mother’s father, which was between six hundred to seven hundred miles from Canaan to Padan-aram, where his mother’s family lived. After that, Isaac blessed him saying, May the God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you until you become a group of peoples; may He give the blessing [He gave to] Abraham to you and your descendants with you, that you may inherit the land He gave to Abraham, in which you’re a sojourner (Gen. 28:3-4). Years earlier, the righteous Abraham had been was tested, when God asked him to offer his only son to Him in the region of Mount Moriah. Abraham obeyed when he built an altar and Isaac, was put on the altar to be sacrificed. There, Abraham was blessed and, in his Seed, all the nations of the world with him for his obedience to God. (Gen.22). The blessing continued through Jacob the day he fled from his brother. Nothing was interrupting God’s plan of salvation through Jacob’s descendance. His journey was going to be challenging, but God ‘s plan was going to be fulfilled in the fulness of time. Paul said, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, ⁵to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. ⁶And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” ⁷So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God” (Gal. 4:4). One of the beautiful things God does is to reveal His plan to His servants. He reveals to Moses, to Abraham, to the Prophets and still reveals to us today.

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God’s Purpose in Lazarus’ Death

When YAHSHUA received the news that Lazarus was sick, He was staying in Peraea beyond Jordan with His disciples, which was more than a day’s journey. By the time the news arrived, Lazarus had died. YAHSHUA knowing that, He remained there two more days, before He went to see Lazarus. He said, Our friend Lazarus is at rest and sleeping; but I am going there that I may awaken him out of his sleep. The disciples answered, Lord, If he is sleeping, he will recover. However, YAHSHUA had spoken of his death. So, then He told them plainly, Lazarus is dead (John 11:4-14). That happened at the time when the Jewish Passover was at hand, (11:55). Lazarus death and resurrection coincided two weeks before YAHSHUA’S death and resurrection. According to the Restored Vision book by A.E Ware the death and resurrection of Lazarus took place exactly two weeks before that of our Lord YAHSHUA, and precisely the same days of the week. The messenger sent by the two sisters must have left Bethany on Thursday, April 16^th and reached our Lord on Friday, April 17^th. Lazarus died on Friday, April 17^th, and rose on Monday, April 20^th; our Lord died on Friday, May first and rose on Monday 4^th of May, in exact fulfillment of every statement He had made upon the subject. Lazarus death was not an isolated case, without a significant meaning that of connecting him to a prophetic event to happen many years later in the life of the Jewish nation. Lazarus, was a type of the nation of Israel, which was destroyed A.D.70 and remained dead as a nation, until the time when it was reestablished in the year 1948. Lazarus’ resurrection pointed to a time in history when his nation would arise from the ashes into life.

The urgency of the moment of Lazarus’ sickness didn’t concern our Lord, for He knew the perfect timing when He should go to attend to Lazarus’ situation, fulfilling the Father’s desire for that important moment in His life on earth, for it was the time when YAHSHUA’S messiahship would be brought to light. Lazarus’ illness and death was for the glory of God. The burial of Lazarus for four days constituted a case of no doubt in the minds of the people that YAHSHUA was the Messiah, the Son of God. The Sabbath on April 25^th A.D. 33, was therefore the last day of the great Messianic time prophecy of the “seventy weeks” minus one or 483 of 490 years, as measured in Gentile time. (Dan. 9:24-27). However, that day, the Jewish nation showed their ultimate rejection, for settling their minds to kill YAHSHUA, their Messiah. Which happened two weeks later, but on God’s calendar and purpose. Our Lord YAHSHUA Messiah from the very beginning experienced the hatred of the Jewish leaders and knew well that in spite of all His miracles and manifested grace they would reject and kill Him. One week after our Lord was in Jericho He was crucified and six of the seven weeks of years (483 0f 490) were completed in A.D. 26 to 33, which would now have to be relived at the end of the Christian era as a period of retributive judgments, the desolating nature of which the Apostle John received by revelation from our risen Lord and recorded in the book of Revelation (Restored Vision, A.E Ware).

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You Shall Have a Song as in the Night

