Dear...
I often struggle with giving. And not just with monies,
but time, love, a listening ear or even a thoughtful prayer. It is
because much as I profess my desire to follow the Sovereign God, I still
find it difficult to fully let go and let Him. In the syndicated comic
strip, "Peanuts," there was this young boy Linus who has never outgrown
his blanket, his source of comfort and security. Dependency upon God is
a liberating experience. "How can it be?" This is the querulous
exclamation that
will emanate from most. Instead of wondering and wandering every which
way, why not turn to God and experience this biblical truth for
yourself.
Yea, even when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not, Until I have declared
thy strength unto the next generation, Thy might to every one that is to come.
Psalms 71:18
In
our struggles of the moment, much as we know God remains faithful,
there will be times of doubt and angst, where our extrapolated fears
often take center stage, and the Sovereign and omnipresent God is
consigned to being a bit player.
Trusting and acknowledging that
God is truly in total control in all circumstances is often a "rear
mirror" experience, only after we attain our desired prayers. And even
that thankfulness is but fleeting.
For me, by His grace, I was
moved from believer in name, to a heart that was truly convicted by the
Holy Spirit, when I responded to His prompting that fateful night in
Bangkok, to thank God even in the midst of unfulfilled prayers, unlike
the past when the grateful ness was post difficult situations.
Humble yourselves
in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
James 4:10
Am I revisiting my past because of this new season that God has brought
me into? Older I am, gray headed I am too, much as the nicely
sprinkled powdery crown of glory does make me look more distinguished. I
do struggle with the carnal desire for a quick attainment of a more
comfortable perch in my current endeavor, so I can minister from a
perceived position of strength, rather than weakness.
For all our days are passed away in thy wrath:We bring our years to an end as a sigh.
Psalms 90:9
To
be free of troubles, that is the desire of most.But man are born to
trouble, because we live in a fallen world. From Adam's act of
disobedience, man moved from dependence upon God to dependence upon the
machinations of the devil. "To be our own man," is a myth and
only in allowing God to reinstate the relationship that was meant to be
when He made us in His image, will we be finally freed from the burdens
of this sinful world. And trouble does bring many into dependency and
into a deeper relationship with our Sovereign God."
And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
Luke 18:24
Financial
independence, that is what most hanker over, but rarely achieved. For
what is suffice changes when wants become needs. And needs are
multifarious, for if it was just material, than wealth should equate
health, and less stealth in one's life. There is a hunger that only God
can fulfill and it is not dependent upon what you can do, but rather
your willingness to let the Spirit of God worked in you.
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
Knowledge
is the key to independence. That is what the World Wide Web proffers.
And connectivity through devices like smartphones and tablets are the
means to unlocking this power. Strange how things have come one full
circle. A sense of déjà vu, one might have. Lke our wayward ancestors,
who realized to their chagrin that freedom from dependency upon God led
to a life of bondage to their finite understanding and the wiles of the
devil, most are now a prisoner of connectivity. An enslavement that
most cannot do without.
And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.
Luke 17:5
Faith
indeed comes from God. A willingness to come unto the presence of God
to be imbued by His sanctifying grace is imperative. But will we be
willing to
come with no expectations other than knowing that He is Sovereign and
that He loves us?
It is often in the abyss that the clarity of God's
wisdom is most illuminated. Where what seems so important, as defined by
our flawed understanding, pales in the indescribable surge of joy and
peace as His Spirit falls upon us. The "umbilical cord" that Adam and
Eve severed has now been restored, and no man including the devil can
ever torn asunder.
'.....The helpless commits himself to You..'
Psalm 10:14
Dependency
upon God means having a thankful heart in all circumstances. Knowing
that God knows not just best, but His purpose is greater than ours.
Dependency upon God is not about Him giving us what we want, but rather
we going forth boldly to do His will. And prayers asked in His will are
always answered.
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you
up.
James 4:10
A humbled and contrite heart,
that is what God looks for. A quagmire often of our own making, but it
is often in the quicksand of one's life that one is willing to reach out
to the outstretched hand of the omnipresent God. Illogical as it may
seem, it is at the nadir of one's life that a new found strength is
imbued in us by the Spirit of God, that will lift us into a new plateau,
one of total reliance on the Sovereign God.
Jehovah preserveth the simple:I was brought low, and he saved me.
Psalms 116:6
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles 'doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Acts 2:42
God blesses
Eng Hieang
11th Feb 2013
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