#21 Morning after (27 Dec 2004)

'For I am God, and not men. The Holy One in your midst. And I will not come with terror'
Hosea 11:9

If you happened to be caught in the arc of the tsunami, juxtapositioned between the wall of water bearing on you, and the almost nonchalent hills behind you, your intuitive, fear laden expression of 'my god' is probably the closest that most would have come to acknowledging the Almighty God.

During X'mas morning, my family and I spent an hour at the basement carpark of Gleneagles Hospital (courtesy of my son, Andre who had food poisoning) patiently(how God brings peace to one even in most trying of times) trying to either start my car or at least extract the car key from the ignition slot.

I believe in the Lord, I have experienced His grace and loving presence on innumerable occasions.

'If ye abide in Me and My Words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be given unto you'
John 15:7

I prayed throughout that my car will start. It did not.

Does it mean that God is on holiday? Does it mean that God is mean? Does it mean that God is having an off-day?? Does it mean that the 2-3 hours wait for the emergency tow services, will put to rest all our plans for the day?

The car did eventually start. Our BMW sales agent finally returned our call. He was in church. The car was in the drive mode, hence it could not start, as there was a built-in safety mechanism, for silly safety oversights like this.

God did not cause my stupidity. God did not answer my prayers the way I wanted, for if He did, my car could have moved unexpectedly and crashed into the wall.
God answered my prayers the way only He knows best.

The morning after, a time of reflection after a momentous experience in our lives, often lead us to a forked road.
For most, in their bitterness, anger, unbelief or for want of a better reason, will logically put the responsibility to God for not doing better.

To know God, to experience His grace and love, we have to believe, trust and obey Him, even in times of tragedies

'Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct Him?
He that reproveth God, let him answer it'
Job 40:2

'I know that thou canst do every thing,
And that no thought can be withholden from thee'
Job 42:2

Many of us think that we know better than the Lord. Like the ever sinful me, we are faithless often, yet God remains faithful.
He will answer our prayers when asked in His will. For when we ask in our will, we often come to grief.

Rather than question God as to why? Do question the faithfulness of your own walk with the Lord.

'My people are bent to backsliding from Me. Though they call them to the Most High, none at all would exalt Him'
Hosea 11:7

The beauty and yet the awesome destructiveness of the confluence of nature are displays of God's awesomeness

'.......what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them'
For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse....'
Romans 1:19-20

In the Book of Revelations in the Bible, which God has revealed to us as to what's ahead,

'For the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?'
Revelations 6:17

Before one start moving to the mountains, away from the breezy homes by the sea, do note that the next destruction of the world will come from fire and not by flood(as in Noah's time)

Do not let our selfish fear gripped us, but do give yourself the opportunity of letting the love of God work in your life.

For God has promised

'.....For ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burn for ever'
Jeremiah 17:4

'Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame'
Revelations 17:15

'Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord,..........
and shall not see when heat cometh,......'
Jeremiah 17:7-8

Ever heard of the Pacific ring of fire? Krakatoa is not an Indonesian dessert and it is not Andre's fault that you get this sharing, but Andreas fault in California that should be of greater interest and concern.

God blesses.

Eng Hieang