Trusting God | Treasures In Jar Of Clay

#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 39: Word-proofed your life, for life.

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Not long ago, a colleague requested for a no flour, no egg and no sugar cake. It was a challenge to me since I used to be in the cookies business for years using these key ingredients. After rounds of studies and experiments with my own creativity, I have attempted a healthy recipe that received encouraging feedback to make it as my signature for dessert. At the same time, I was reminded that God has His Specialities too:

He specialises in cliff-catching;

He specialises in turning disappointments into divine appointments;

He specialises in rescue missions;

He specialises in turning water into wine;

He specialises in unlocking prison doors;

He specialises in being the Sovereign ALL-MIGHTY (Emphasis in caps).

With the world specialises in turning our lives upside down, life can indeed be so paradoxical – someone can earn a million and still lose it in a financial crisis; a health fanatic can invest on healthy diets, and still plagued with cancer; a job can be offered with all the perks, and still be terminated any time. The world is always in a constant state of flux, tossing us along the ebbs of volatility. But bemoaning over spilt milk won’t help matters. And living in this broken world will often get us entangled in the web of insidious nature of sin- when we worry, it means some area of relational peace is out of sync.

Sometimes we may subconsciously or unknowingly self-deprecating thoughts to defeat the Spirit’s work in ourselves, so we succumb to Satan’s lies. Do you know, the most stressed-out people are literally control freaks, because they scare being out of control will throw their world out of their desired order.

So how do we disarm anxiety? Stockpile our minds with the thoughts of God through the instrumentality of His Word.

I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won’t sin.

⁃ Psalm 119:11 (MSG)

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. -Isaiah 26:3 (ESV)

Free from fear.

Free from dread.

Free from anxiety.

Free from imprisonment.

Christ be the personal and living centre, around which the entire Christian theology is ensphered. He is alive, was—and is—speaking to you. Put your trust in the inerrancy of the Scriptures, there is no other way nor a short cut to it.

But first and foremost, the sure-fire first step is to scrub away sin, as the Bible exhorts, “Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:7–8). But how? “Come near to God and he will come near to you” (v. 8). These are sanitizing words describing the necessity of turning to God to scour away the soil of sin from our lives.

And before you putter out before the end, at those moments of “Feel-less-than-able”, the key to a healthy discourse is to proliferate throughout the Scriptures to be emboldened to live a life full of holiness, anticipation, and joy. So, scale up one level, and be “Godified” in Wordmanship (Notice the difference in this word?) Yes, that is “Word-man-ship”.

Last but not least, never negate the importance of praying- our prayers have a thermostatic impact upon the actions of heaven, triggering the ascension of angels and the downpour of power!

We cannot run the world, but we can entrust it to God. It is a wiser choice to put your ultimate trust in Him. Nothing should supersede your relationship with Christ.

#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 38: God Takes No Vacations, Check In To His 247 Hotel

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What a MAR-vellous month planning for an upcoming trip to Europe (finally my maiden step into this continent…) to be inspired to pen this devotional – whilst I am getting all excited with this blessed vacation, it dawned upon me that God never takes a vacation… He is always working, tirelessly, without twiddling his thumbs nor fidgeting his fingers.

He takes no breaks- You will never find a holiday email responder that will greet you, “I am currently away and may not have access to my mailbox. Apologies for any inconveniences arise thereof, and I will get back to you as soon as I am able.”

He never stops- You will never find His STOP sign wherever you are out on the roads.
He never retires- You will never hear Him announcing it is time to enjoy the next phase of life.
He never disappears- You will not find Him missing any where.
That is yes.
And God owns a hotel, for the weary travellers.

Welcome to God’s “Everland Rendezvous Hotel” (if I may be audacious to name it at such)- that offers beyond 5-star services, 247 (24 hours times 7 days), and promise a picturesque view. This hotel is famous with their brand tagline, “If there is nothing more you can ever lose, then the next best thing you can ever have, is TRUST, for this cost you nothing. Welcome to a FREE stay!” Woah, sounded like a great deal too true to snag? (Understandably with the inundated slew of scams going on that would turn anyone into a skeptic.)

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well. In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am.”
– John 14:1-3

While familiarising the route around the hotel, don’t violate the moment between sunsets or sunrises, pause, and consider this whenever a sunrise or sunset, steals your breath, and the sun ray kisses your face, visualise such awe-inspiring magnificence of God’s palpable presence. Look up to the vastness of the skies, and you will find yourself so minuscule in view of God’s borderless expanse.

While ambling gingerly to your assigned room, do look out for the welcome mat embroidered with Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God.” And there a poster on the wall arranged in a typographic layout, “Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.” (Psalm 62:8 NKJV)

In the middle of the room, a cosy king size bed allures you to plonk right into comfort that is blanketed with God’s loving care- “He will not let your foot slip— He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.” (Psalm 121:3-8). Not forgetting a fluffy pillow nestling on the bed cushioned with God’s appeal to rest up, “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him” (Psalm 37:7 NASB).

(Do you know: Waiting is a spiritual discipline that call for a sustained effort to focus on God through concerted prayers and continual belief. It is not an inactivity nor passiveness, or to be in a state of assuming the worst, to worry, fret, make demands, or take control. The key is perseverance with diligence.)

The lamp by the bedside is conspicuously a physical reminder from Psalm 27:1-2, “The Lord is my light and my salvation– whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life– of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.”

Look no further, a clock display on the side table, flashes an interactive message,“It’s useless to rise early and go to bed late, and work your worried fingers to the bone. Don’t you know He (God) enjoys giving rest to those He loves?” (Psalm 127:2, MSG).

Last but not least, get ready to fuel up with a good tea-break by the coffee table with an artisanal tea-set tray array with the finest curated snacks, “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight…“ (Jeremiah 15:16A).

What an amazing room that is filled with God’s Goodness! You will feel spirit-charged even for a night, and of course you can stay as long as you need. Won’t you be able to trust such an Owner who take care of everything we need?

P.S. Upon self check-out, remember to look out for this little last reminder memo sticked to the box, “Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.” (Roman 12:12 NLT)

#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 37: When Satan Have You Hooked, He Have You Cooked.

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Does the headline arrest you?
The warning is hard to miss too.
Chances are, you got your answer.

Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth.
– Luke 21:34-35 NLT

According to the statistics on Mental Health, anxiety disorders are reaching epidemic proportions.

So Satan is real. He is anywhere and especially near to those who live in darkness. He is indeed a formidable foe, as a Prince of Darkness, often elusive lurking around like a shifting shadow, flagrantly wielding his power and perpetuating his malevolence and deceit. He will always be on the prowl to steal, to kill and to destroy any thing in your life. As a Great Tempter, he is adept at playing mind games, making us susceptible to his attacks so that we can succumb to his lies, for he knows our weaknesses- where, how and when- to press our hot buttons. If he has you hooked, he has you cooked.

Know your real enemy, Satan is no respecter of persons – Temptations are inevitable; but suffering is optional. Satan doesn’t have the last laugh nor does he have your last page. Only God has the final say.