A song in the night hours when the mind tries to rest, the body tries to relax is possible when there is peace within. But when the mind races with thoughts of the day that seemly not pleasant, the song disappears in the waves of anxiety. The Bible says that weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning (Ps. 30:5). It is at night that we are confronted with feelings of disappointments, anger, frustrations, and so on. While all sleep and we are left alone battling these feelings, the night seems long. However, it is in that time frame that we do need a song to pull us out of our struggles. The song in the night will lift up the burden we are carrying. It is a song that will be directed to God, a song of supplication, a song of praise and gratitude, for He promised to keep in perfect peace those whose mind stays on Him, because they trust in Him (Isaiah 26:3). Praises are weapons of warfare against our enemy. Job said, “But no one says, Where is God my Maker, Who gives songs of rejoicing in the night, Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?” (Job 35:11-12). Paul and Silas, after been struck with many blows, and thrown into prison, into dungeon, their feet fastened in the stocks, about mid-night, when they were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the very foundations of the prison were shaken and at once all the doors were opened and everyone’s shackles were unfastened (Acts 16:23-25). Lives were saved that night as a result. Songs in the night were echoed through the entire prison that night, in the midst of sorrow and pain, injustice applied to their bodies. Paul and Silas had a testimony to tell the world and a lesson to teach all of us today. How we move mountains through our struggles and pains, it is through a song in the night and not through our own strength. It is God Who gives us strength to perform, when we seek Him. This is faith, enduring faith, echoing through songs in the night.

“My soul longs for You, (O Lord) in the night; my spirit seeks you earnestly” (Isa. 26:9a). When we sing songs to God in our trials, He opens heaven and peace will flow to us; things may not change at first, but for sure, He heard and accepted our song. Queen Esther, when heard of the danger concerning her people, she fasted and prayed. She didn’t panic, because she knew her God would give her a song of victory in her night. She sought the Lord first thing and her testimony lived forever, when God delivered her and her people from the hand of her enemy, Haman. King Jehoshaphat faced his giants with prayer and with praise as he was told to do. The Bible tells us that he and his people rose early and when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord saying, “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, He set ambushments against the men of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir who had come against Judah and they were slaughtered” (II Chron. 20: 21-22). The battle becomes the Lord’s when we let Him fight for us. We will always face our nights sometimes in life. They are necessary to direct us to God in closer relationship. The song He gives us at that time is to call on His name in order to acknowledge Him as sovereign through songs of praises. King David had many nights in his life time. His psalms are filled with praises in his trials, believing that God was going to hear him, or had heard his prayers. He said in Psalm 40 1-3: “I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings. And He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many shall see and fear and put their trust in the Lord”; and in psalm 42:1-3,5: “As the hart pants and longs for the water brooks, so I pant and long for your, O God. My inner self thirst for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?… Why are you cast down O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, my Help and my God…Yet, the Lord will command His loving-kindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me, a prayer to the God of my life.”

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We Are That When Under Stress

Stress is the mental strengthener or a destroyer of lives, depending how we handle it. Many of us struggle to come afloat while it carries us under, as water does to the body. For many, alcohol and drugs are meanings used to alleviate their mental estate. In this situation, families are destroyed when parents are separated. Children suffer the consequences that will affect them from generations to come, in some cases. But stress comes to all who are alive. It is not all bad in the scheme of things when it is not the result of sin, but it is for our own spiritual growth. It is in the time of stress that we have the opportunity to force our mind to focus on the words of YAHSHUA: Stop being perpetually uneasy about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater than food, and the body than clothing?… But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and then all these things taken together will be given you besides. So, do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its troubles (Matt. 6:25,33-34). We might think these to be theories and not applicable in our time, for we do not see it happening. However, YAHSHUA did not promise freedom from stress, but He encouraged us to be of “good cheer,” for He has overcome the world. That is, all the stresses, all the difficulties, all the challenges, no matter how hard and tall the mountain is, even if they are results of reaping the consequences of sins, or not, He has taken the position of High Priest on our behalf. He suffers with us, He sympathizes with us, and carries our burdens with us. He holds His priesthood unchangeably because He lives on forever. Therefore, He is able also to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him since He is always living to make petition to God and intercede with Him and intervene for them; [here is] the Priest to our needs, as was fitting- holy. Blameless, unstained by sin, separated from sinners and exalted higher than the heavens (Heb.7:24-25).

Under stress, we tend to blame the other person for the wrong that is happening, as it was the case in the beginning with Adam and Eve. Neither of them took responsibility for their own decision to sin. Taking responsibility for our mistakes and sins are the first step to victory over the stress, when it comes to us as a result. As “we are what we eat,” so we are that when under stress. For it is in this situation that we show our inner true color. Colors others can’t see, only we ourselves know about them. Some, when under stress, curse God, as Job’s wife told him to do; others, as Job, sought God and cried to Him, never losing faith that endured to the end. Words, as these, I know that my Redeemer and Vindicator lives, and at last, He will stand upon the earth; and after my skin. Even this body, has been destroyed, then from my flesh or without it I shall see God, Whom I, even I, shall see for my self and on my side! And my eyes shall behold Him, and not as a stranger (Job19:25-27) This is a true testimony of whom Job was when under stress. Day, after day, we are confronted with stress we haven’t planned on. Surprises, after surprises, raise the eye brows, not taking them well at first by rejecting the outcome. Pain in sufferings takes a different route in life for the better, when we perceive God’s purpose, if we pay close attention to it, for it will serve to teach us how to control our emotions, which will affect many around us. It is a thing to think first, before letting our emotions get out of control. There should be a quiet place for us to be alone with God, and let all out, in order to feel clean from those hurtful emotions.

