Heart to heart #50 Seeking God (31st Dec 2012)

Dear...

Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. I would seek unto God,
and unto God would I commit my cause: Which doeth great things and unsearchable;
marvellous things without number.
            Job 5:7-9

Troubles are the necessary impetus that will drive many to seek God. And God will allow a wrong to be used to lead to a right. And much as our world is fallen, clearly evil in men has taken on new extremes.

"America the beautiful"  is a lovely patriotic song written in the 19th century, when USA was on the cusps of greatness come the 20th century. The 2nd stanza had these wonderful words of thanksgiving

"America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,"

Today, the words from the 4th stanza below seem increasingly appropriate, in an America that has increasingly lost her way, be it in the unfettered greed in Wall St, the proliferation of murderous rampages from a surfeit of guns, and the deviant sexual orientation that is moving to mainstream life. And not forgetting the wholesale hallucination with the spreading legalization of marijuana.

America! America!
God mend thine ev'ry flaw,

Apocalypse Now is a 1979 American epic war film set during the Vietnam War, directed and produced by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Marlon Brando. Will the rooster come home to roost, and "the great Satan"( that is what the late Iranian spiritual leader Ayatollah Khomeini called America )be enmeshed in an apocalypse come year 2013?
And would the catalyst be from the push to make America energy independent through the extraction of shale gas?

New York City and Washington D.C are located near the largest shale  formation in USA.
"This tectonic history created the environment for hydrocarbon development and the trapping mechanisms to accumulate economic quantities of oil and natural gas. Figure 2.1 displays the orientation of the Paleozoic rocks in NewYork."
( from report titled FRACTURED SHALE GAS POTENTIAL IN NEW YORK)

A report today showing that shale fracking (or frakking) causes earthquakes, albeit minor for now,  the British Geological Survey says that the two earthquakes in Lancashire were indeed caused by Cuadrilla Resources’ exploratory shale gas wells (Forbes magazine)

When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.
                Deuteronomy 4:30-31

A fertile mind I have, but it ends here, for only our Lord knows what is ahead. But from experience, most only turn to God when circumstances overwhelm them. But thankfully, it is a fact that God will respond to a humbled and contrite heart

For thus saith Jehovah unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live;
                  Amos 5:4

Financial freedom, the means to live well materially, the lifting of the burdensome yoke of the need to make a living, this is the aspiration of many.
"The borrower is a slave to the lender,"(Proverbs 22:7) this was the thought that our good Lord impressed upon me at the break of dawn. Am I stating the obvious to the oblivious?
But as the Spirit prompts, I must not desist.

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
              1 Peter 2:11

Indeed, what grips many of us, and puts us on edge is the palpable  tension that encapsulates our very being when we commit into decisions that could mean being nearer that elusive day of financial freedom, if things don't go awry. Today, the "free" drug of easy monies and low interest rates is leading many to taking on more brick and mortar, and with it, even greater debts, with their eyes fixed on mammon and her delusory promise of financial freedom. Owning multiple properties is increasingly the norm for a growing minority who have convinced themselves that they needed to ensure that their offsprings will have a home to call their own. But have we forgotten that our only focus should be on building the House of our Lord. Individually we are the temple of God, collectively we are the church.
And have we exchanged inner peace and joy for perceived and temporal happiness?
Have we forgotten that it is dependency upon God that truly matters.

And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
            Luke 21:34

For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
            Luke 21:35

Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
            Luke 21:36

Imagine if the tremors from a future earthquake in Sumatra was a lot stronger. What if a few buildings were to collapse in Singapore. The very foundational belief in properties will undergo a sea change. Many of the seriously rich lost great wealth during the sub prime crisis not because they were just imprudent, but exogenous factors occurred which was beyond their wildest expectations.

A Pastor friend shared with me, 6 months back, of his concerns for churches in Singapore, whose funding comes primarily from a largely middle to upper income congregation, many of whom are enamored with properties. What if a tsunami of fear of an economic or possibly political nature was to lead to a wobbly property market and a destruction of wealth. Will our churches be impoverished, just as the world are converging upon our blessed land, when we should be ministering to them with our God given provisions?

Contentment is not about being happy with 1,2, 3 or 100 properties. It is about being thankful to our Great God in all circumstances.
Stewardship is also not about being careful and rational in our investment choices. It is about total dependence upon the grace and leading of The Lord our God.