Satan aside, have you ever wondered too, when we found ourselves in the valley, it may be the consequences of our poor choices, pride and sins that we had not dealt with? Sometimes, when we get “too big for our britches,” we will find ourselves humbled by a affliction, infirmity, natural disaster, war, economic depression, or social unrest.

And yes, bad things do happen and unexpected events do seem improbable. We may not have all the answers to life’s questions in our own finite understanding. Notwithstanding, the real battle is with Satan, we can still live our best possible, if we first get Satan off our back or track:

Face your hurts squarely
Face the music bravely
Confront your sins honestly
Unlock your secret doors fearlessly
Stop giving excuses seriously

Let go and let God. God’s power is unparalleled and available to every believer who believes, for His glory bewilders our limited imaginations, and His greatness exceeds our wildest dreams. He is far beyond what we can fully or completely comprehend.

So nothing is off limits, unless you chose to be bound by the limits you have set upon your own.

“I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the Lord, who call you by your name, am the God of Israel”
– Isaish 45:3

Whatever you are facing now, may seem insurmountable. But only you can decide if you want a change – Who owns you: Satan, for a continuously broken life, or, God, who can reweave your broken past into a future filled with hope?

Who do you rather trust your life and future with?
Your choice will determine the outcome.

Man says… Show me and I’ll trust you.
God says… Trust Me and I’ll show you.

#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 36: Growing, Going and Glowing: Gloom to Bloom

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‘Then this shall be the sign for you: you will eat this year what grows of itself, in the second year what springs from the same, and in the third year sow, reap, plant vineyards, and eat their fruit.
– 2 Kings 19:29

My little garden makes a great visual reminder that God takes care of all His creations, and how He supplies all the necessary provisions for daily living. I am in awe that God is such an amazing Designer – He creates so many varieties of plants for our pleasure!

Since I do not have green fingers, I have to consecrate more effort in taking care of my “green pets”. Any garden can turn messy if we neglect it. And if we fail to do our part in watering, pruning and feeding them with light, the garden will see “gloom”, and in a matter of time, it will be “doomed”…

Make no mistake about this: You can never make a fool out of God. Whatever you plant is what you’ll harvest. (Galatians 6:7 GW)

Indeed, we reap what we sow: if we sow little, we will reap little; if we fold our arms, we get nothing; and if we chose to play dumb, we get messes.

He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap. – Ecclesiastes 11:4

A Church put up a sign that reads, “God makes miracles out of messes and mistakes.”

Whoa, wouldn’t this uplift your spirit from woe that pinned you against the hard wall of life-altering circumstances?

So how can we grow a blooming garden in trusting God for our lives? Do you know, God has great 101 planting tips that can be gleaned from the Bible:

‘For there will be peace for the seed: the vine will yield its fruit, the land will yield its produce and the heavens will give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things.
– Zechariah 8:12

Plant a mustard seed, named TRUST:

“For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20-21)

Fertilise the ploughed soil, with TRUST:

As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty. (Matthew 13:23 ESV)

Water with a living stream, of TRUST:

He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water. (John 7:38)

“Vitamin-ise” with the son-light, under TRUST:

Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace. (Luke 1:78-79)

Prune with care, in TRUST:

Jesus says, Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that continues to bear fruit, He [repeatedly] prunes, so that it will bear more fruit [even richer and finer fruit]. Pruning is vitally important for us to grow in our walk with God. (John 15:2 AMP)

Wait with perseverance and patience, and TRUST:

Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good. (Ecclesiastes 11:6) and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know. (Mark 4:27)

We may not have the know-how and we may not always understand what God allows, but we can always trust the Master Gardner with our “garden” whatever its condition, who can take care of messes better than we do.

I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. – 1 Corinthians 3:6

And be patient, for you shall see your garden flourish in the Hands of God. The crux is, do you trust Him?

#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 35: Stop Making Excuses!

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Time fly in a twinkle of an eye indeed, it feels like COVID19 is barely yet over, and we are now about half a month into the new year… January is a special month to me, albeit exciting episodes for the past months, taking a 2-year hiatus from my favourite pastime in baking, yet my resilient character has been unfazed by these changes, because I have been taking the time to do deep “house” (spiritually, physically and emotionally) cleansing and modifications- God had to prime the pump of my heart through a major crisis of epic proportion in 2022 that lead me into a larger story… (which has got me started this series of devotionals to share my experiences, encouragement and breakthroughs.)

Now come 2024, so have we usher well into the new year in renewed confidence with a new mind, a new heart and new eyes to see what God has prepared for us ahead? Or we are simply too busy to do a reality check, balancing our last year book of Accounting, cleaning up the avalanche of dust and cobwebs swept under the carpet, and decluttering our wardrobe of life?

At this time, many of us who are Chinese, are now consumed with getting ready to celebrate Chinese New Year that is around the corner: Thousands of things are vying for our attention: flashing golden lights, cacophonous music, and crowded walkways lined with festive goodies. In all likelihood, we may not have time to declutter our lives…

Regardless, we should consider restarting this new year with all gut-level honesty without the need to sugarcoat our response:
1. Do you wrestle with the question of life’s purpose?
2. Are you stuck in a rut in your faith?
3. You think you know best- You want the autonomy to pursue your own way, to get what you want, and resist any authority that restricts you, but eventually feel the heat that your situation irredeemable through the trenches of your life?
4. Are you being contented to be a lollygagger, or a fence-sitter, and just flow with the ebbs of life without any purpose?

What is truly the raison d’ être of your life? Surely, life is too short to make excuses for complacency and reprehensible laxity, and let it be wasted, don’t you think so?

It is already a constant struggle that we live in an era of watered down truth in a world that says, “if it feels good, then do it.” reinforces by the modern day culture that promotes licentiousness and greed.

Envy is a coal come hissing hot from hell.
– Philip James Bailey

Little wonder our heart get desensitised easily. Our level of faith wavers, and our walk with God has been utterly inconsistent.

To quote Joel Osteen, “You can’t conquer what you don’t confront.” C.S. Lewis also aptly put across, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

Doubters are a dime a dozen: Whenever we fret over life circumstances, it curtly demonstrate unbelief; Whenever we move out of fear or anxiety, it signifies that we have believed a lie about God’s nature.

We all have our own share of foibles and flaws but moping about our failures is not going to help matters- lingering on yesterdays, ruining our todays, and clouding our tomorrows. The wounds and sins of the past become the bag of heavy rocks that we may have unknowingly drag over the new year- and taking those rancid rocks out of the bag and inspecting them over and over again to our misery. We even doggedly hold on to some of our “pet” sins, and use them to prove why we can’t move on with our lives…

So it is high time to conduct a realistic check on your current circumstance and review your understanding about God’s character. And in renewing your mindset with hope will not be some kind of pie-in-the-sky spiritual cliché that will diminish your suffering, but to arrive at a conscious decision to trust God in the midst of everything.