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When My Faith Shall Be Sight

The thrill of that day will be loud and clear for all of us who know the Lord. The joy will be indescribable, when finally, after thousands of years, the promise will no longer be just a promise, but a reality. The sound of the trumpet of God, the voice of the archangel, summering us up will awaken our deep feeling of joy, a feeling never felt before, leading us up to meet YAHSHUA, our bridegroom. This has been a lifelong preparation. From the time we enter in relationship with God, it starts the preparation for that day through the process of sanctification by the Holy Spirit. Without it we cannot see God (Heb. 12:14). While following the world, many Christians are eager for that day, without realizing that unless he walks in faith and in sanctification, he will not experience the rapture. No matter what he does in church or outside church, missionary works or any other service in the name of YAHSHUA. First and above all, for us Christians is to have a relationship with God. That means to make time to stay in His Word, obeying what He commands us to do. Walking every day with Him, making Him part of our life in all its aspects. We are facing an unprecedented time in history, when we see the world turning its axis in the direction of distraction. What does it mean if not prophecy of long ago being fulfilled in its speed of time, while we marvel and fear the outcome ahead of us? There is no need to be glued to the news, for they know nothing that has been predicted by the Word of God. This is a time for readiness, for alertness with our lamp filled with oil, waiting for the middle-night call, Arise to meet the bridegroom! There will be no time left. The time will be now.

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Hope, the Anchor of the Soul

“Every gardener knows that under the cloak of winter lies a miracle…

A seed waiting to sprout, a bulb opening to the light, a bud straining to

Unfurl; and the anticipation nurtures our dream.” (Barbara Winkler)

Like a seed waiting to sprout, we Christians wait for the time of the redemption of our body. As a caterpillar goes through the metamorphosis’ process to become a butterfly, we too are going through the process of sanctification to become like YAHSHUA, at the time when He calls us upwardly. Right now, our soul cries with expectancy, desiring to leave the cocoon (the world) to be with the Lord in our uncorrupted and transformed body. This hope sustains and keeps faith alive within us. Peter calls it the Living hope: Praised be the God and Father of our Lord YAHSHUA Messiah! By His boundless mercy we have been born again to an ever living hope through the resurrection of YAHSHUA Messiah from the dead into an inheritance which is beyond the reach of change and decay, unsullied and unfading, reserved in heaven for you, who are being guarded by God’s power through faith [till you fully inherit that final salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time (I Peter 1:3-5). Paul calls it the hope of glory Colossians 1:27: The mystery of which was hidden for ages and generations, but is now revealed to His holy people, to whom God was pleased to make known how great for the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ within and among you, the hope of glory (Col. 1:26-27). And again, Paul calls it the blessed hope when writing to Titus: Awaiting and looking for the blessed hope, even the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Christ YAHSHUA (Titus 2:13).

Webster’s dictionary describes hope in a living and active way that it brings out the emotion of our feeling, when we read it: “A feeling that what is wanted will happen; desire accompanied by anticipation, or expectation.” We all live hoping for one thing or another. Although, it does not always happen the way we wanted and sometimes, we get frustrated and disappointed. However, hope does not die easily. We cannot live with the feeling of hopelessness, without feeling mentally sick with depression, since hope is the anchor of the soul. This means, hope brings joy, peace and health to our inner being of a better day and circumstances in the physical world. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Prov.13:12). But hope that becomes reality brightens and encourages lives in this world of uncertainties, where one cannot know the ifs of circumstances. It is hope that emanates from faith that sustains and keeps us focused on our Savior and Lord, YAHSHUA. The hope in the promise of a beautiful future with Him. Many obstacles we must overcome as we walk through the valleys and deserts of life, remembering that although they are part of our journey, we are not to stay stuck there, but to continue pressing on, for victory is for those who will overcome them, sustained by hope in the promise of deliverance from all our troubles. Paul said, If we who are in Christ have hope only in this life and that is all, then we are of all people most miserable and to be pitied (I Cor. 15:19). Yes, without a doubt, this kind of hope is easily evaporated with troubles that come to test us. It is hope that depends only on the tangible, without faith to endure the test of time. While in our pilgrimage on this earth, the hope we embrace is firm as a rock, standing secured, immovable against the rage of the storms. We must find the hiding place it offers, in order to be saved from fear, doubt, from anxieties and worriers, the destroyers of hope. It is in hope sustained by faith that we have peace; a good place to be. YAHSHUA said, In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world (John 16:33).

