Dear…..
.'Seek the Lord while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near.'
Isaiah 55:6
'Neglect, ' this was the thrust of the first two sharings that I penned in this temporary series "Footprints in the sand." In our relentless pursuit of the treasures of this finite world, The omnipresent God is left on the back burner.
'For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to Whom be glory forever. Amen.'
Romans 11:36
'Regret,' is less applicable to men and women of determined faith. For in investing our time and all in seeking to live a life of holiness, God has blessed us with this
indescribable joy and peace that the finite non believing or non faithful men yearned for but could never attain.
"'For My thoughts are not your thoughts. Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord...'
Isaiah 55:8
"Introspect!" Should I resent God and hold Him culpable for allowing me to have less than perfect health? And what about the burdensome demands of the workplace or seemingly unjustifiable troubles determined and obedient children of God often find themselves in?
I have 3 brothers in Christ whose walk with our Lord is much closer than mine, who have served our Lord faithfully. Yet like me, they are undergoing tremendous challenges. Why does God allow His faithful children such trials?
Do you feel like Job, whose wife encouraged him to curse the "unfair" God?
'Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said ....."Now prepare yourself like a man. I will question you and you shall answer Me."
Job 38:2-3
Job "passed" this interview from our Lord. And thanks be to God, struggle as I often do,
He has shown me His ways, and much as He allows the fire to refine me, He shelters and He affirms. And till now, by His grace, I believe God has enabled me to "pass" every tests He has set me. And the same for you if you stay steadfast in His presence.
'Then Job answered the Lord and said : "I know that You can do everything. And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.......Therefore I abhor myself. And repent in dust and ashes,"
Job 42:1-2,6
'Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the Lord and said, "Remember now, O Lord, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what is good in Your sight." and Hezekiah wept bitterly.'
Isaiah 38:3
Both Job and King Hezekiah were imperfect but faithful servants of our Sovereign God.
Job accepted the will of God and was blessed many times over. King Hezekiah refused to accept the pronouncement from God, delivered by His servant prophet Isaiah and instead pleaded to God for a variation of His will. And God heard and heeded his plea.
Two different men, two starkly different responses yet both blessed by our Sovereign God. Yet there are clear commonality in both situations.
- both were faithful seekers of the Lord our God
- both were repentful fully recognizing not just their imperfections( for which one might argue the sense that God was inequitable ) but more importantly acknowledging the Sovereignty of God.
- and both clung on to God, much as there were compelling reasons to do otherwise.
God is faithful and His plans are always good for us. We look for conclusions(our way), God expects obedience, and in letting go and letting Him, we will not just see the wisdom of His ways, but partake in the fruits He has prepared for the faithful
‘I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.’
Philippians 4:11
And in closing, let me bring you to Psalm 77 and Psalm 116.
In Psalm 77, the writer struggled with God’s seemingly indifference to his woes. Yet, he reminded himself that God has always been faithful, as he reflected on the past, and in doing so, his faith was renewed knowing that God is faithful always. And in acknowledging the Sovereignty of God, He will draw near to us.
And Psalm 77, which I encourage you to read in its entirety, crystallized for me the purpose of our Lord in leading me to divert to this temporary series "Footprints in the Sands." To remind us that much as we do not see the footprints of our Lord in our present woes, His leading was very real in our past "troubles" and will continue to be crystal clear His way, if we allow Him.
'Thy way is in the sea, and Thy path in the great waters, and Thy footsteps are not known.'
Psalm 77:19
'I will remember the works of the Lord, surely I remember Thy wonders of old.....'
Psalm 77:11
Psalm 116, is the morning after, when the sun rises and the darkness of our circumstances is lifted. The writer is overjoyed having experienced God’s loving response to his pleas.
It is always easier to thank God after the fact than before. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, evidence of things unseen. As the children of God, we must learn to let go and let Him and to learn to have a thankful heart in all circumstances(as in Philippians 4:11). For only then, will we be willing to walk out of the “unlocked prison doors” into the waiting arms of God. And it will serve us well to remember the past "footprints" of Christ's leading, when He brought us through the valleys and the hills of our lives.
God blesses
Eng Hieang
16th Feb 2012
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