Dear..
‘We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.’
1 John 3:14
“Steve Jobs, in his trademark uniform of black mock-turtleneck and blue jeans, was deemed the heart and soul of a company that rivals Exxon Mobil as the most valuable in American(as quoted in Bloomberg news).” The world lost an iconic figure and it is natural that one witness an outpouring of grief, concern or curiosity. “He is unforgettable,” the headlines claim, but truth is time will make vague once distinct memories.
‘No man hath seen God at anytime. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us.’
1 John 4:12
“Steve Jobs, in pain and too weak to climb stairs a few weeks before his death, wanted his children to understand why he wasn’t always there for them, according to the author of his highly anticipated biography.”(quoted from Bloomberg news)”
Many of us are like Steve Jobs, in our pursuit of the treasures of the world, the family that God blesses us with, we tend to give short shrift to, much as there seem compelling reasons to do so. And the lie that we hold that we will have time for them eventually either does not play out due to an early demise, or more likely that we have become strangers with our loves ones, so time not spent together is a natural consequence. And what about time with God, our Maker?
‘Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? Or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?’
Job 38:1
Job(not Steve) was a man whose heart seems right with God. Yet, he was put through extreme circumstances. When I first renewed my faith not as a believer but as a determined follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, one constant fear that popped up in my thoughts was “will God put me through what Job went through?”
God is good. Through the years of journeying in His presence, He has allowed me to go through the storms of refinement, but He knows my shallow limits and He provides and affirms. And despite all my imperfections, brought me to new heights in my spiritual maturity His way.
And the lesson I learnt about Job was that God is faithful, much as I often struggle in my faith.
‘But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die….’
Genesis 3:3
“A bite of the forbidden fruit,” that was the thought that struck me over the weekend when I pondered upon the iconic logo of Apple computer.
Adam and Eve forsook God for wisdom of good and evil that the Tree of Knowledge provides to all who eats from its fruit. Popular culture depicts that fruit as an apple, not too sure if that is the right fruit? Steve Jobs did not invent the internet, and not too sure if he got his inspiration from visiting an ashram in India, but his brilliance in providing the breezy and alluring platforms( the Ipod, Iphone and Ipad) has empowered, enabled and enticed many to tune into the broad reaches of the internet. “A new religion for the increasingly secular world,” that was the article that appeared in the following Monday’s newspaper. If I had not known better, I would have thought that “big brother” as per Orson Welles’ fictional tome was keyed into my inner thoughts.
Steve Job might have left us, but it was reported that he has left behind four years worth of wonderful and potentially groundbreaking products including tools to access the “cloud.” It is not out of norm for “once finite man,’ to be granted deity status for imaginations do grow asunder when one no longer has the living imperfect to give us that sense of reality.
‘Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die and not live.’
Isaiah 38:1
Our good Lord has not told me my run out date, though I did get a sense that it will be at least 25 years more to go at the minimal. Yet in reminding me that health is not to be taken for granted, He has not just increased the resoluteness of my faith, but spurred me to be even more conscious about “making proper order” my state of affairs. And this is not just about secular matters, but more importantly, the command from God to be made right spiritually as in Romans 12:1 below.
‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service..’
Romans 12:1
The “noose” has just tightened markedly in my present employ. And some of you on this mail will understand for we are in the same straitjacket. It is a reality of the world that is moving to the other extreme of the pendulum, where regulation now takes precedence over business sense. But much as it might seem more pronounced in the financial sector, reality is life is getting more difficult for everyone in all industries and life in general. Does one cave in to the overwhelming burdens laid upon us? Not if one truly understand that God is Sovereign and He is our “sole employer,” and that He is Whom we look to and draw our resilience from.
‘But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength……’
Isaiah 40:31
'And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness...'
2 Corinthians 12:9
What is truly our job or calling in this finite life? On a personal level, Romans 12:1 applies to all. And on a relational level to our environs, it is good to ponder upon Isaiah 40:3
‘The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness. Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’
Isaiah 40:3
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(15th Oct 2011)
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