It will be wise to take a step back from stacking on more mortgages on one's sagging shoulders and instead, take time with our Maker. Contrary to the popular notion that God will give us more material riches when we ask, it is the richness of life that comes from seeking Him with our all, that He will bless us with.

Question is, like most,  will you need the houses of cards that you are busy pursuing to come crashing down before you will begin to avail yourself of this truth?

But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.
                  Deuteronomy 4:29-31

Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.
                  Deuteronomy 4:39-40

God blesses

Eng Hieang
30th Dec 2012

Heart to heart #49 What comes after Christmas ?? (25th Dec 2012)

Dear...

And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
            Luke 21:34

This is the time of the year when many are spirit filled, unfortunately of the alcoholic type rather than that of the Holy Spirit. But Christmas is more than feasting and material gifting, it is remembrance of God's gift of salvation to all, an exercise that still needs a continued, diligent and determined response from us.

Dec 21st has come and gone, just like the Mayans,  but Mother Gaia remains. The end of the world is not a function of the speculation of men. The world will end when Christ returns, but only God can determine when.

For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
            Luke 21:35-36

Hellbent many are in their near obsession to max out their finite time in this temporal world, but for the Heaven bound, being ready today, should God calls now must be our focus.. Forgiveness of sins and salvation come by the grace of God. But the "clean slate," has to be transformed unto the likeness of Christ, and that requires a preparation of our hearts, that must be responsive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Two separate surveys provided some interesting food for thought.
- "Secularism" is the ranked third as the "religion of choice" globally.
- Singaporeans are not just emotionless, but unhappy.

The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.
                Proverbs 16:33

Should we lay the blame for this sorry state of affairs squarely upon the omnipresent but seemingly impotent  God, Who is not fulfilling His promise of peace and joy? If this thought did cross your mind, you are in good company with the American Jewish Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, who raised this gripe below with the silent God with regards to the recent Newtown massacre.
"How can we take comfort that God is taking care of the children in heaven when he didn't stop the massacre in the first place?"

For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
                Genesis 3:5

Could one excuse God because man chose to exercise their ill gotten free will? In this case, the residents of Newtown voted down a recent proposal to curb high intensity firearms, like those used in the massacre.

The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.
                Proverbs 16:31

It is gratifying to know that my powdery hair is a testament of God's glory upon my life. A life that seeks Him with my all, much as I am imperfect. And incidentally, my once light brown hair truly started on the road to powdery white at about the time His Spirit convicted me a decade back in Bangkok.

Are there lessons I have culled from walking closely in His presence that will help us disentangle our perplexity with the seemingly unfathomable Sovereign God? That will allow us to trust in Him, much as there are  times we might have good reasons to be doubtful?

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, even as it was spoken unto them
              Luke 2:20

Man looks at the temporal, God is preparing us for eternity.
Our perfect God is master of the Universe, but us the imperfect man deem ourselves a close alternative.
Christmas is a reminder of God's grace, in the face of man's folly. The crucification of Christ on Good Friday and His resurrection on Easter Sunday  is a testimony of God's seemingly "foolishness" being far superior to man's wisdom.

Much as it is difficult for any of us to want to thank God for a difficult experience, the truth is God is Sovereign and He will make a "wrong" more than right. Question is, will we be willing to remain steadfast in His presence, to wait upon Him till His ways are brought to fruition?
And do we truly believe eternity not just matters but is a reality?

For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel
            Luke 2:30-32

God blesses

Eng hieang
25th  Dec 2012

Heart to heart #48 Heart of worship (16th Dec 2012)

Dear...

And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.
                2 Thessalonians 3:5

A friend just passed away. In a sense, it was long overdue, for his doctor only gave him a year to live, four years back. True fighter my septuagenarian friend was, going for more chemotherapy treatment than medically desirable, but in the end, he succumbed.

Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
                  1 Timothy 2:4

Just yesterday, I caught up with another friend, who was on the mend from a major operation. Interestingly, at the tail end of our otherwise non eventful lunch, without any preliminaries, my friend spluttered in 15 minutes, his experience as an "ex Christian."
From the old school, like many of us, my octogenarian friend experienced Christianity as a poor student, for the church was where a hungry soul gets free sustenance, both materially and spiritually. But now he prefers Darwin, to him more logical and less confusing than the Bible.
And he finds it difficult to accept that God has sole claim to Sovereignty over our lives.

