2010 - what a year it will be
On the way home, we suddenly talked abt our religion and my friend just asked me, so are u baptised? The reply was a resounding yes ! God is indeed interesting once again. The day after my baptism, he wants me to do some witnessing and proclaiming already. Recently car trips has seen more frequent religion topics coming up, it is indeed an area to share more.
Last week was one of my most horrible weeks ever but like always, the more crazier it was, the better the ending is. God is truly a loving God.
Do this, do that, do this, do that
Sometimes, people take it for granted really.
All the time we take it for granted what the Lord gives to us. It's really hard for us but God still manages to give to us unconditionally. Maybe we need to relook at ourselves and ask if this is an area where we need to change our attitudes and mindsets in when we deal with people who are so unreasonable at times and even when we demand others to compromise for us.
"We'll catch the true meaning of Christ's teaching on faith if we pay attention to how He helped distraught people through their trials. Many of us make the mistake of forgetting that Jesus promises to produce maturity, righteousness, and love by letting us go through trials."
- Gary and Norma Smalley
In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' - Acts 20:35
Maybe i should consider focusing more on ...
My birthday is on the same day as the 1st day of CNY '10 . Oh wow !
" To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me."
- Embrace the struggles because it draws us nearer to our Lord who works through and in us
Oftentimes, we become so focused on something or someone that we are unable to hear the Lord at all. In those times, one of God's most effective and yet painful ways to get our attention is through disappointments. Oh, how we dislike this method!
This is the way God spoke dramatically to the nation of Israel. In Numbers 14, He directed His people into the Promised Land. However, they were scared of the inhabitants, so they refused to enter. As a result, the Lord told the Israelites they'd "by no means see the land" for 40 years, until after that generation had died (v. 23).
Their disappointment was so great that they decided to change their minds. Sadly, though, it was too late; God had already settled the issue. And the people were distraught with grief because of what they had missed. At that moment, in the heart of their disappointment, do you think God had their attention? Absolutely. The next time He gave Israel a command, don't you think they listened a bit more intently?
Tragically, failure is rather common in such situations. Instead of looking to God when disappointments occur, we are quick to blame circumstances, other people, fate, or even the Devil. We are hesitant to believe that our loving Father could be responsible for our frustrations. Yet God is perfectly willing to use disappointments to realign our thoughts with His. Consider the difficulties in your life--might the Lord have been trying to say something in the midst of them?
Numbers 14:17-24
- Dr. Charles Stanley
