Tag: #biblestudy

Lean-In Tower

Every year about 5 million tourists visit Italy to see the leaning tower of Pisa. This magnificient structure has been leaning for about 830 years. However, this tower’s origin lies in the fact that there was an architectural design and engineering flaw. It is leaning because it was built on unstable soil, and the foundations basically gave up.

Jehovah Metsudhathi

The Bible tells us about another tower.
Proverbs 18:10 – The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe.
Psalms 18:2 – The LORD is my rock, and my fortress (Metsudah), and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust;

For King David who was a man of war, the strength and the position of the tower meant life and death. Defensive towers were used for shielding and offensive towers were used to rain down missiles on the enemies.

However David fought his battles differently. On one hand he did use the physical towers that were strategically built. But his strength came from the other tower – the name of the Lord.

Picture this classic moment in 2nd Samuel Chapter 5: David, newly anointed king over Israel, knew that the Philistines are on the hunt for him. What does he do? He heads straight to his stronghold (tower). Compare that to today’s “Situation Room” in the White House, where the President and military leaders plot strategic moves. But here’s the difference—David isn’t mapping out war plans in his tower.

2nd Samuel 5:17,19 (NIV): When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold. 19 so David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?” The Lord answered him, “Go, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands.”

David won this round of the battle. But when the Philistines came back again to attack him, David went back to the Lord for the next war strategy.

22 Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; 23 so David inquired of the Lord, and he answered, “Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the poplar trees.

Having received new set of directions, David marched ahead as instructed and won that battle as well.

Life Application
1. Begin Early: David did not learn the art of relying on God when he became king and found himself in trouble. Way back, when nobody was looking, and he was alone dealing with lions and bears while taking care of his father’s sheep, David learned to trust God in those battles. His testimony was “The Lord who saved me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear, He will save me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:37). Cultivate a habit of reading God’s Word and listening to his counsel at a young age.

2. Be Submissive. The battle in 2nd Samuel Chapter 5 was not David’s first battle. Despite his experience, David consistently seeks counsel from the Lord. It’s a valuable lesson: let’s make a habit of turning to the Lord, even when it might not immediately make sense to us.

3. Be Flexible. Humans are creatures of habit. When one method works, we stick to it, and we are reluctant to change our ways. David knew the Philistines well. After all, his first victory was against Goliath the Philistine. But he was willing to listen to the advice of the Lord when new battle plans were given to him.


Achieving victory against the enemy’s attacks is within your reach. When faced with discouragement, negative thoughts, or the temptation to quit, you can emerge as a triumphant warrior by running into Jehovah Metsudhathi, the strongest tower ever! He is your Lean-In, Lean On, Live In Tower.


Raise Your Cup!

In America, raising a cup is a universal symbol of celebration. Whether it is a toast at a wedding or the victorious hoisting of the Stanley Cup in the NHL, these moments are etched into our collective memory. Cameras capture every angle, ensuring that whether you’re a fan at a Championship game or a joyous wedding guest, your smartphone is poised to help you treasure these memories forever.

Bible talks about raising another cup. It is called the Cup of Salvation.
Psalms 116 verses 13-14 (NIV)
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.
14 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.

The first 5 verses of this psalm says God has heard. The next 5 verses says God has helped.

Vows during distress
In the Old Testament times, when a Jewish person goes through distress, he would cry out to God and makes vows to the Lord. It was like saying, “God, if You help me through these hard days, I promise to do something special for You.” Jacob did this when he ran away from his house, fleeing from Esau.
Genesis 28:20 (NIV) Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking …. then the Lord will be my God …and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”

Celebration of gratitude
So when the difficult days are over, the one who made the vow to the Lord would go to the temple to offer up a sacrifice. It was called the peace offering. It is a way of saying thank you to God for all the good things He gives us. This was a costly sacrifice because it has to be an animal without blemish. In the New Testament Jesus became our sacrificial offering and thus gave us the Cup of Salvation that we can raise up to God with thanks.

Life Application
The last week of November is often called the Thanksgiving Week. We gather with friends and family, enjoy good food, and have a time of celebration. As our Instagram feeds turn into a mouthwatering feast for the eyes with a variety of turkey dishes and savory apple ciders, let’s not forget to lift our cups of gratitude.

Deutronomy 8:10-11 (NIV): “When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God…”

Pause for a moment, flip through the pages of your calendar, and reminisce about the tough times—the stressful days, the weeks of sickness , and the periods of worry. Recall how, through it all, the Lord delivered you. Let your sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving be the secret ingredient that transforms your Thanksgiving Day into a truly unforgettable celebration in the eyes of the Lord.

Turning Marred Pots Into Marvels

A beautiful mural that stretches across the wall, that blends colors and shapes, a sculpture in the park, or a food display created by a world renown chef. All these things capture our attention. We are mesmerized by the beauty and skills of the artist. But have you wondered how these masterpieces were created?

There was once a famous master potter. Let’s call him Jim. He was the go-to guy for all pottery needs in his town. Jim’s pots were used in palaces, weddings, and national events. His team carefully took his pots, painted and decorated and packed them for their destinations.

But there was one pot that had a problem. It was marred, disfigured and destined to be ignored.

Jeremiah 18:4 (NIV): But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands;

In our hustle-and-bustle world, fixing what’s broken often takes a backseat. In a factory, anything out of line usually ends up in the trash. For an artist, a mistake might mean reaching for a fresh canvas. A worn-out pencil? Easily replaced with a shiny new one. And when it comes to vehicles, the old ones make way for newer, sleeker models.

But this pot wasn’t in our hands (thankfully!). It was in the hand of someone better than Jim – God! He was patient with it. He had invested considerable amount of time finding the soil in the mountain area, carefully removing the rocks, and adding just enough water to make the clay. He wasn’t going to give up on this pot. The next part of that same verse says:

So the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.

Clay Pot repair

The pot now has hope! It has a new chance at life. It shall no longer be called ugly, outcast, or useless. The Master has a new plan for the pot. We are not told why the pot was marred in the first place but what matters is that the Master saw the plight of the pot. He knew that this pot still had potential. So he created a new masterpiece out of the marred vessel.

Today I want to remind you that you too have hope! Paul, Peter, Jacob, and Moses are some examples of marred pots that were turned into shiny new pots.

So be encouraged as you remain in the Master’s hands. He has a plan for you! Commit your brokenness, limitations, and failures to Him. He can transform them into something beyond your dreams.