#151 Unfazed ( 16 aug 07)

'For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether'
Psalm 139:4

If some of my sharing these past years ever touches your heart, it is because God touches you, for only God knows what is in our hearts. I count myself blessed to be used by the Lord on those occasions to be the conduit upon which He works His will. But you have to want to respond to His leading.

'But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth; for in these things I delight, saith the Lord'
Jeremiah 9:24

What I have just said a moment ago might be correct, but does it mean that my next pronouncement is still truly from the Lord our God, or has my imperfect prideful and sinful self taken over, that my imperfect understanding starts to permeate and replace the will of God, in my sharing? If it is so, God can still use my imperfections, but I have sinned.

We are our greatest enemy. Our imperfect sense of right and wrong, which rest its foundations on Adam's disobedience(in eating the forbidden fruit of knowledge) in wanting to rely on himself, rather than the infinite wisdom of God, coupled with our deceitful self and the desires of the devil to bring us on the road to ruin, ensures that none of us can claim to be angelic.
We often consciously or subconsciously become enamoured with ourselves, others or whatever that detracts us from the Lord our God.

'Come unto Me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest'
Matthew 11:28

But when the Lord our God speaks, He delivers. This was the verse(ie Matthew 11:28) that I read this Monday morning, as I seek the presence of the Lord, as is habitual in the morning before the day starts. It was even more pressing as I felt a certain sense of foreboding, though I know that God provides and has provided.

For some of you on my list, I am blessed to have you journey with me this morning, as I went through a rather unexpected unsettling experience. I have never doubted that we must be prepared to walk our talk or rather live out our faith, in all seasons and circumstances, then can we truly be seen by the people that God places in our lives, to be able to attest to our faith and God's grace.

'But if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye; and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled.
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear…'
1 Peter 3:14-15

'….they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorfiy God in the day of visitation'
1 Peter 2:12

Matthew 11:28 reminds us all to seek God always, even when our natural and sinful self wants to deal with issues of life our way. I thought this verse that I read this morning was mean't for my sharing for others. Truly, God is good and this verse was for me, for truly, I have never felt so stunned by the turn of events this morning, when the controllable springs out to a life of its own. But God is good, even in the midst of my troubles, He is there, and while He does not take away immediately my 'troubles,' He smoothen the path, He gave me that strength of faith and reassurance to do the right thing, to honour Him and to let Him, notwithstanding the great resistance from my carnal self to do otherwise.

'Behold, O Lord; for I am in distress; my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled…'
Lamentations 1:20

'For I am the Lord; I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall no more be prolonged……
For rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord God'
Ezekiel 12:25

As a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, we are well aware that there is an on-going spiritual battle for our souls. The secular man might think that Christians are overdramatizing events in attributing challenges of life to the deeper plane of the battle between the forces of good and evil. God is almighty. The war is already won, and when Jesus Christ died on the cross and was resurrected 3 days later, He has broken forever the grip of death(and that of the devil) on our very soul.

So why do 'bad' things still happen to 'good' people like us who profess to live the faith and who knows God?

'I will stand my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what He will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved'
And the Lord answered me….'
Habakkuk 2:1-2

God allows challenges in the life of the faithful, for us to bring to flesh our faith, for the disbelieving to believe when they witness how faith keeps us going, how faith is more than blessed, in God's way and in His timing.
God also allows us to fall occasionally, for we have indeed already fallen, even if we might think that we are still right with Him.

'O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing'
Jeremiah 10: 24

Today's painful experience for me was truly a reminder that in the midst of my praising and honoring God for His bountiful grace in my life, I have allowed His blessings to become my God.
Financial independence, something I would have achieved today, (when the sale of an asset completes) has become the 'god' that replaces my desire for and dependency upon the Living God, my Abba Father.

Truly, God is good. As I penned this, I am told that the deal will be completed today afterall, instead of a possible delay of 2 weeks or possibly a remote not at all.
With this brief but painful experience, I am reminded that nothing is predictable. The only certainty is that God is faithful, , God loves us.
God made us parents with children, inorder to understand and empathize with the pain He takes, whenever our sinfulness leads us to 'hurt ourselves.'
He allows us to fall that little inorder for us to save us from ourselves, for it is our soul that truly matters.

Some of you asked me if I have been to Seattle, USA, for that was the title of my last sharing. I have not. The closest I have been to Seattle was to Vancouver, Canada which adjoins Seattle, USA.
If the usage of Microsoft operating system counts, then I guess I have used Seattle based products, for that is where Microsoft has its headquarters.
The original thought or title that God put in my head for my last sharing was not 'Sleepless in Settle(a movie starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan). For those who are amongst the rare few who don't remember who Tom Hanks is, you might remember his more recent role in confusing the already mixed up world in the movie, 'the Da Vinci Code'.

Digress indeed I have, but a still slightly shaken mind is my excuse. Anyway, the intended title headlining my last sharing was meant to be "Unfazed"
The gist of my last sharing was really not about the administrative exercise(but nevertheless still important,for one always do a regular reality check) of asking you to opt in or opt out my mailing, but rather, the intended reminder, if one can call that, was that we must always remain unfazed or unshaken, in all situations, always looking to God our Father always.

God is good. He allowed me to practice what I preach this interesting Monday morning. I didn't score a perfect A. In fact, I was quite shaken, albeit momentarily, for the unexpected happened. Yet, I am thankful for God's preparation.

I have learnt to trust Him, difficult as it might be for our natural sinful self to want to reasset itself. I have also learned that I have to honour God in every way, to love the unlovable, even at times when I feel every right to do otherwise.

'…Must I not take heed to speak that which the Lord hath put in my mouth?'
Numbers 23:12


Unfazed I wasn't but I, by the grace of God, I did not totter furthur beyond that nor turn into an ogre, ready to swallow all the miscreants who gave a topsy turvy twist to my plans.
Indeed, imperfect as I am always, the Perfect God has provided me with a wonderfully gainful, somewhat painful, opportunity to put faith into action and be refined that little bit furthur.

'Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's
2 Chronicles 20:15

Indeed, as we enter into this great season of financial upheavals and distress. I am also reminded by the Lord that I must never be a Jonah. Hoping for the worse for the worst of people, for God loves us all, and He will give everyone that chance to turn back.

God gave me that one chance on Monday morning to repent of my sins. He took me down from my blessed pedestal, upon which in my heart I did wish for a market upheaval, since I was sitting pat comfortable till that Monday morning.

'And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?'
Jonah 4:11

God Blesses

Eng Hieang