Moreover the Lord answered Job, and said, Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.
                  Job 40:1-2

A vacuum permeates my heart, whenever someone I know leaves this temporal world.
Could I have done a better job pointing my now departed friend to our Lord? Like most  men of intellect, he has read about Christianity, had brushes with the Christian faith in his journey of life, but never got to know Christ well.
God brings about the increase, but could  I have sown or watered better! The answer to this would be "was my heart" truly aligned with our good Lord? Did my late friend see Christ in me?

"Heart of worship," this was the thought that our good Lord impressed upon me. Interestingly, "Heart of worship" was the very theme that set the tone when I first started this  present series "Heart to heart," back in Sep 2011.  Below is the extract taken from the banner of my "Heart to heart" series. (http://eng-hieang.blogspot.sg/2011_09_01_archive.html)

'Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.' Psalm 139:23-24)

An imperfect physical heart I have just discovered. God will heal at His timing and in His way, that is not for me to ponder. But God looks for a heart that seeks to worship Him, that is for me to work on by His enabling grace.

May this new leg of my journey with Him and you, be truly a heartfelt time of joy in the presence of our Perfect God, Whose Spirit is at this very moment, not just residing in our hearts, but transforming our hearts to be truly the temple for His Spirit.
It is indeed time to come back to the heart of our faith, to live a life where God is the heart of our worship.
But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
                2 Thessalonians 2:13

Faith comes from God. But it requires a heart that is willing not just to receive His Spirit, but continues to leave room only for Him. And a heart transforms, when we are willing to let go of our own understanding, and let our mind be renewed by immersing ourselves in the Word of God.
Both my friends, the one that has kicked the bucket, and the other that is still kicking, both think that many Christians become stupid, when they left everything to God, and no longer use their own wisdom.
But are the faithful truly "stupid?" Or it is because we recognize and acknowledge our own limitations and God's omnipresence. The power of the gospel will be manifested in our lives, and the cynical world like my friends will witness the glory of God upon our lives.
But why is it not happening for many "professed" Christians?

Trust in Jehovah with all thy heart, And lean not upon thine own understanding:
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
          Proverbs 3:5-6

Christmas is a reminder that it is God Who chose to save all of us. We cannot work for our salvation, but we can work on our salvation. It is a mystery of God as to when and whom He choose to lift the veil on our hearts, to elicit that knowledge of His presence and the need for our response. . But as He promised in Matthews, all will "hear" the good news before Christ returns. I believe "hear" is not of our senses, but rather, a heart that will be convicted by the Holy Spirit. But will you have the conviction to follow through?

When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee,
Thy face, Lord, will I seek.
                      Psalms 27:8

King David in Psalms 27:13 rightly proclaimed this experiential truth
' I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of The Lord In the land of the living.'

The year might be coming to an end. Yet for many, the woes of daily living does not dissipate with this year's calendar end. To depend upon our human understanding and resilience to sustain us through our difficult world is too burdensome. But there is a God, and letting go and letting Him will bring us to not just a different perspective of our woeful situation, but empowers us to walk boldly through this fire of refinement, to be embellished  in His glory.

My disbelieving friend much as he refuses to surrender to God, in the same vein, tells me that he still regularly ask Him for that elusive enlightenment so he can believe. The mind is perplexed, but I believe God will unknot his convoluted heart. Will I be willing to be that mirror upon which my friend will see God at work, that his heart will be willing to leave ajar, an opening to receive the sanctifying Spirit of our great God? For that to happen, I  must come to the "heart of worship,"
- where nothing else matters except a desire to worship God with my all, and more importantly, He is my all.
-  And it is about Who He is, not who I am
- not about what I have done, but what He has blessed me with

And Samuel said,
Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to hearken than the fat of rams.
            1 Samuel 15:22

Wait on the Lord:
be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
              Psalms 27:14

God Blesses
Eng Hieang(16th  Dec 2012))

Heart to heart #47 Faith and Career (9th Dec 2012)

Dear...