True faith drops its letter in the post office box and lets it go. Distrust holds on to a corner of it and wonders that the answer never comes.
– A. B. Simpson

A breakdown is always the door to a breakthrough. What seems to be the end is always a beginning… And what goes down eventually will have to come up… It is but a matter of when… So hang in there, don’t give up, for perseverance will pay off its due in time to come.

Let’s take the time to conduct your own good “funeral” for 2024 with this good quote from OS Hillman, “Whenever we stress over a matter, get angry over a daily circumstance, or seek to have our own way – it is a sign there is still life in the grave. We need to fill it with dirt and smother the life of our flesh so that Christ may live freely, unhindered by the “old” man. Send yourself some flowers today. Have a good funeral. “

“Trust God to work in your life, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal 2:20).

#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 34: Debugging Your “Head-ware” or “heart-ware”

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Good news to welcome your 2024- This devotional warrants an eyebrow-raising headliner: Someone Can Make The Dead Alive!

Feeling the ‘D’ emotionally from the 3Fs (Frustrations, Fears, and Failures) of the modern-day struggles: Dumb, depressed, denied, disapproved, demotivated, disappointed, discouraged, disillusioned, disenfranchised, depreciated, despondent, desperate, demoralized, defeated, debilitated, depleted, deserted……

Actually so much of our stress is self-imposed:

Accumulating the ‘D’ from obsessions:

With our world obsessed with getting more, spending more, doing more. How much is ever enough……

Feeling the ‘D’ from fixations:

We know that the past is no longer in our control, yet we dwell over it. We also tend to believe that we hold the future in our hands, yet we fret about what may come, with joy or pain……

Bearing the ‘D’ from assumptions:

When life sucks, we often wish we can change our present circumstance, whether we are living ok (hoping for something better) or not ok (seeking for a breakthrough)……

Before the year ends, it is high time to give life a clean slate by bidding ‘D’ goodbye. For a certainty, we will not live a life free of trials. Trials are served for purposes to test if our faith holds real, or simply barely surviving on empty words.

At any point in time, our level of faith will unveil how much we trust God – there are some circumstances which we have no control over – He allows such circumstances to happen in our lives in order to give our faith opportunity to be proven, through situations like a compromised business dealing, a project that suddenly turn awry, plans that go south, unexpected persecution, an unreasonable boss, a difficult colleague, or a challenging relationship that requires unconditional love – so as to unravel what is in your mind in order to reveal what is your heart: the “head-ware” or “heart-ware” issue.

That is life. We have our fallibilities and flaws, living with imperfections and inconsistencies, day to day. We will be confronted on any front emotionally, physically, financially, relationally and socially, where we will face the harsh reality that challenge our faith in our natural responses:

Shock: Why did this have to happen?
Anger: Why me?
Grief: What have I lost?
Fear: What is going to happen next?

So what is the case in point- In reality, we often leave God at the periphery of our lives and look for Him only when we are desperate and have no other options. We mess up, rebel and ignore His Truth, then want Him to bail us out. This carnal self-centeredness has been hardwired in our human spirit, since the Fall of Adam.

The reason why our public life is so disordered and our private life so hampered by anxiety is because we will not be still and know God.
– A. Maude Royden

Just as a doctor must cause pain when he sets a broken bone so it may heal, so God’s discipline is not capricious but curative, and ultimately life-giving.

God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did. (Romans 4:17)

For He is a Master Fixer.
He is a Master Surgeon.

It is a clarion call for us to surrender and buck up, there is no neutral ground. We can trust that God will reveal what we need to know. So long as our faith rest totally in God, we need not weigh the risk of failure, for only He can turn your setbacks into comebacks. Let Him ride with you through your storms and tide over life’s irascibilities.

The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. (Proverbs 16:4 ESV)

P.S. The afterglow of Christmas may have dimmed to welcome 2024, but if you have Jesus in your heart, every day can be celebrated.

#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 33: God Wants To Check Your Book!

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After working in a Finance department for 6 months, I am inspired to pen this devotion with accounting terms.

“INSUFFICIENT FUNDS!” sounded ominous that can grip us in total paralysis – You’re OVERDRAWN!

You spent more than you had to spend. You gave more than you had to give. What would you do if you don’t have any money?

Our PAY day is always a good reality check where we usually get more pragmatic if our SAVINGS ACCOUNT be in the SURPLUS or DEFICIT by end of the month after all the minuses….. In addition, our stack of the latest CREDIT CARD statements may add on to our woes……

Our BANK ACCOUNT is God’s business. He is concerned what is in our balances: Have we been managing our finances prudently and wisely? Did we conduct due diligence in checking our EXPENSES, and trace our accountability? Are we in good CREDIT health?

It is time for RECONCILIATION and CONSOLIDATION of all our BANK STATEMENTS. For a certainty, we are all in some sort of financial DEBT due to LOANS and other commitments.

Aside to finances, we are also in debt spiritually and relationally, and our book of life will somewhat have records in the “red”. The crux is, does our book of life record more entries on the negative or the positive?

Don’t be one of those who enter agreements,
who put up security for loans.
If you have no money to pay,
even your bed will be taken from under you.

Proverbs 22:26-27 (HCSB)

Let’s meet The Payee whose name is Jesus, who has paid for everything we owe. He allows us to DRAW and OVERDRAW from God’s heavenly Bank Account with unlimited assets, anytime. God has set aside an ACCOUNT RECEIVABLE where we can receive by faith, and an ACCOUNT PAYABLE where we can pay our due with simple faith:

Debit WORRIES, credit TRUST;
Debit FEAR, credit TRUST;
Debit INSECURITIES, credit TRUST.
Simply MINUS all the negatives and PLUS more positives.

Unload all your burden on to Him, since He is concerned about you.
1 Peter 5:7 (NJB)

So you are going to spend the rest of your days huffing and puffing to get to the drive-through window before the bank closes each month.

P.S. Two more weeks to go and we soon be crossing over to the new year… It is time to have our books in check before the year ends. And the good news is, there is no withholding tax on God’s “with” promise!

#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 31: Trust-proofed In God For Troubleshooting Issues Of Life

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“Under heaven’s lock and key, we are protected by the most efficient security system available: the power of God.”
– Charles Swindoll

Having worked for a Finance department for 3 months, I have acquired some general knowledge of IT for secured access to all its accounting applications. Although user can have full control of access, but there are times of occasional technical glitches which render impotency in performing certain tasks.

Correspondingly, we too often place our securities in things we think we have control, or we trust in what we can see with our eyes or do with our hands. Even nowadays, financial institutions have been alluring for our investments with irresistible offers.

Life itself can bring us through the huffs and puffs, botches and bungles. And our own insecurities are accentuated in living with much uncertainties amidst the volatility of today’s world of constant changes.

However, ever wonder, who can offer the best security system insured with protection coverage?

