Have you ever tasted gooseberry — (Tamil: nellikai)? Take a bite, and the first thing that hits you is sour, almost bitter. You chew through it for a few moments, and then a strange sweetness rises up right after. Nellikai carries a pack of nutrients that almost nothing else gives you, but to get those nutrients, you have to take the sour taste first. That is exactly what we experience in our walk with God. In this reading, we learn the bitter experience of Marah, and then th

If you have worked in an office or applied for any job, you know the selection process, the shortlisting, the interview. Before this there is a job description, the qualifications the employer expects, the skills you need to prove before you even walk in the door. We spend years building a resume that will make us look competent enough to be hired, worth the salary we are asking for. God does not work that way. When God chooses a servant, He is not looking at competence. If a

We hear the word Salvation many times in church and often by many people. But if someone asked you plainly — what is salvation, really? — what would you say? Some may know Jesus Christ came to save us. But is this what salvation is all about? There is a lot more to it than that. The Bible calls Jesus the Rock of Salvation [Psalm 95:1 NIV] 1 Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. The Bible calls Jesus the Pioneer of Salvation [H

Think about the last time you really wanted something. A better job. A house. A prayer answered. You fasted for it, prayed for it, lost sleep over it. And then — God gave it. The job came through. The situation changed. The door opened. And within weeks, you found something new to complain about. The salary is not enough. The boss is difficult. The house needs repairs. The blessing came — but the grumbling did not stop. We grumble about what we do not have. We grumble about w

Happy 80th Independence Day to all our fellow Indians! What does this independence do to each of us? Each of us will have a different response to this question, and that's the beauty of the freedom to express what we want. For me, this freedom has let me experience the beauty of India — its diversity, its people, the harmony of living together, the freedom to worship and the freedom of speech, that has made it possible for me to write this blog. There is much to celebrate abo

Every person who is known in this world is known by a name. But a name alone does not make them known — they need to accomplish something. An actor becomes famous when his film hits the screen. A politician earns recognition by the work he does for the people. A businessman is known by the empire he builds. A student is known in school by how he performs in class. In every case, a name is known by what they do. But for God, it is the opposite. His name is not known by what He

Across the world, devotees of every faith do remarkable things to show their devotion — long pilgrimages on foot, hours of fasting, rituals performed with a discipline and consistency that most of us as believers rarely bring to prayer. You see it everywhere. People give their best to what they love, and it shows. The question it raises is a quiet one: as a devotee of Christ, what does your devotion actually look like? Paul doesn't ask us to climb anything or fast for day

We often hear people say, "You have to go there and experience it yourself." Seeing the Himalaya mountains from a distance or viewing them from the air is one of those experiences. Pictures tell only one story, but the in-person experience tells a different story — the enormous magnitude, the magnificence of how tall and wide it stretches — it is beyond words. Similarly, you go up to the top of a skyscraper and look down at the world below you. Seeing that view in person is c

The way marriages happen today has changed beyond what our parents and grandparents could have imagined. Some prefer dating apps and living together before deciding. Others rely on parents to shortlist profiles and arrange meetings over dinner. Some still go the traditional route — fall in love, convince the families, and hope for the best. There is no single formula anyone can call "correct." If a marriage holds peace, it works. If it turns into a battlefield within a few we

We don't like tests. It starts early — from school days we dread that word. We are tested out of compulsion by the system to move to the next level. During the test we prepare, sweat, and we pass or fail. This applies to school, jobs, sports, and many other things in life. But here is the thing — even though none of us enjoy "The Test," we all enjoy the outcome once we pass. Even if it means "just pass." As you pass, you move up through the life ladder. God our Father works t

நம்மைச் சுற்றியுள்ள குடும்பங்களைப் பற்றிச் சிந்தித்துப் பாருங்கள், அங்குள்ள பேரக்குழந்தைகள், தங்கள் தாத்தா கஷ்டப்பட்டு சேர்த்த செல்வத்தை அனுபவித்துக் கொண்டிருக்கிறார்கள். அவர்கள் அந்த காரை ஓட்டுகிறார்கள், அந்த வீட்டில் வாழ்கிறார்கள், அந்த தொழிலை நடத்துகிறார்கள் — ஆனால் பெரும்பாலானவர்களுக்கு, அந்த மனிதர் இந்த நிலையை அடைய என்ன விலை கொடுத்தார் என்பதைப் பற்றி எந்த ஒரு உண்மையான புரிதலும் இருக்காது. அவர் செய்த தியாகங்கள், எடுத்த ஆபத்தான முடிவுகள், விட்டுவந்த சொந்த நிலங்கள் என எதுவு

Every job needs a qualification. It starts with the required education and experience — whatever the field, whatever the service, there is some expectation attached to it. Even when an apprentice comes in with the right qualification, it still takes time before that person is certified job-ready. For certain kinds of work there are mandated external tests as well — an architect, a counsellor, a designer, all have to prove they are qualified before they can practice. But in th

Think about the families around us where the grandchildren enjoy the wealth the grandfather built. They drive the car, live in the house, run the business — but most of them have no real idea what that man paid to get there. The years of sacrifice, the risks he took, the ground he had to leave behind. They enjoy the blessing without knowing the story. The same is true in our spiritual life. Many of the blessings we carry today are not things we earned. They come from a promis

Talk to most Christian parents about raising their kids and after a few minutes you will hear a version of the same story. After church or a prayer meeting, the child is great — spirit-led, engaged, asking questions. But when they head into the week — school, college, work — a different world is waiting for them. Their classmates and colleagues are talking about: The party they went to over the weekend The Instagram reel that got a thousand likes The movie everyone is watchin

We all use navigation today. Whether you are inside a familiar city or driving to a town you have never been to, the app on your phone has become something you cannot switch off. Wedding invitations now come with a QR code and a maps link. Even a short trip to a new office has us looking at the screen rather than asking someone for directions. But it was not always like this. There was no map, no signal, no satellite. And yet, when you read the Old Testament, the Israelites