And by reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted overmuch, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be exalted overmuch.
                   2 Corinthians 12:7

God is not just prescient, but He  has a great sense of humor. This morning, right after I did a self examination of my still painful ingrown toe nail, the verse "thorn in the flesh" (as in above verse) was where He brought me.
He has always imbue in me this sense of awe, how connected God is with us, if only we are willing to open and keep open our hearts to Him. Yet paradoxically, how easy it is for many to forget the grace of God in their once wretched lives.

Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
                     John 4:34

East is east, West is west, the twain shall not meet. This is what Rudyard Kipling the author of the beloved "Jungle Book," penned. But what about faith and career? Can the twain meet?
Is this trend towards separating faith from not just the workplace, but to all public places contrary to what Christ has lived by example?

In the corporate world,
- it is about plotting ahead a career path, and plotting with or against others.
The corporate world today has evolved from a zoo to a jungle

But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
          Acts 1:8

In the kingdom of God,
- faith  is not just about knowing about Jesus Christ. It is about acknowledging Him as our potter, trusting Him to the point of being willing to go wherever He leads, to be molded to be like Christ.

If a Christian is a fine piece of art, what will be the attributes?
"Love, patience, kindness, perserverence, forbearance, selflessness and all things that should make us different from the primeval instincts of animals.

Faithfulness is
- keeping your commitments, honoring your promises, and following through on your intentions as led by the Spirit of God.

Can one continue to live out the attributes of a "good" God fearing believer, be a positive influence, be at peace and still have a good career?

More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold:
sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
                     Psalms 19:10

Just today, I was thinking of buying more physical gold after a 5 years hiatus. And our good Lord knows my thoughts and Psalms 19:10  was His immediate retort.  Indeed much as physical gold is not edible and is quite burdensome to lug around, it has a place as a store of value in the looming loss of confidence in governments as stewards of a nation's purchasing power. But gold as our character refined through the crucible of experiences our God and potter is putting us through is what we must buy, while there is still time.

The Mayan calendar is wrong. Only God knows and can determine when Christ returns. But the run up to it, as we have experienced and will continue to experience in greater intensity, will be earth shattering for many, for our good Lord wants to bring you out of the delusory grip of Satan.

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
                       1 Timothy 6:17

The workplace is where most of us spent a large part of our lives in. It is also where we will interact with fellow humans. The workplace is where we must work on our salvation, and in doing so, be used by our Lord to point others to Him. For God is truly our only employer.
But much as it is great that some have served our Lord diligently, what truly matters is not what we have done for God, but what He has done for us.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,                     
                        Ephesians 3:20

God blesses

Eng Hieang
9th Dec 2012

The Final Solution
I chanced upon a video archive( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv6xbeVozhU ) of the 1961 trial of Adolf Eichmann, infamous for being the architect of Nazi Germany' desire to cleanse the world of Jews. Eichmann's defense was that he was just a cog in the machinery, and he felt a lightness and joy, sending millions of Jews to their death.  Here was one man whose belief in the Aryan Supremacy aligned perfectly with his job at hand.

The twain did meet for him. It was unfortunate that the focus was not on the love of God, but rather the prideful hatred of the devil.
Yet, in all things God is Sovereign, and it was largely attributed to the desire amongst the Jewish diaspora for a country of their own, to ensure the Holocaust is not repeated, that the modern state of Israel came into being.

Today, the twain has met again. The Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,  has professed his belief that his prophet, the 12th Iman will return when Israel is destroyed. His entire career is now devoted towards fulfilling that prophecy.
( http://www.arewelivinginthelastdays.com/com/iran.html )

Will we see a major conflict next Spring?

Heart to heart #46 Walking on water (1st Dec2012)

Heart to heart #46 Walking on water  (1st Dec 2012)

Dear....

Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee.

For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?

                 Psalms 56:12-13

This verse spoke to me very much this morning. Indeed God in surfacing my heart condition two Septembers back has extended my life, for without that awareness, I will be none the wiser.

And God does not just limit His love and care for me to just the physical. A heart that is not aligned to His will, He will also lovingly correct, so that we truly can be holy, for He is holy.

And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth.

                   Jeremiah 36:23

King Jehoiakim in an act of defiance, burned the scroll that contained the words of God's warning on His intended punishment for Judah if they persisted in their sinfulness.

