Monday, December 26, 2005
Remember Tsunami
On this anniversary date thot I reproduce what I wrote late Dec last year:
The Supernatural God.
The last week of 2004 ended with over 55,000 dead from tsunamis caused by the worst underwater earthquake in 40 years. According to Webster the word ?tsunami? comes from Japanese ?tsu? which means harbour + ?nami?, wave: a great sea wave produced by submarine earth movement or volcanic eruption. Pictures of dead children and adults stared back at me from the front page of "The Straits Times" and like many others I wondered why God allowed such sufferings to many who can be considered the poor of the world. I have no answer but Ecclesiastes 7:3 says, "Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better". The heart of the matter for our living and being is the matter of the heart. All shall die one day; it's only a matter of time. I do not say this flippantly to belittle suffering and death. But we must try to see them in the ultimate purpose of God, which is that none should perish and all become like Jesus.
This disaster then should lead us to examine our hearts and how to make it better. NIV Proverbs 17:20 ?A man of perverse heart does not prosper; he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble?. Jeremiah called the heart ?deceitful?. Is our heart pure so that we may "see" the Supernatural God? Matthew 5:8. To see Him is to experience His presence, His holiness and His glory. To see Him would also lead to wanting to be more like Him. To see Him is to behold that He is supernatural and all powerful.
A brother shared with me recently about his concern whether God still wants him to be in full-time ministry. I responded that whilst it is a noble attitude to be open to God?s leading in service, He is more interested in our ?being? than in our ?doing?. News of death should lead us to examine our hearts; to check its deceitfulness and perverseness?. To wait for death or disaster would be too late. God is a God of second chance only in this life.
How may we keep our hearts pure or make it better than it currently is? First there?s a need to recollect our personal experiences of God?s mercy and goodness in our lives. This is often seen in the Bible where God recounted for His people the blessings they received. This would then lead to a response of love as we remember how much He loves us. That?s why the Holy Communion is helpful in our personal journey. Secondly, we need to make a choice, that when faced with temptation and heart decision that we would choose to obey God rather than our flesh. This conscious premeditated choice has to be made before we face the testing of our hearts; for otherwise it might be too late.
In reflecting over the year 2004, how has it been for you? Did your journey hit bumps of pain, sorrow and tears? Despite the absence of answers how was your heart? Did it remained pure or did it turned cold. The choice is ours, to "see" God or to give in to the devil. Was your journey carried by tailwind of great blessings, answers to prayers and great joy? Did your heart stay pure, grateful and humbled by His blessings or has pride begun to seep in?
Start this year by naming His blessings one by one and you?ll be surprised what God has done. May God's richest blessings be upon each and every one of us today and all through 2005!
The Supernatural God.
The last week of 2004 ended with over 55,000 dead from tsunamis caused by the worst underwater earthquake in 40 years. According to Webster the word ?tsunami? comes from Japanese ?tsu? which means harbour + ?nami?, wave: a great sea wave produced by submarine earth movement or volcanic eruption. Pictures of dead children and adults stared back at me from the front page of "The Straits Times" and like many others I wondered why God allowed such sufferings to many who can be considered the poor of the world. I have no answer but Ecclesiastes 7:3 says, "Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better". The heart of the matter for our living and being is the matter of the heart. All shall die one day; it's only a matter of time. I do not say this flippantly to belittle suffering and death. But we must try to see them in the ultimate purpose of God, which is that none should perish and all become like Jesus.
This disaster then should lead us to examine our hearts and how to make it better. NIV Proverbs 17:20 ?A man of perverse heart does not prosper; he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble?. Jeremiah called the heart ?deceitful?. Is our heart pure so that we may "see" the Supernatural God? Matthew 5:8. To see Him is to experience His presence, His holiness and His glory. To see Him would also lead to wanting to be more like Him. To see Him is to behold that He is supernatural and all powerful.
A brother shared with me recently about his concern whether God still wants him to be in full-time ministry. I responded that whilst it is a noble attitude to be open to God?s leading in service, He is more interested in our ?being? than in our ?doing?. News of death should lead us to examine our hearts; to check its deceitfulness and perverseness?. To wait for death or disaster would be too late. God is a God of second chance only in this life.
How may we keep our hearts pure or make it better than it currently is? First there?s a need to recollect our personal experiences of God?s mercy and goodness in our lives. This is often seen in the Bible where God recounted for His people the blessings they received. This would then lead to a response of love as we remember how much He loves us. That?s why the Holy Communion is helpful in our personal journey. Secondly, we need to make a choice, that when faced with temptation and heart decision that we would choose to obey God rather than our flesh. This conscious premeditated choice has to be made before we face the testing of our hearts; for otherwise it might be too late.
In reflecting over the year 2004, how has it been for you? Did your journey hit bumps of pain, sorrow and tears? Despite the absence of answers how was your heart? Did it remained pure or did it turned cold. The choice is ours, to "see" God or to give in to the devil. Was your journey carried by tailwind of great blessings, answers to prayers and great joy? Did your heart stay pure, grateful and humbled by His blessings or has pride begun to seep in?
Start this year by naming His blessings one by one and you?ll be surprised what God has done. May God's richest blessings be upon each and every one of us today and all through 2005!
// posted by sleepless wherever @ 12:06 AM 
