#92a Fluke or fruit(4jul06)

‘O that hadst hearkened to My commandments!
Then had thy peace been as a river….’
Isaiah 48:18
Man, by nature, tend to be more willing to pay obeisance to ‘things’ perceived to be far more superior to them, in terms of its ability to meet their lustful aspirations. Such objects of their fear and reverence tend to be conjured as based upon the confluence of their fears, understanding and desires.

The pagan Druids of old England were believed to have marked the summer solstice with rituals at Stonehenge in the Salisbury Plains. Fearsome as the Vikings maybe, they fear and rue, even more the beings that purportedly rule the gale driven North Seas. Closer to home, Chinese mythology and beliefs meant that our ancestors have not just blessed us with the ability to eat all things inanimate(besides most things that move), but also a great plethora of gods and demigods that cater to our every needful fears and desires.

Moses though overawed by the Glory of God, still managed to keep his sense of imperfect human understanding and insecurity when he said to God,

“Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, “The God of your fathers has sent me to you,” and they ask me, “what is his name?” Then what shall I tell them?”
God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”
Exodus 3:13-14

Life as a follower of Christ has never been short of joyful peace, nor is one ever short of loving souls whom God blessed us with as we journey through the troughs of life.

‘…I am the Lord your God which teaches thee to profit. Which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go…’
Isaiah 48:17

But what about God?? Does He truly journey with us??

‘And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel; for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.’
Genesis 32:30

Moses and Isaiah were amongst the great Biblical figures who came closest to what we humans would consider a close physical proximity relationship with God. Even then, Isaiah saw the passing glory of God behind the protective cleft of a rock, while Moses met God via a burning bush.







What about you and me??

Last week, I had the privilege of finally meeting a client whom I have known for 5 years, but have never met.
It was interesting to find out from our meeting, how our lives have been quite intertwined, at least in our growing up years, though our stars have never really crossed until that day.
This fine Malaysian gentleman happened to spend the first part of his life till age 18 in the same neighbourhood as myself. We were literally from the same kampong(not at Mt Sinai, but at Mt Faber) and our fathers were working in the same vicinity.

Coincidences or flukes of life do occur, rare as this may be.
Yet, the meeting would not have come to fruition if not for the fact that my lunch with another client was cancelled. My lunch partner whom I was supposed to meet prior to this meeting was sick and decided to cancel his appointment at the last minute, which in itself has only occurred once in the past 6 years that I have known him. And that previous cancellation makes for another interesting sharing of how God answers prayers asked in His will.

His very postponement ensured that :
- I was available in the office when my Malaysian friend turned up way too early
He was on a turnaround trip from KL and was not likely to be waiting for me for an hour, if my lunch had proceeded as planned.

- To add to the intrigue or confusion, if you are still with me, the time I had with the cancelled lunch allowed me to respond to a prompting that I felt from the Lord, which is, to review and follow-up with the correspondences of friends(on this email ministry) who have kindly shared their needs and concerns with me the past one year.

- The very first person whose correspondence I read and now followed up with was a sister in Christ, whom I for that moment, could not recall visually, who it was.
It was till she replied to me that I could connect and pinpoint the face to the name.
Interestingly, I happened to catch a glimpse of her and her hubby in my church(didn’t even know they attend my church) just two days earlier before this chain of events occurred.












For those who have truly been seeking God every day of their lives, you will I believe, not just understand but be able to empathize and affirm that truly, man plans, God directs.

To those who have been used to plotting their own journey, this might sound like some hullabaloo, though rest assured, we aim to strive to be not just saintly but sane.

God weaves a wonderful tapestry as He moulds our lives and shapes us to his likeness.
When we love, we begin to ‘see’ God, for God is love.
When we look at everything with thanksgiving, knowing that He loves us all, our faith in the very visible God(in spirit but not in form, for God is Spirit) will grow as we learn to let God’s wonderful handiwork come to crystallization at His time and way, and not ours.

‘He has recompensed me for I have kept the ways of the Lord…’
2 Samuel 22:21-22

This ministry that God has blessed me withyou is not just one of sharing and encouraging, but a daily affirmation of His very presence and love for us.

‘God is my strength and power. And He makes my way perfect.’
2 Samuel 22:33

I do apologize for including without the listing credits( like in the movies), quite some of you in this latest excerpt for indeed many of you were participants with me in this wonderful walk with the Lord.

Do reflect on how God always bring that great sense of indescribable joy and peace to us as we allow Him to lead us on His chosen route for us, and how by learning to let go, we begin to see the wonders of His ways, even though we often looked in wonder as how it is possible. But with God, all things are possible.

‘…weeping may endure for a night. But joy comes in the morning’
Psalm 30:5

God Blesses

Eng Hieang