“Truly is not my house so with God?
For He has made an everlasting covenant with me,
Ordered in all things, and secured;
For all my salvation and all my desire,
Will He not indeed make it grow?
2 Samuel 23:5

Also the tree of the field will yield its fruit and the earth will yield its increase, and they will be secure on their land. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them. They will no longer be a prey to the nations, and the beasts of the earth will not devour them; but they will live securely, and no one will make them afraid.
Ezekiel 34:27-28

I am not an IT expert, but in my own simplicity,-faith does not overthink- I simply trust that whatever circumstances I am in, and with all that I am, and with all that I have, God is my security net, in whom I can safely fall back upon. I simply remind myself that God is the original Designer in all creations, that only He has the blueprint in troubleshooting issues of my life.

Be Trust-proofed in God.

#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 30: R.I.S.K-proof Your Faith With Jesus As Your Detonator

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What is keeping you from trusting God completely?

When it is nearing bill time or tax time, almost all of us will get the jitters if our accounts have sufficient funds. When the world broadcasts catastrophes, economic collapses, embargoes, and pandemics, our confidence and security get shaken up and we crumble in a heartbeat.

The first appearance of bad news or unexpected situation can instill great fear upon us to the extend of paralyzing us. But every circumstance is, a call or an opportunity, to trust God (even more, if I may emphasis) and discover how God can provide or demonstrate His Sovereignty.

So, are you treading on a landmine right now?

Perhaps, you are carrying a timebomb that have been tickling away:
What ruffle you?
What derail you?
What cause you to be depressed?
What cause you to lose sleep?
What instill fear?
What blindside your faith?
What lies have you believe in?

What callous your heart that your eyes can no longer perceive and your ears too impaired to hear God?

Or, life became so worldly that you have choked or ousted God out of your life?

“Abraham, when hope was dead within him, went on hoping in faith . . . He relied on the word of God.” – Romans 4:18 (PHILLIPS)

Faith looks at situations through the eyes of God, not the eyes of our finite understanding. We often put the limits to what God can do or we box God up with our limited understanding. And because of our weak or lack of faith, our level of trust recedes accordingly.

His Word tells us, “My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). Trusting God always come with R.I.S.K.:

R: RESPONSE (in faith)
I: INSULATE (in the Word of God to fireproof your “house”)
S: STOP (entertaining negative thoughts)
K: KNOW (in full assurance that God is still Sovereign)

The equation may be simple to understand and apply but revolutionary to follow through – this is the JesuShaped way of living! Find the Lord in your circumstance today- Exercise your faith and trust Him for His outcome in the situation His Way and in His Timing- Jesus can detonate your time bombs, so let go and let Him! (P.S. Our bombs won’t kill Him, after all He is Sovereign).

#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 27: Look Beyond The Pluses and Minuses

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June 2023- we have passed half the year into the endemic of COVID19 in a twinkle of an eye. If we have make some resolutions for the year, perhaps it is time now to (re)examine the public and private arenas of our lives, as reminded of a noteworthy dictum by Socrates, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” It underscores the importance of self-reflection amid living in a world that falls for facades where one can easily be blindsided.

With the perennial news of inflation amidst a volatile economy, affecting all strata of society, no one is spared from such brevities of life. And anxiety has now taken up a notch and ruling the world with much notoriety, any one can be easily disconcerted by the exigencies of life.

I am not exempted, undeniably human, where I am in the middle of life’s earthquakes, going through physical, emotional and financial tidal waves the past 6 months- My business has gone belly up over the years (but gratefully not to the extent of filing for Chapter Eleven), and transitioning between various upskilling training and seeking a new job, I can’t help feeling afraid about my future and worrying over my finances. My savings for such rainy days will soon be depleted by the rising cost of living. I feel like a failure somehow, as I keep repeating my own folly: not learning my lessons, not able to sustain my business, unable to hold down a get-by job longer, nor making any headway in life at this middle age. I often wish I would have this or that if I had not done or did back then, I may have different outcomes now, perhaps. But honestly, it serves no purpose to keep crying over spilt milk, wallowing in prolonged self-pity parties, or waddling woebegonely in the muddled pool of the past- We have lost focus or we focus on the wrong thing- where and who did we look to?

This verse has helped me to loosen my grip on my obsessions and possessions- “The Lord owns the world and everything in it—the heavens, even the highest heavens, are his” (Deuteronomy 10:14 NCV).

Indeed, failures are part and parcel of life, so think of them as lessons, instead of defeats. It may be a catalyst of change, and is an opportunity for growth. Oftentimes they come as blessings in disguise. Sometimes failures illuminate our tunnel-vision regarding issues in our lives that lure us into our own undoing. Especially our major issue with trust lies in the area of finances.

So, what truly determine our financial worth?
Do you equate your worth with your purse?
Do you compute it in terms of dollars, possessions, properties, or investments?
Do you believe a financial reward will insure you against potential financial disaster?
Do you create fortresses that will insulate you from calamities of life?
Do you often trust in your own resources?

What is really your true net worth?

In the Bible, Paul reminded Timothy that the ultimate gain, the gain of incalculable value, is really determined by a very straightforward formula:
Genuine net worth = (A godly character) X (Contentment, irrespective whether you have more or less).

After all we can’t take any of our possessions when we depart from this earth. And we can easily lose our assets anytime. Nothing stays permanent, except our character. That is why, our character is worth the investment as money cannot buy who you are and what you can be.

God has never get mired in our past failures. He is constantly viewing our lives with future success in mind. “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland” (Isa. 43:19).

So, look beyond the pluses and minuses of life: When God is all you have, He is all you need. Trust God with all you have, He will provide for all you need.

#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 26: Psst! I’ve Got A Great Secret How To Rid Your Monkeys!

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The June school holidays is a hot season for travelling bugs. Planning itineraries and what to pack for the trip have been the fun part for any travel enthusiast. And whenever I travel, I would be reminded of a dear friend who love bags and pouches, big or small, where all her stuffs are always well-compartmentalised. I am always amazed by how neat her luggage is. The only problem is, her luggage is always full to the brim, which made me wondered if it is necessary to bring along stuffs that may not be essential. Imagine how wonderful if we travel light, not having to bear the weight of lugging?

Apart from luggage, how about our usual haversack or bag that we carry for the day? Friends have been commenting about my 2.5L load haversack, that looks “overbearing”, and too burdensome for me to lug it around. And yes, I am always teased as a food delivery Jane!

Indeed, haversack or luggage is heavy, especially when we load what goes in. I feel more at ease to be well-packed, or at least comforted to know I am in control to be over-prepared than under-prepared. Unbeknownst to me, between the first step on the floor to the last step out of the door, I have grabbed some baggages , unconsciously or subconsciously, without thinking much- the bags I grab aren’t made of special materials but made of burdens: The suitcase of distrust; A duffel bag of anxieties; A hanging bag of weariness; A backpack of doubt; An overnight bag of fears. Not to mention, it is already load-FULL to count! Little wonder, before the sun set, my strength is already waning with fatigue paying a visit. Lugging luggage is indeed physically draining!