This was to me and many, just another story of how disobedient men react to the admonishment of love. In my years of service to our Lord, I rarely experience rejection by fellow men, and till recently have never been publicly flogged and my integrity as a desirous messenger of God challenged and splattered with vitriol.

But why did our good Lord recently allow this? Was my spirit man not right with God?

'Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.'

               Psalms 34:19

From the week I started work two months back, my big toe on the right foot has been giving me pain, almost like a thorn stuck in my flesh. Not too sure if my foot has got bigger from the 3 months of gardening leave or simply protesting the need to be back to the grind, pounding the pavements again. Anyway, I finally saw the doctor today and was diagnosed with an ingrown toe nail. But thanks be to God, it was not serious enough yet to justify an operation.

Testing us our good Lord do allow, but He knows our limits and afflictions do help ensure one stay aligned to our Lord and not wander too far off His path.

The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

                  Psalms 34:15

Much as there is good reason to be upset with one's accuser and to vehemently correct an injustice, by His grace I felt no real anger. My heart has truly been transformed to be at peace, and my mind acknowledges that God is Sovereign in all situations, and it is good to come unto His presence to know His will. It is good to look beyond what we think we have done right, to what we could need correction on.

For much as one will grow in Christlikeness, till Christ takes us home, the process of refinement will continue. So rather than look at the level of "holiness" one  has reached and feel aggrieved when the world seems to think otherwise, would it not be better and more correct to look at every challenge as God bringing us to the next level of refinement?

Only then can our carnal self wither, and our spirit man go forth, as the Spirit of God leads.

                

And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

                             Ephesians 3:19

Our loving Father continues to fill us up with His sanctifying Spirit. But space in our finite being needs to be created, through the literal "flushing out" of layers of carnality embedded in us. Challenges if handled by us with the love of the in dwelling Holy Spirit is the agent that will clear these barnacles of sin.

( do take time to read Ephesians 3:14-21)

This morning our good Lord brought me to the record of Peter who walked on water, for Peter wanted to be like Christ. But when Peter took his eyes off Christ, fear of the stormy waters overwhelmed him, and he would have drowned if not for the outstretched hands of Christ.

This ministry of living out fully one's faith in the workplace and everywhere is like walking on water. A fine line where if one takes one's eyes off Christ our Lord, the realities of an increasingly difficult world will be overwhelming. And if fear does not sink us, our deceitful pride will.

I was accused of using the cloak of God to hide my manipulative and greedy ways. It is possible more in the subconscious rather than in a conscious manner, at least I believe is the case for me. But aggrieved I am not for in all things, God has a purpose for the imperfect us. This morning, this "walk on water' by Peter is His reminder to me again that as I seek to serve Him by not demarcating my work life from my personal life, the world will see His glory upon and through me. Yet, it is a fine line that one must be very cognizance of. Take my eyes off Christ, and I will fall, for the devil is waiting to pounce, and man's heart is self deceiving.

What is man, that thou art mindful of him?

and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

                     Psalms 8:4

God truly provides for our every step. And we must take care at each step, to allow His light to lit the way for us. A loving and thankful heart that acknowledges His Sovereignty every which way is what separates the faithful from the natural pull of gravity of this fallen world.

God blesses

Eng hieang

(1st Dec 2012)

Psalm 112

God is good. As I spent time this morning in HK in prayerful thanksgiving for the blessed time last night,  at my publisher and dear sister in Christ Rosanne's  30th anniversary in her service to our Lord, our good Lord brought me to Psalm 112. It is with great gratitude as His very Spirit spoke to me with His blessings and assurances. My prayers are that you will have the same desire to seek Him and experience and be assured of His grace in Psalm 112

Psalm 112

1 Praise ye the Lord.

Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord,

that delighteth greatly in his commandments.

2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth:

the generation of the upright shall be blessed.

3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house:

and his righteousness endureth for ever.

4 Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness:

he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.

5 A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth:

he will guide his affairs with discretion.

6 Surely he shall not be moved for ever:

the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.

7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings:

his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.

8 His heart is established, he shall not be afraid,

until he see his desire upon his enemies.

9 He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor;

his righteousness endureth for ever;

his horn shall be exalted with honour.

10 The wicked shall see it, and be grieved;

he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away:

the desire of the wicked shall perish.