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Faith – the Source and Foundation of Our Strength

Faith is only seen in the calmness of the soul in the midst of a tempest. The Bible tells us to be still to know God, being shod with shoes that will support and maintain us standing firmly on the ground. As a source and foundation of our strength, it needs to be cultivated daily, for it is by faith that victory is won. Faith sustains hope, hope in the promised future the Bible assures us. Practical faith is exercised every moment, as we move and accomplish the tasks of the day. Although challenging circumstances change and redirect our path, it is, without a doubt, the way to strengthen faith’s muscles. As the physical body’s muscles need to be exercised, so faith needs trials to be strengthened. Unpleasant as it might be, it carries a weight of reward at the end. In the physical world, it is faith that gets us out of bed, that carries us through the day, helping us to accomplish the things we need to do, without us thinking about it, for it is a natural way of life, part of being human. Faith eliminates fear and encourages power: “I can do all things, because YAHSHUA strengthens me.” Believing it, empowers faith to be effective in all aspects of life. Proverbs 31 describes the virtuous woman as courageous in all the subjects of life; courageous, fearless, industrious. Faith, is without a doubt, the secret of her strength, the pillar and foundation of all she can accomplish. Today, is hard to find such woman, because the world is guided by gadgets. The woman of Proverbs 31 is non-existent in this life style of today. Technology has taken the human abilities away and replaced them with laziness. Robots clean the floors; washing machines and stoves are labor saving electrical devises, facilitating women’s work. Cooking has been replaced with prepared frozen foods; sowing is no longer a need, for clothes are bought ready to wear. So, what’s there for women to do to show her virtuality as a virtuous woman?

A virtuous woman of today is still a woman of faith, when she performs her responsibilities in season and out of season. In the physical world, her work is diminished, however remains her spiritual duty to perform toward her household. When her goal is to please her Lord and Savior, her actions will show in the way of love toward her husband and children, in the way she cares for them. The family that is sustained by faith is a family that stays together. When the Lord returns, will He find faith on this earth? Was His question. We can understand His question, observing the easy life-style, in the absence of spiritual priority, in the lack of respect for God’s Word, in its interpretation to conform to our life style. We walk in a church and what do we see? A lack of respect for God’s house, it is as if a party is about to happen, not a worship service. Uttered sermons are, in many cases, means of entertaining the crowd with jokes and not conviction of sins. The church becomes then a platform for comedians. This environment offers no place for faith to be exercised, because it lacks the source and foundation of faith, from where our strength emanates. It is faith that compels us to do what is right in the sight of God and man. A life voided of faith shows to be weak and victim of circumstances. Looking at the lives of the heroes of faith is plain to see that they depended heavily on faith for their spiritual sustenance; they had to suffer the trial of mocking and scourging and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned to death; they were lured with tempting offers [to renounce their faith]; they were sawn asunder; they were slaughtered by the sword; [while they were alive] they had to go about wrapped in the skins of sheep and goats, utterly destitute, oppressed, cruelly treated- Men of whom the world was not worthy- roaming over the desolate places and the mountains, and [living] in caves and caverns and holes of the earth…(Heb. 11:36-38). And none of them gave up the faith to flee suffering of persecution.

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But As for Me

It is, in many ways, easier to follow the crowd than to stand alone, under the scrutiny of the majority, because we are all connected; we are social beings. It is natural for us to copy each other’s behavior, follow the trend, life styles, the way we dress, even the way we speak. We are copy-cats in many aspects of life, learning from each other, as in, “Monkey see, monkey do.” However, there will be times when exercising our faith, we must separate ourselves from the crowd to follow the Word of God. In Romans 12:1-2 “Paul appeals to them saying, Therefore, brethren, I beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service and spiritual worship; do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect.” The Lord spoke to the prophet Isaiah with His strong hand and warned and instructed him not to walk in the way of the people saying, “Do not call conspiracy all that this people will call conspiracy; neither be in fear of what they fear nor in dread. The Lord of hosts- regard Him as holy and honor His holy name, and let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread and He shall be a sanctuary; but He shall be a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem” (Isaiah 8:11-14).

God’s instructions and guidelines continue for us today. Life is without meaning, and without success when God is out of the equation. The phrase, “But as for me,” denotes a personal commitment, based on knowledge of Scripture coupled with the desire to follow God’s instructions. It is also based on the love we have for Him, as we have died for the world and live for Him. While the report from the spies who were sent to explore Canaan was discouraging to the congregation, Joshua’s report and Caleb’s report had a different view. They had made a choice not to support what they had heard, but stood firmly to change the congregation’s view, saying, “The land through which we passed as scouts is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land flowing with milk and honey, only do to rebel against the Lord, neither fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their defense and the shadow are removed from over them, but the Lord is with us. Fear them not.” (Num. 14:77-9)

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