Don’t you realise, oftentimes, God has been whispering, “Set that stuff down, my Child! You are carrying burdens you don’t need to bear!” Let’s read Matthew 11:28, where Jesus says, “Come to me all of you who’re weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

So how about packing Jesus into our luggage and carrying God as our backpack? We all need to learn to travel light (with God). We all have our own monkeys, but we needn’t have to piggy them any longer, give them over to God and trust Him to navigate through life’s course. He is “weightless”, yet essentially a heavyweight (for any situations), and He is all we need.

#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 25: Get Real With The Real Thing

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I often found myself in the midst of challenges and struggles, probing, “Lord, where are you?” Somehow though in my consciousness I know God is knowable, yet incomprehensible- I can “feel” and “hear” Him sometimes, but at other times, God can be ‘silent’. When I operate in my subconscious mode, I often vacillate between doubts, like a double-minded man, knocking on heaven door anxiously and impatiently, “Father, are you there?” I ever wondered, which is the real me- Trust what I can see, like a normal human being, or what I can’t see, like a spiritual giant?

Does this sound familiar to you too?

If this is the case, let’s do a simple litmus test- can you see air? So do you believe there is oxygen in the air?

Oxygen. A component we can’t see, feel or touch, but we need oxygen to survive, isn’t that a credible evidence that oxygen exists because we are breathing and kept alive?

Yet Scientists or the atheistic trust gravity and air, but depend upon principles that they cannot see until they produce results in the tangible world of human perception. All of us believe in something whether seen or unseen, but no matter what our belief system is, we ultimately have to trust what we can’t see, isn’t it?

God. A creator we can’t see, feel or touch, but we need Him to save us. And isn’t that a proven fact that God exists because we are living and kept alive? Our God is knowable indeed, but He is unfathomably incomprehensible. The seen world we are living in now is subject to diseases, disasters, decay, disorders, and death. The unseen world, Heaven or Hell, is where we will be going to at the end of our life, is beyond what we can perceive.

Someone supernatural has sustain us, protect us, provide for us, fight for us, and guide us, through the brevity of life- the seasons, the ups and downs, the twists and turns. Is there any ‘One’ in the same league?

Can we now trust God who is real, and whose promises is the real deal?

The Lord has established His throne in heaven,
and His kingdom rules over all.
Psalm 103:19 HCSB

Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in the heavens and on earth belongs to You. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all. 12 Riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler of everything. Power and might are in Your hand, and it is in Your hand to make great and to give strength to all.

1 Chronicles 29:11-12 HCSB

#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 24: Upsize Your Spiritual Meals

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A breakfast at Macdonald’s reminded me that the option of upsizing our meal can be applied for upsizing our faith too! And it is such a simple request for any time of the day!

But starting each morning with the Lord can change the trajectory of your day. All you need is a good spiritual breakfast, imagine you get so roused to action and go off “half-cocked” which you may end up messing the day in your bluster and haste.

Though life can bring about a series of tests that seem uncharacteristically cruel, and challenges cannot be passed over by simply gutting it out, but remembering that God is in control is key to overcoming anxieties of any sort. The upsize spiritual meal option is very simple with this acroynm of TRUST:

TURN your focus on God;
REMEMBER that God is in control;
UPSIZE your faith and downsize your fears;
STAY still in His Presence and be connected to His Word;
THANK Him for everything, regardless.
Edelyne Lau, 17 April 2023

In other words, trust God WITH your fears and failures,
trust Him THROUGH your fears and failures.

To quote Henry Blackaby, “If you want to experience something you’ve never done, you must do something you’ve never done.” In his book Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing His Will, Henry Blackaby writes, “You cannot go with God and stay where you are.”

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Psalm 34:8 NKJV

REFERENCE:
Henry T. Blackaby, Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing His Will (Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 1998), p. 132.

#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 23: “What’s next, Papa?”

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The trial.
The fears.
The scourging.
The crucifixion.
The rejection.
The silence.
The tomb.
The resurrection.
The presence.
The miracle.
The joy.
The hope.

Recall God’s faithfulness,
Reflect upon His Sovereignty,
Rehearse His providences,
Recount His provisions,
Remember His promises,
Resolve to trust God for all your next.

The celebration.
For God has risen!

#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 22: Submit All Your HOWs to WHO

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Days come, days go……
Do you wake up wondering what is next in life to come? Is life simply to live unfettered hedonism, after all the pursuits and indulgences? Or you have reached a plateau where you find life meaningless and unpurposeful, to the extent of hypocrisy and phoniness?

And one fine day…….
HOW am I going to live past this day?
HOW will I face tomorrow?
HOW can I overcome?
HOW will I know it is from God?
HOW will I know it is God’s timing?
HOW can I be sure if my decision is right?
HOW can I be assured if the path I am undertaking is the way to go?
HOW, how and more how……

So……
WHO do you look to for life’s answers?
WHO do you run to when life turns upside down?
WHO do you have in your life whom you can trust and fall back on?
WHO do you have in your life who never fail you?
WHO?

And gotcha……
Do you stumble at the last question?

“[Christ’s] love has the first and last word in everything we do.
Our firm decision is to work from this focused center.”
2 Corinthians 5:14 MSG

Life’s pain, often get us riled up about the most inconsequential issues, day in and day out. Even appealing activities can be detours that lead us away from the Lord, and engaging philosophies are often paths that end in a mire of muddled thinking.

Let’s take a pause to reflect- assume that you may live up to 80 years on earth, if truth be told, you probably left with around 30 percent of remaining years? Won’t this stark statistic jolts you to reality that life is short and so transient that time passes in a twinkle of an eye?

Nothing is guarantee tomorrow, and living with much uncertainty than ever, would you not value what your today more precious than yesterday? And not everyone get to live tomorrow, to some today may be their last… In view of such plausibility, wouldn’t NOW be the best time to do what you need to do? Because you wouldn’t know when or how long you get an opportunity. Wouldn’t you not surrender all your “HOWs” to the “WHO” can help you then?

Pain is a fact of life but suffering is optional. Put your trust in the One who can show you and direct all your “HOW”s.

The best time is NOW.

“Instead of worrying, pray . . .
It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.”
Philippians 4:6-7 MSG

#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 21: The Pressure Cooker: The Broken Things And The Stepping Stones.

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Days of anxieties often have me looking up into the blackening sky appealing, “God, when will there be light?” I often find myself wondering the whys God has allowed turbulences: the world is getting so volatile and chaotic, the moral fiber of our world has eroded and many hearts have to hurt, and life itself is getting tougher in the midst of rising inflation and saddling insecurities. I wonder do things have to breakdown in order to shake us up?

Do you feel you have been left up the creek without a paddle by life?

Every so often prevalent storms and the encumbrances of life weigh us down. Turbulent days with doubts when the enemy is too big and the answers too few. In such days can we say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” (Isaiah 25:9)

Broken things in the hands of God are merely stepping stones in our maturity process with faith-testing and character-purification where we can only see our true selves when placed in the pressure cooker of life’s tests.

