Dear...
'For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You. In a time when You may be found. Surely in a flood of great waters. They shall not come near him. You are my hiding place. You shall preserve me from trouble. You shall surround me with songs of deliverance...'
Psalm 32:6-7
As I pen this inspired words from our Lord, I had not had the chance to get an update of the situation in Bangkok from my dear friend there. Inundated, the key parts of Bangkok has not, but it could be a matter of time, for the water flow from the North is relentless. I am a little more mired because of my business there, but it is nothing compared to what many in Thailand are now going through in this unprecedented flood.
'Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivereth him out of them all....'
Psalm 34:19
"Adversity is a plus," this was the video lesson I watched again in the training series for men of faith who desire to be shepherds to the Lord's flock. Looking beyond the difficulties of our present circumstances to the promise of God, and recognizing the grace of God even as He allows us to go through the storms, will ensure that we remain steadfast in His presence. And in doing so, His Spirit will minister to us, assure and uplift us, and bring us forth as eagles soaring on the wings of the Lord.
'Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you, but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may be glad with exceeding joy.'
1 Peter 4:12-13
But have we heard God right?? Many of us who do seek the Lord with our all, in His Words, in communion with Him in prayers, in thanksgiving with praise and in doing His work faithfully, will know His will. And in responding to the leading of the Spirit, should not matters turn out the way we perceive it should be? Reality is, events that follow our enlightenment often move contrary to what we thought would be. We have not heard God wrong, but rather, as shared from the experiences of many, including my mentors, Paul and Bunty, God will allow us to go through the trial of fire, and will be be willing to stay steadfast to the command of God that He has showed us?
The world will be destroyed by fire, but not by flood, for that is the promise of God, post Noah's Ark. All of us who read the Bible knows that, but to continue to be buffeted wave after wave, in a "flood of trouble," does stretched one's limits. In the early days of year 2008, when the sub prime was still bubbling at its early stage, I was very certain that our good Lord wanted me to remain in my present employ. And in responding in faith, my heart did not waver despite the many attractive offers of alternative employment that popped along. And God was good, He affirmed my decision through a series of 3 dreams in a week, all of which had a different scenario, but were common in its confirmation of my decision. And our good Lord gave me a word to top off His message for me "Do not go back to Egypt."
'Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly. nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock...'
1 Peter 5:2-3
The days since early 2008 have been eventful. The global financial system almost went over the brink. The place of my employ had not one, but two resurrections and God is good, and my faith grew tremendously, bring privileged to be in the eye of the storm, yet witnessing the power of His Sovereignty as He upholds my faithfulness. Respite there might have been since the worst of the sub prime crisis, but it has been in all brevity and one continues to feel the relentless pressure of a world gone the way of the Pharisees, at least in my line of business. Is it time to move on? "When the going gets tough, the tough gets going," is not this the famous line oft spouted in one of those long forgotten Western spaghetti movie?
'Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world..'
1 Peter 5:6-9
'The spot marked X," this was the original planned sharing. But as always, as God leads, one responds. All of us lived in a fallen world, and worst, we are the seeds of the fallen Adam, with our self deceiving mind moving in tandem with the deceitful devil, the present rule of our fallen world. Only in coming unto the presence of God , only in remaining firmly within His presence, can we overcome principalities and powers of the air. But how does one know where the proverbial "spot X,' is and how does one stay firmly rooted upon it?
'Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.'
Matthew 6:20-21
I had a dream a few nights back. It was so vivid and in technicolor. I saw a fluffy and bright yellow spider in a corner of the cupboard where I display my Japanese lacquer boxes. And my instinctive reaction was to gingerly but surely snuff out this little intruder of depository of my earthly treasures. As my hand recoiled swiftly back from my act of self preservation!! Only then did I realize the presence of a much larger but equally bright yellow luminous flurry scorpion like insect a hair's breath from my exposed hand. And fear not just overtook me on my almost danger, but pain set in because it dawned upon me that the lovely but inanimate lacquer boxes have been transformed into these beautiful but very animate and dangerous venomous insects.
'And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou are careful and troubled about many things . But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.'
Luke 10:41-42
The troubles of the world will intensify, much as the European Union seek to overcome its trouble by flooding the world with even more Eurodollars. The Russian rouble used to hold the dubious honor of an unwanted currency during the days of the cold war. Awash with all types of challenges all of us will be, and it will only get worse, for in the midst of this flood of paper money, is an accident waiting to happen, where a spark of trouble might be suffice to light up this bonfire of created by our past and present greed, in the pursuit of the delusions promised by the devil.
'When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto Thee, into Thine holy temple.'
Jonah 2:7
God is faithful. He is Sovereign. We must be determined to be rooted in His presence. Only in submitting to Him, will we overcome. Are we all like Jonah, who knows God, yet chose to turn away from Him? And only when God allowed him to be brought to the deepest reaches of the ocean did Jonah acknowledge the love and power of our Sovereign Lord. And should we not be like Asaph, whose feet almost stumbled in his woes, yet he stayed close to God?
'Thus my heart was grieved. and I was vexed in my mind. I was so foolish and ignorant. I was like a beast before You. Nevertheless I am continually with You. You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel. And afterward receive me to glory.'
Psalm 73: 21-24
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(23rd Oct 2011)
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