A Bright Future
/in Pastors BlogA Bright Future
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:11-13
As America inaugurated a new president in Joe Biden earlier this year, I have to say that most of the attention was not on the new president but on a young woman named Amanda Gorman. She read a poem entitled ‘The Hill We Climb’ and the words encapsulated the reality of many who heard her.
When day comes, we ask ourselves, where can we find light in this never-ending shade?
The loss we carry. A sea we must wade.
We braved the belly of the beast.
We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace, and the norms and notions of what “just” is isn’t always justice.
And yet the dawn is ours before we knew it.
Her words asked the question for tomorrow, not just for those who have been on top but to everyone under the sun. When will we find the victory?
When day comes, we step out of the shade of flame and unafraid.
The new dawn balloons as we free it.
For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it.
If only we’re brave enough to be it.
As Christians, these words could not be more true. God doesn’t just want us to accept the light which he’s offering us but to be the light for those around us.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
Matthew 5:14-15
We are not just to embrace the future of light that God has given us, but to become that light and share it with others. God has a future for everyone of us. Let us embrace it.
God bless,
Pr. Steven Couto
Growth
/in Pastors BlogGrowth
A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.
Psalm 17:22
Anderson Ruffin Abbott was born in Toronto on April 7, 1837. Although his parents were both black and from Alabama, they were ‘free people of colour’ who after moving north were given the space to grow, and grow they did. Through the purchase of real estate within Toronto, they became prominent in the community and even became active in politics. This prominence allowed Anderson to have an excellent education where he only grew the more, being an honour student in school and college. He became the first Canadian-born black Canadian to be a licensed family physician, became a coroner and even surgeon-in-chief.
It is not the colour of your skin, age, height or weight that determines what you can be in this life. Unfortunately, it also isn’t simply skill that you may or may not have. In most cases it’s the opportunity and chance to grow. A plant that is left in a small pot will reach a height and stop because it cannot extend its roots any further. Should you move it to a bigger pot, it will continue to grow higher and stronger.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13
What is holding you back? Is it God? No. He is ready to open the doors to let you grow. He wants you to have life and have it more abundantly. Is it others around you? Possibly. We live in a world of greed and discrimination and it can be hard to grow when others try and build walls around you. But God is greater than those who are around you. There is no wall that they can build that God cannot tumble down. Depend on Him and you will not have to be limited by those around you.
Are you holding yourself back? That I can’t answer you but it is the only hurdle that God cannot, or better, will not break down. God will never go over your free will. He will always wait for your choice and accept it. Are you the source of your stunted growth? Is fear what drives your decisions? If yes, again, God is your solution. He will not go above your decision, but if asked, he can take away the fear that hinders you from making the right decision. Pray to God, be planted anew, and watch yourself grow beyond your wildest imagination.
God bless,
Pr. Steven Couto