Our failures, no matter how astronomical or insignificant, do not surprise God. All our stumbles and crumbles don’t frazzle Him. Our mistakes aren’t fatal nor final. They do not put a dent to our identities either. Bad things do happen to good people. We all are susceptible to the brokenness of this fallen world, so no one is immune nor insulated from pain. Nobody sails through life problem-free. The Bible says, “The good man does not escape all troubles—he has them too. But the Lord helps him in each and every one” (Psalm 34:19 TLB).

Let’s cultivate a deep-seated faith in God, fight the enemy’s attacks by involving the Word of God. No discovery will disillusion Him. No rebellion will dissuade Him. He is always faithful, trustworthy and true.

When you feel the pressure of life is too much, take a good look at the pressure cooker in your kitchen (if you have)- You will never discover how strong you really are until you face the pressure that you have never faced. It may seem unbearable, but the fact is, when God has allowed it to happen, it means He has His eyes upon you that you can handle it. He will not allow the pressure He has not temperated for you to handle. He did not promise to make a way of escape that you could run from it, but so you can “endure it.”, and will always be able to bear whatever comes your way. Even Apostle Paul under tremendous pressure could say in 2 Corinthians 1:8-9: “It was so bad, we didn’t think we were going to make it . . . But it turned out that it was the best thing that could have happened.

Instead of trusting in our own strength to get out of pressure, we were called to trust God totally—for God can do what you can’t do, and remember He is the God who raises the dead!” (The Message)

So, you are stronger than you think.

Lean on God’s unfailing Love, the One who never fail despite our own failures (and that of others). Let’s place our trust on God’s unchanging Character, the One who holds up our everything.

#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 20: The Greatest Love of All

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God is the……

Author of your story,

Perfector of your faith,

Bread of your life,

Water for your soul,

Healer of your body,

Provider for your needs,

Anchor for your storms,

Peace for your anxieties,

Counsellor for your emotions,

Source for your strength,

Hope for your future.

Such is He a,

Lover of your person,

and a trusted

Companion on your journey,

For life.

So, can’t you trust the One who can hold your everything?

For those who find Me (God) find life and receive favor from the Lord. - Proverbs 8:35

#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 19: Travelling Places- Gas Up or Break Down?

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“I get to lie down in green pastures, being led beside quiet waters, and guided along the right paths. Even if I walk through the darkest valley, I will not fear, for God is with me.”
Psalm 23:2-4

I missed travelling… I dream I could have an opportunity to sit in a caravan that go places. Though I am not a driver, but having been chauffeured, I can well imagine myself at the steering wheel, capturing picturesque sceneries:

Sun-dappled meadows. Arid dry lands. Snow-capped mountains. Treacherous terrains. Luscious pastures. Dew-laced woodlands. Meandering rivers. Breathtaking peaks. Rugged plains. Deep valleys. Magnificent cityscapes…….

Don’t you marvel at these sights that everything in creation gives evidence of God’s existence? Sighting the intricacy of snow that falls, the thunderstorm that roars, the mountain stream that trickles, the vast sea that flows… which concluded that God is, undeniably, there, with His handprints every where.

Life itself is full of mountains and valleys, the ups and downs. Today’s economy is getting more volatile than ever, and the market can turn topsy-turvy any time. The weather is also getting unpredictable and can change by the hour. The future is, but an untraveled trail with unexpected twists and turns. Even the best route isn’t all sun-dappled meadows and quiet riverside lanes. We will journey over rugged terrains or through dark valleys, from time to time. While travelling, we may come across these warning sign-posts erected by the roadsides:

Sharp bends. Land slide. Under construction. No fishing. No loitering. No swimming. No entry.

Then the dashboard of our life beeps an alert- Tank running low! If we are not in time to gas up, we will be in danger- Engine will stall soon. We will have to resort to emergency brake……

At that critical moment, there seems to appear a mirage that reads, “Life Guard on duty”.

Will the barometer of your TRUST engine then be zero? Half-filled? Or full tank?

In the fallen world of change, in all our heartbreaks and disappointments, there is only one constant- God, whom we can trust- so we need not have to fear change, for He is our anchor that holds our strongest storm. He will be our strength in our worst battles. We don’t have to be afraid, we can put our trust in Him, for His word and His promises always come through.

“The Lord himself will go before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forget you. Don’t be afraid and don’t worry.”
Deuteronomy 31:8

And the Lord knows the path before you, He is your perfect Guide for life. He watches over your every steps and teaches you His paths revealed through His word. The only way to ensure we are walking on the right path is to follow Him who knows the way. Even on our darkest days, God says, “I’m here and I’m with you.” And when life doesn’t feel good, He is faithful. That is, if you will humble yourself and reverence Him, He will give instructions about the way you should choose. Because He sees every obstacles and temptations along your way, and He wants to guard your steps so that you won’t stumble off course.

“The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.“
Psalm 32:8

Choose to trust the Lord and pursue His will rather than what might feel good or look right. You will be blessed with much more than you can ever imagine.

Take heart too that God is also a Comforter, who promises to walk alongside you so that you never have to face life’s challenges alone.

“You, Lord, give true peace to those who depend on you, because they trust you. So, trust the Lord always, because he is our Rock forever.”
Isaiah 26:3-4

#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 18: Trust or Bust?

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God whispered to me this morning, “I am (……)”, which dawned upon me that His assurance comes in the present tense, it is not the past tense of “I was (……)” nor the future tense, “I will be (……). That means God is in the present- He is with me, any where, every where- now. God will always assure, “I am your Father, who love you a lot to surely take care of you. And I know exactly what you are going through, as well as what you need…”

In other word, we should live in the present- now – today. We should not borrow tomorrow with the strength we have today. Wouldn’t it be wasted if we miss the blessings of 12 hours to enjoy today?

So look up, look around, and look out. Miracle is there- it need not be in the package we expect, nor appear significantly magical- no matter how minuscule, we should count our blessing and be grateful.

Let’s live one day at a time.

Between TRUST (that God will take care of what we need) and BUST (from feeling anxious or worried) is ENTRUST (our burdens to Him as He is far better at handling our lives than we do our own).

It is enough for the day.

#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 18: Be Unmovable And Unshakeable!

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God although is incomprehensible, and His ways often unfathomable, but He is never subject to infallibility. If we are equipped with a better understanding of the invariable rock-solid truths about the immutability of our infinite God, will help us to trust Him more (and more):

His Omnipotence: God is all-powerful.
His Omniscience: God is all-knowing, Including about the past, present and future.
His Omnipresence: God is present everywhere.
His Omnibenevolence: God is all-loving and all-good.

His Character, unchanging.

His Sovereignty, unequivocal.

His Presence, undeniable.

His Love, unrelenting.

His Mercies, unending.

His Faithfulness, unceasing.

His Patience, untiring.

His Forgiveness, unlimited.

His Devotion, unswerving.

His Support, unwavering.

His Guidance, unconditional.

His Provisions, unimaginable.

His Answers, unthinkable.

His Promises, unfailing.

His Miracles, unexpected.

HIStory (HIS-story and History), unalterable.

#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 17: CNY2023 Ang Pow 兔 (“To”) Huat 兔(“To”)gather And Be Blessed by PaPa 兔(“too”)!

