Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established'
Proverbs 16:3
Abdication is probably a quaint word that is rarely used in modern times, for it harks from an era or two earlier, when royalty was still fashionable, and human intrigues was played out in the royal courts rather than in the hard courts of present day politicians.
Some of us might remember ex-King Edward VIII, who chose to be with his love, American divorcee and socialite, Wallis Simpson and so abdicated from his birthright as the King of England, in 1936. It was no small sacrifice for the British Empire though at the throes of entering its sunset years, was on paper, still the major power of the world.
'A man's heart deviseth his way but the Lord directeth his steps'
Proverbs 16:9
Our hearts are the workhorse that keeps our bodily whole functioning, but it is our brains that steers our thoughts, that acts as the site of reason and intelligence.
But what truly makes us tick??
Like many a diligent reader of the Bible, we are oft reminded to seek God with all our heart, soul and mind, to acknowledge Him in all our ways and He will make our paths straight.
Is this still logical or was it a mere historical belief that is especially of no practical significance in our modern society today, where information is King, and one's ability to be take centre stage in the multi-varied dynamic flow of information, coupled with the intelligence to digest, and use that information is power.
God gave us the intellect and the wisdom, our dear forefather, Adam brought it one step furthur by eating the apple from the Tree of Knowledge.
Man might still be far from achieving immortality, but are we not that nearer to achieving intellectual parity with the mythicial demi-gods??
Do we still need the Lord our God??
'Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise, and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding'
Proverbs 17:28
Horological pieces or in its more mundane generic name, watches are one of those items that the macho man can indulge in frivolity, yet not lose their guise of masculinity.
The technology, the finesse, the very materials used in putting together these increasingly expensive and complicated timepieces, have brought it past its original intent, ie time keeping to a higher pedestal. Many collect ostensibly for the next generation, but in reality, for one's indulgence, one symbol of status, and one's perceived investment savvy and appreciation of the finer things in life.
But yet, irregardless of the branding, the differentiation in packaging and attributes, lies the heart and soul of every timepiece; its movement, which is the motor which runs the watch. The Japanese has revolutionized watch making with their low cost quartz movements in the 1970s, but for any watch afiociondo worth his salt, nothing can beat the quality of a Swiss made watch movement, which is the heart of quality Swiss watches and most non-Swiss made quality watch brands, that is finding its place in the petite wrists of the affluent and desirous to be affluent ladies, and the men.
'Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not My law'
Proverbs 4:1-2
What about us humans, the seeds of Adam and Eve??
Is the disparity in wealth, health, stealth a result of us being offshoots of the varied branches from the original seeds??
In the eyes of the Lord our God, our Father in Heaven, we are all equal in His eyes. We are all granted the same salvation, and a place in Heaven if we believe, repent and obey Him.
So, if we are no different in the eyes of God, would it be correct to say that the present differentiation amongst men on Earth is a function of our own disobedience to the will of God and our foolishness in pledging allegiance to the ruler of the present world, the devil, whom Adam the man that God created in His likeness, had foolishly abdicated his rightful place to.
'But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strife'
2 Timothy 2:23
Generalization is at best a futile self-effacing exercise, and it is truly time for me to move away from such postulations and instead try to share a nugget of enlightenment that the Lord showed me these past few days.
'But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be My people; and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you'
Jeremiah 7:23
It is God who made me. It is God whom I must seek to please. It is God whom in every moment of my life I must look to, in every action and decision that I take, I must look to for direction. The question that I must ask always is ' what is the will of God' and my every moment must be aligned with His will and my every action, will be the same reaction that Jesus Christ would have made in response.
As imperfect humans, our first reaction is always to look at things and issues from our sinful perspective. A perspective that is flawed, for our sense of right and wrong, is grounded upon an act of disobedience, from Adam and Eve's folly in eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge.
But our follow through reaction can be God centred if we so desire. It is time we learn to let go and let God.
'Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you'
James 4:7
In every situation, rather than say what would I do, we should always ask ourselves, what would Jesus Christ have done, what would God want us to do??
'And the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient.
In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will'
2 Timothy 2:24-26
And as others watch us, as they watch how we allow God to unwind the fraught and sin-taut imperfections that our lives have been subjected too, as we come to know and believe in Jesus Christ, and allow Him to help us break free from the subjugation of the devil, they will begin to understand the simplicity of God's love that would not just cut through the barnacles of sin that encapsulates our very being, but also bring us out of the complicated mess that is secular life in the sinful world today.
Since time immemorial, there is no greater joy for man than knowing Jesus Christ and knowing that God is real and that He loves us.
Unlike limited edition time pieces that only the few and privileged are privy to, God's love and grace is available to all, yet, there is a finality to it though, that is, the day that Jesus Christ returns.
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
A little testimonial
- I have just returned from a short 2 days business trip. The trip started on a wrong note. My first two appointments were cancelled at too near notice for me to look for alternatives. In the past, one would fret, fume and fear for the time wasted. But God has taught me and all who care to know that in every situation, we should be still and know His will. Often, it is good in such situations to tarry and take time with Him. I had a good rest and was indeed bless with His peace. The rest of the trip turned out more than well, and truly, when we let Him, we allow ourselves the given privilege to see His ways and His grace in action. Nothing is 'wasted' in God's way. It is in doing things our way, that we often waste seeing the joy of His ways.
Much as we are programmed by our disobedience to want to do things our way, why not learn to take time out with the Lord our God when you are next faced with a situation that demands a reaction of all that is human but wrong, ie anger, fear, pride, lusts, judgemental.
'And when it turns to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord'
2 Corinthians 3:16-18
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