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.
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