Dear...
Mark 14:36
And
he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away
this cup from me:nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.
If
you read the Bible, you will be familiar with this poignant
moment in the Garden of Gethsemane. Does it not strike a familiar chord
for all of us? Maybe even more for those of us who are going through a
present struggle in our lives.
Christ took on the form of man yet from the verse above, there were two distinct differences from us, the
seed of the sinful first man, Adam.
- Christ knew God's will
- Christ was willing to submit to the will of God.
The Bible declares "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen."
From
the context of most of us, faith is taken to mean the clinging on to
the hope of fulfilling our wishes, much as matters are not going our
way.
Prayers and supplications are often made with our will in mind, and God is a convenient "genie in the lamp."
Is
it no surprise that our prayers are not always answered? And even if
they were, the joy is fleeting and God is quickly forgotten!
And
prayer life for most is either a wish list asked in a tentative
manner, for we are not too sure if God hears us and we are quite
unwilling to dig more deeply into the spring of life, Christ our Lord.
Or for some, the
belief is faith equates claiming boldly God's list of goodies as
prescribed in the Bible, with the expectation of immediate gratification
and no responsibility on our part. Is God also Santa? Would us Earthly
parents who love our children give them everything they whined for?
What does "faith" truly mean for the spirit man and woman of God?
I
am crucified with Christ:nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ
liveth in me:and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the
faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20
In
this fallen world, like the virulent cancer cells, troubles multiply
and regenerate. Man desires the resolution of their troubles, and in our
prayers and supplications with our Lord, we limit Him to our
will, not His. But who are we to direct our Creator? The carnal man
desires conclusion, God wants our obedience.
Faith is about knowing the will of God.
Faith comes from God, for knowledge of His will comes from Him.
Being
faithful is about staying true to what God has shown us, holding on to
the belief that His words to us will be fulfilled, much as events and
circumstances seem to point otherwise.
Victory
for the spirit man of God is not measured by looking from the outside,
but it is from the inside, from a submissive heart that believes that
God is Sovereign. And that much as troubles might abound, and that we
see no conclusions our way, we not only can remain joyfully steadfast in
our Lord, but move forth with the deep assurance that we will and can
honor God in every way, for His light will smother the darkness His way,
His
timing.
For troubles are the platform
which best illuminates the victory of the Risen Christ. But will we be
the sturdy lamps upon which His light shines forth, in the midst of the
turbulent storms?
Christ had faith, for
he knew the plans of God. But he still struggled at Gethsemane but in
the end, he stayed faithful, for he let go and let God.
What
about the other men of great faith. Abraham, Moses? They had faith, for
God spoke to them about His will. They too struggled to be faithful,
though in both cases, God divinely intervened to bring them forth.
Can
we have faith, ie knowledge of the will of God. Yes, if we are willing
to seek God with our all. He will draw near to us and His Spirit will
imbue upon our hearts, an understanding of His will.
But we are finite, and we struggle against principalities. Can we be
faithful, ie be willing to submit to the will of God?
God knows our limits. He will divinely provide for a heart that seeks after Him.
Let me conclude with this testimony of my latest epiphany moment.
Both
a wandering eye as well as a wondering heart I have. It is only through
the God given discipline of coming unto the presence of our Lord, that
by His grace, my wandering heart is often realigned back into focus upon
Christ the author and finisher of our faith.
And
just this evening, I had the opportunity to experience this truth. The
internet is like the biblical Tree of Knowledge. Lurking in its midst
are temptations than can spring on one unexpectedly and ensnare one into
sin. Reading the news on Israel has become a habit for me. Never did I
expect to be drawn into lust from the most unexpected source. My spirit
was willing but my flesh was weak. I did
flee from temptation like Joseph with Potiphar's wife, though I must
admit it was a struggle. But God is good. Much as He allows me to be
tempted, He knows my limits and He divinely provided a way out.
To
look away from temptation also requires us to look to God, then can we
overcome the nagging but sure pull of the siren, tugging at our carnal
man.
Not too sure how it came about, but staring at me
in my Ipad was no longer the Israelite temptress, but instead was a
video of a sermon by the late David Collins, the son of my spiritual
mentors, Paul and Bunty. And the topic was on "becoming an overcomer."
Glad that God once again intervened where my finite man cannot overcome
this spiritual attack, and to boot, God sent to my rescue, a man who
died in the body back in 2007, but is very alive in the spirit.
Deuteronomy 30:20
to
love Jehovah thy God, to obey
his voice, and to cleave unto him; for he is thy life, and the length
of thy days; that thou mayest dwell in the land which Jehovah sware unto
thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
And
much as God took me away from creeping sin, He also enlightened me on a
very fundamental spiritual truth that I have completely missed, in the
midst of my struggle these past 6 months.
The carnal
world( including many Christians measures success and happiness by
worldly parameters. We, who are more than believers, being determined
followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, like to think we are different, but
reality is, we have fallen short as well. At least I know I still
struggle with the fear of failure and pride, much as I know God Who has
clearly called me into this new ministry has and will provide. The fact
that God is Sovereign and omnipresent, and victory has been won on the
cross seems to
hold little comfort for me, until I get the conclusion I like.
Ecclesiastes 3:11-12
He
hath made everything beautiful in its time:also he hath set eternity in
their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath
done from the beginning even to the end. I know that there is nothing
better for them, than to rejoice, and to do good so long as they live.
Why
this unbelief? It is because I am still looking for conclusions my
way, when God desires only my obedience. I have foolishly defined
success as based upon my finite understanding, setting the boundaries
for God to follow. Foolish indeed we are, for God's way are more amazing
that when we finally let go and let Him, we will experience His precise
ways, and cannot but wonder in awe at His wisdom and our foolishness in
not following His Spirit's leading.
Indeed, it is
imperative
to start the day with the knowledge that God is Sovereign in all
matters. Acknowledge that truth in our every moment throughout the day,
no matter what the world throws at us. And close the day reflecting with
a thankful heart, the truth of God's omnipresence and empowering grace
that has been suffice for us for today.
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:Fear God, and keep his commandments:for this is the whole duty of man.
Ecclesiastes 12:13
God blesses
Eng Hieang
6th April 2013
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