Dear…
Glory in His name.Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord.
Psalm 105:3
Just yesterday, as the early light of day beckoned, I bumped into my immediate neighbour, a sprightly old lady from Changsha. She was surprised when I gave her my age. She had thought I was much older given my glorious crown of Hokkaido snow hair. Should I take it as a compliment or a letdown?
God is good. My ego got assuaged day after when a friend said I looked increasingly younger.
Guess a haircut I had at the traditional Malay barber could have made the difference. Had not visited the old style Sri Dewa type barbers for eons.
Have my emotions become easily inclined to always look at the half full glass with a thankful heart, that lead to a natural outpouring of joy than angst of the past?
For He remembered His holy promise given to Abraham His servant.
He brought out His people with joy.
Psalm 105:42-43
The yardstick that determines oneś sense of satisfaction is no longer my understanding, nor how the world sees me, but rather what pleases the Lord our God.
The Lord encourages us today to trust HIm, to remain faithful to others, to keep on praying, and to not give up.
(Our Daily Bread Tuesday April 25th 2017)
In my Bible in the Book of Psalm 107, the title says Thanksgiving to the Lord for His Great Works of Deliverance.
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever
Psalm 107:1
Happiness for most of us is measured by the sense of well being as experienced by our natural senses. And processed by our soul whose emotions are based on our finite and flawed understanding.
True joy comes when it is our spirit man that is in sync with the Holy Spirit of our Good Lord residing in us. And in living in the Spirit, we will experience the promises of the Word of God fulfilled.
For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace
Romans 8:6
God can use our deepest disappointments to nurture our faith in Him
(Daily Bread 5th May 2017)
This past one week, in response to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, I deliberately met friends whom I have not seen for some time. And by His grace, I have also met other friends whom God wants me to meet.
Each and everyone of us brings to the table our personal struggles and aspirations.
As Ravi Zacharias, the eminent Christian apologist rightly pointed out, a world without God is grounded in mid air.
We all need the Divine and omnipresent God to provide the framework for a life that is grounded on His absolute truth, to bring that assurance in a very uncertain and harsh world.
Without God, the moorings that many cling on to, be it wealth, power, pride and even our own understanding, are at best temporal, and in reality weighs us down like a burdensome anchor.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future
Jeremiah 29:11
The exiled Jews were told to not just accept their present situation in Babylon, but to pray and prosper the land of their captors. Is this the same difficult task that God has placed in your heart, much as you would rather He take you out of your present difficult situation?
Submission to God allows us to let His Spirit move forth powerfully through our lives.
Joy comes when we see the redemptive works of the Holy Spirit.
Unbridled joy comes when we realize and acknowledge that in letting go and letting God, His Spirit truly bring us forth to the wonderful path of life that He has preordained for us, but few were willing to take. We are no longer prisoners of our own finite and flawed understanding, a condition that we wear upon our hearts from the original sin of Adam and Eve in eating of the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge.
You believe at last! Jesus answered
John 16:31
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
30 May 2017
An afternote - Gates of Jericho
Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.
Joshua 6:1
For most of us, there will be times when we hit the wall and cannot seem to go further in overcoming a present challenge.
What’s worse, at our wit’s ends will we be looking too kindly to seemingly silly commands like what our good God gave Joshua. To march round the walls of Jericho a few times over?
Rest and abide in our Lord, in His Words, in Prayer and in Praise, and in honoring Him, much as our own needs beckons, is the equivalent of our marching round the walls of Jericho.
A friend shared these thoughts below that our good Lord impressed upon him on his birthday
You can succeed
"He held fast to the Lord and did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. And the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook." 2 Kings 18: 6.7.
Success is one of the greatest of human pursuits. Success is defined by Webster's Dictionary as: "a favorable or desired outcome; the attainment of wealth, favor or eminence." John Maxwell describes success as: "The progressive realization of a predetermined goal". Success is progressive and includes the will and determination to never give up.
God tells you how to succeed:
1) Hold fast to the Lord. Don't give up your dream. Don't give in to fear. Don't surrender to obstacles. When you don't have the answer and when you cannot make things happen step back and allow God to take over, "Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26.
2) Listen and obey. Let God's Word be your plumb line for everything that you do as you create and rule your world for success. Live by faith and not by feelings. Keep moving towards your dream.
3) Be aware of God. Make your heart an altar of God. Christ in you is hope of glory. Meet with Him everyday for worship, sharing, renewed strength, creativity, power, and favor. After prayer, go with God every where. "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8.
4) Have faith in God and in yourself. "Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." Proverb 16:3.
Kingdom Declaration:
The LORD is my strength and shield. He gives me success and guarantees my protection.
