Dear...
'I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel you
and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no
understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to
you.'
Psalm 32:8-9
Much as we believe in the fine gray matter that exist in all of us, that
supposedly distinguish us from all other living matters that populate the world,
it is quite a comedown to be equated to the lowly donkey which can be stubbornly
disobedient.And even more so for those of us who truly believed that we have been diligently seeking and following the Lord our God!!
'Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the
man who trusts in Him.'
Psalm 32:10
Just like Friday, I commiserated with a new found brother in Christ my present
"troubles' much as I glorified God for His wonderful work in my life these past
decade, since His Spirit fell upon me. And much as I know that God is bringing
me to a new and deeper level of relationship with Him, which entails one going
through further refinement in the crucible of fire, it can be dauntingly
miserable. And God has indeed prepared me for this present trials, for He has
spoken to me' late last year, about the need to buy gold, as in one' s character
as refined by Him.
This dear new brother in Christ shared a simple but profound thought that never
really struck me till then. Which is, am I ready to move from following to
totally surrendering to the will of God?
The Daily Bread reading this Sunday morning(Aug 8th) talks about God trying to
get our attention through some circumstances in our life. Are we ready to submit
and ask Him, what spiritual lessons He wants us to learn?
'But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord our God of Israel with
all his heart.......'
2 Kings 10:31
I know I am no king of the roost, strutting around famously with no regard for
anyone except myself. In fact, I count myself as one of those blessed to desire
to seek God actively in His words and in His work. So, is it fair for the Spirit
of God to convict me of my guilt as a dumb mule, for one who still needs a stick
or bridle to be prodded along in the right direction of the Spirit's leading?
'Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter
end. There are many devices in a man's heart, nevertheless the counsel of the
Lord, that shall stand.'
Proverbs 19:20-21
For most of you who have cared to lend an ear to my past few seasons of
sharing my relationship with God via this word based ministry, you might
realize that I have a surfeit of imperfections, yet God remains faithful, and I
am thankful that my right response was to cling on to Him always.
And especially these past couple of years, the voice of God has never been
clearer for me. yet, like Ed the talking horse(a very old popular American
television comedy series about a horse that can talk), I often question the
logic of a clear word from God.
This year, our good Lord has moved me from the words "patience" to "stop" to
just last week "sell with patience."
Much as these are related to the field of financial investments, my perceived
area of expertise. it has been quite a challenge for me to want to surrender my
own understanding and follow not blindly but in full obedience knowing that God
is Sovereign.
But God is Sovereign. And like those who seek Him with our all, there will be
very little room for us to not discern correctly His will. For God will affirm
and correct if we are off tangent. Question is, will we surrender??
'Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you,
as though some strange thing happened unto you. But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are
partakers of Christ's sufferings, that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may
be glad also with exceeding joy.'
1 Peter 4;12-13
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(9th Aug 10)
The Spirit of God will bring us into the truth
- we are no donkey, but are sheep
Man plans, God directs. God brought me out of my self inflicted spiritual
depression in late June. And I recovered my resolve sufficiently to obey Him and attended the first inaugural gathering of praying men in Singapore. And
that was where I met my new found brother in Christ, the source of my present
enlightenment.
It was a cursory meeting, and nothing more might have come out of it, but
interestingly, this brother felt compelled to not just pray for me(much as we only
had a brief encounter) but to drop me an email to share the desire that God
placed in his heart to keep me in his prayers.And it works two ways, for this
gentleman was the key subject of a conversation that same week, when I was in
Bangkok with my wife and I had resolved to contact him when back in Singapore
and was indeed pleasantly surprised by his email on the need to pray for me.
Coincidences is a prevalence in a follower of Christ's life, but it stays as
coincidences if we choose not to following the leading of the Spirit of God, as
He leads our very being. Faith comes from God, but response comes from us, and
often, we deprive ourselves of the grace of God because we either
- do not come unto the ever present God
- or even if we do, we behave like the smart mule, going our own way, when the
truth is that the way of God is the only true and correct path.
'He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out....and his sheep follow him
because they know his voice.'
John 10:3-4
If we truly know God, we must follow unequivocably. I know God, but I have not
done so. I will now.
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