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Greeting in Singlish and dialect to toss up the festivity of Chinese New Year, “Huat Ah! Wishing all a prosperous new year! Stay hearty and healthy always!”

Bless you with an ‘Ang pow’ (Chinese red packet) based on the acronym of ‘TRUST’:

1. Tenacity

“… (you) are more than Conqueror through Him who loved (you)…” (Romans 8:37)

2. Resiliency

“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

3. Unequivocalness

“And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:22-24)

4. Satisfaction

“And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.” (Isaiah 58:11)

5. Treasures (in jar of clay)

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” (2 Corinthians 4:7)

Amen?

Let’s keep trusting in God’s providence and provision.

#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 16: Satan may have the first giggle, but he doesn’t have the last laugh!

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I visited a sister from our small group on 8 January 2023 with a buddy. We marvelled at how she had such a speedy recovery from a bursted vessel at the back of her brain just a month ago. Her prognosis after surgery wasn’t hopeful as her life might be hanging on a thread due to internal bleeding and occasional shrinking of the affected blood vessel. The seemingly bad news activated our church network to intercede for her intensively with daily prayers. But all glory and praises to God for an unexpected miracle when her condition was finally brought under control. Even the affected immobility on her right side was amazingly restored! Now she is looking as good as if she didn’t go through an ordeal!

Silence may be deafening.

Heart may be wrenching.

Hope may be wavering.

Darkness may be looming……

The only way to get over such a trial, or going forward in such a testing, is to adopt the attitude of a “Keeper”:

1. KEEP Walking:

For we walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame… Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. (Romans 12:11-12)

2. KEEP Believing:

When a believing person prays, great things happen. (James 5:16)

And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive. (Matthew 21:22)

3. KEEP Trusting:

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? (Psalm 56:3-4)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

So KEEP the faith and trust that God is working behind the scene, He promises that at the right time He will answer your prayers! (Isaiah 49:8) [He] will never go back on [His] promises. (Romans 11:29)

Always remember that the end is always greater than the former glory. (Haggai 2:9) Trust God for the outcome. He knows the end better than you do, and He is not finished with you yet.

#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 15: Proof or Poof?

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Yesterday.

Today.

Tomorrow.

Which day would you choose to live in?

Yesterday is gone. Past. Over.

Tomorrow yet to arrive. Future. Unknown.

Today is now. Present. Not yet.

Yesterday messy…

Today merry…

Tomorrow misty…

Far too often, we keep fussing over our tomorrows and delving into our past, that we miss out the blessings for the day.

Which day would you rather enjoy then?

You can’t relive your past.

You can’t live in the future.

You can only live today.

TRUST God to take care of your future.

TRUST God to take control of your past.

TRUST God to take charge of your present.

Live one day at a time.

Enjoy now.

For the miracle is in the little things you may have overlooked.

It is always the least expected, or unexpected.

TRUST that God is there, somewhere, somehow.

Good things happen to those who trust God.

Blessings.

TIP FOR THE DAY: How to trust God? One sure way is to pray as much as you worried, you will then have a lot less to worry about. Because when you pray, there is no room for worry to co-exist in the same space.

New Year, New Hope, New Life. Blessed 2023!

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Life without meaning has no hope.

Life without hope has no faith.

⁃ Nick Vujicic

We all have foundation, we all know the Word of God, it is a matter of how solid or how well is our structure that can withstand the winds and storms of life.

2022 endemic was eventful, 2023 may be rough but we can hang on tough because tough season won’t last but tough people do. So no matter what we are going through, or what we be facing, God is still in the picture.

Because He is a Living God- He is always there, always speak, always watching over us… It is us who fail to grasp His Presence and His Person. We are either blindsided or deafened.

So the question is- why?

Very likely that we rationalise too much. We get too secular. We put God in a box and limit Him. And the key issue is our own belief system is flawed – we believe what we chose to believe. We are myopic and have not change our glasses. Our inner man is overpowered by our flesh.

So basically, the poke (gentle stage) or furnace (advance stage) test is- how well is God living in our life?

Life will have its struggles because the world we are living in will have troubles which God has already warned that in this world we will have troubles, that is expected, but take heart that Jesus said He had overcome the world, if you expound this word ‘overcome’, He overcame then and is still will be now and future unless the world (which we are living now) disappears.

So there are 3 principles we can live in the power:

1. Anchor

What is an anchor? It is a heavy object attached to a cable or chain and used to moor a ship to the sea bottom, typically having a metal shank with a pair of curved, barbed flukes at one end. That is a physical description.

How does this apply in a spiritual context? We need to anchor deep in the Word (Bible as the sea) of God to keep us stable on sea of life and choppy water of the seasons. So the deeper you anchored, the more firm you stand. It holds your ship.

Be still and know that I am God (Ps 46:10). Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. (John 14:1)

2. Hope

What do you understand about ‘hope’? Dictionary defines hope as a feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen; it is a feeling of trust.

So how do we place our hope in God?

If to summarise what the dictionary defines, that means “to trust God for something you want (expect / desire) it to happen.” Thus He promises in Isaiah 49:23, “I am the Lord; those who hope in Me will not be disappointed.”

And hope should be the last thing to lose- Many people are depressed because they are losing or lost hope, and they keep looking or dwelling on the dark side but fail to consider there is always two sides to a coin, and we have choices- hold on, persevere, stop dwelling or the flip side.

On another plane, actually what do you consider as miracles? Something “poof” or some kind very magical? Truth be told, it is not necessary, it can be something small, Nd it may not come in a package we have expected. It is simply mean God’s Handprints upon something, so the truth is, God does miracles every day, we just need ears to hear and eyes to see (2 Kings 6:17)- isn’t we are still living considered as the greatest miracle? Imagine we can live another day to do what we love doing?

So life has hope. It isn’t the end- there is always light at the end of tunnel if we keep on walking.

3. Presence

We all know that God is Omnipresent and Omnipotent. The question is, what do we need to do with or in His Presence?

We just need to practise abiding, for He is always there, and in His Presence we can find strength. So we just need to keep still. Yet we fail to abide… So what is actually abiding? Literally, it means to ‘stay’ or ‘remain.’ To abide in the Lord means that we continually receive, believe and trust that Jesus is everything and has everything we need. Abiding also mean the need to be still, to let God be God to do the things in His Will and in His Timing, knowing and trusting that He is in control. Abiding is also a time where we need to recharge or pluck to the power source, which is God alone.

As disciples, our faith will always be put to the test. In 1 Kings 19:11-13, God told Elijah: “Go stand in the presence of the Lord outside your cave on the mountain… First, a violent windstorm came up that blasted the mountain… but the Lord was not in the wind.

Got the last verse? Imagine God is not present where you are or going to, including your prayers for His answer… So His Presence matters.

To sum up in a nutshell, we need to abide in His Presence, anchor deep in His Word, in order to be upward-looking in Hope, forward-looking in Faith, and outward-looking in Strength.

Bless your 2023 with the 3 keys of a good start!

RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 14: REboot For A Good REstart

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2022 marks the endemic of COVID2019…

2022 to the many may be a year of winds and storms:

Ups and downs.

Breaks and wrecks.

Hits and misses.

Light and darkness.

Peaks and valleys.

Days and nights.

Moments and seasons.

Today and tomorrows.

Failures and successes.

Joys and tears.

Learnt and un-learn.

When 2022 just doesn’t add up: the inevitability and brevity of life- when the rain patters down, attacking the roof of your life; the streams rise, flooding the foundation of your life; the winds blow, beating against the walls of your life- launching attacks relentlessly on all sides that you have no control over……

When 2022 may not make sense: the mire and muck of our world- with fearmongering messages revving up, we find our way in a pluralistic world of competing voices, and lights our path so given to despairing cynicism and phoniness. On top of our own selfish nature clamouring for supremacy, and the world with all its pursuits and pleasures, granting us the license to live unfettered hedonism……

But, even in the worst times, you can trust this: God has a good purpose, a good plan, and a good reason. For Psalm 16:1-2 (NCV) says, “Protect me, God, because I trust in you. I said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord. Every good thing I have comes from you’”.

God’s voice must outrank the voices of our stress-laden society, even our innate sinful nature. We ought to anchor to the unshakeable Word of God, the only foundation you can trust.

So found yourself under the furnace test of TRUST?

Take heart- tough season don’t last (please ‘chew’ the following passage in ‘bite size’ very very slowly for the benefit of optimal digestion…):

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die;

A time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal;

A time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, And a time to laugh;

A time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to gain, and a time to lose;

A time to keep, and a time to throw away;

A time to tear, and a time to sew;

A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate;

A time of war, and a time of peace…….

He has made everything beautiful in its time.

⁃ Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, 11

Have you sounded the depth of this promise? (Perhaps you may need to reverberate the above passage once again…)

Still can’t stop worrying? Christ can, and He lives within you. He will do what you cannot do. With Him in you, you have a million resources you can draw upon. Despite 2022 filled with whoops and hollers, 2023 will soon beckoning with a new chapter, a new beginning- let’s unload the baggages of the past, lay down the burdens of the present, and give over our hopes, our future and our dreams to God. Get rebooted in the camp of Trust, and come out stronger, better.

God wants you to trust Him. You matter to Him, because He loves you.

Happy 2023! God bless you with more “Son”shine (sunshine)!

RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 13: Reasons For The Season

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Merry Christmas!

Let us be:

1. Forward-looking:

Because God is AHEAD of us.

So there is ASSURANCE

that God is in control.

2. Outward-looking:

Because God is IN us.

So there is CONFIDENCE

that God is at work.

3. Upward-looking:

Because God is FOR us.

So there is HOPE

that God is present.

TRUST Him, with your everything.

When He has given you His Best that cost Him everything, today.

Blessed Christmas!

#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 12: This Christmas Will You Look For The Real “Santa Claus”?

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Today’s world of consumer-culture has commercialised Christmas into a hyped-up holiday. And poof, Santa Claus is at work everywhere, “Ho, Ho, Ho…” offering the world as your oysters.

So what would you wish and hope for this Christmas?

Jolting back to reality, unfortunately, this hoping-for-the-magical-Santa-Claus is only a figment of our imagination… Amid the festivities underneath the tinsel, the busyness, and the lights, this season offers one of the most valuable gift beyond the dollars and cents, by Someone who is even more amazing than Santa Claus. He is far able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power… (Ephesians 3:20).

And He has a storehouse in Heaven abundant with what we could ever wish for… so if God comes like a Santa Claus, what would you be hoping to receive in His here-is-your-gift bag this Christmas?

God isn’t a vending machine dispensing all our whims and fancies, but as a loving Father, He will provide what we need and what is good for us. He invites, “Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7)

If His gift will be just a word, TRUST, and tagged with this promise, “You will have no fear of bad news; your heart will be secure as you trust the Lord. Your heart be secure, you will have no fear; in the end you will look in triumph on your foes (whatever that you are facing…).(Psalm 112:7-8)

Will you then gladly accept this gift? (There is nothing to lose, isn’t it?)

P.S. Come Home this Christmas. Whatever you are going through this season, let God have your burdens, trust that He will work all things out in His timing. And trust that He will never let your challenges be wasted- I can ensure you that I have seen His Faithfulness, tasted His Goodness, and experienced His Greatness! He never fail. All difficulties are always incubator for something better, take heart!

RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 11: Bank Savvy, Don’t Penny-wise And Pound-foolish Your Future

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The year end season is the time of hope, for bonus payout to count our eggs, baskets, and nests in preparation for the new year, or for in case of unexpected emergencies. We get busy tallying the equations, and get obsessed if we have enough in the bank to see us through another year, or over the money in the bank if they are secured…

Banks are certainly busy wooing savers and investors, campaigning never-failing gimmicks along the line of “The Best Global Bank You Can Trust”, dangling jumbo-sized carrots that we can barely resist to bite.

Yet in today’s world of great uncertain volatility, can we really feel safe and assured that we are in good hands of any bank we can fully entrust our money with?

If truth be told, no bank on earth can promise a 100% guarantee. So we ought to really consider these factors:

1. Which bank opens 24/7 over 365 days with a direct live chat for unlimited services?

2. Which bank can vouch a 100% safe guarantee if we place a deposit?

3. Which bank promises attractive rewards or generous redemptions whenever the criteria of eligibility is fulfilled?

4. Which bank can recognise our unique ID without the need to go through 2FAs verification for secured access?

5. Which bank can manage your assets and resources in one full view, tallying your accounts with formulas that will never fail?

Doubt we can find any on earth. But there is one bank that is not subject to market conditions nor be restricted with terms and conditions. Only one keyword is required to enjoy its services, any time any where- TRUST.

Wouldn’t such a bank give you absolute peace of mind to place your TRUST and enTRUST your life with?

Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. – Corrie Ten Boom

A trustworthy bank, is for life. That simple to invest. And the bank’s call for action is to test it. That is why the title of this devotion come about.

P.S. I am not advocating not to put our money in any physical bank. This is written to present that there is a “bank”— God— whom we can turn to for help in time of needs.

RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 10: “Daddy, Please Help!”

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A recent Marvel movie, Black Devil, inspired me to pen this devotion on how a super Hero can overturn the world of evils- My creative mind started to conceive a dare devil called, Trust Avenger, gear in a full armour of God with supernatural power in: (a) turning wasted places into flowing springs; (b) extinguishing any fires; (c) and can control time with his hands. His mantra will be, “I am Avenger of Trust, right beside!” He will respond to whoever utter, “Daddy, help me!” because His omnipotence provides a loving presence as a encompassing Father *who loves, cares and provides for every of our needs.

(*CR Mathew 7:9-11 NLT: You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.)

Such a rich figment of my imagination? No, there really is such a Hero: A cross-nailed, thorn-crowned and blood-stained Savior. A crimsoned face of Heaven’s darling, God’s only Son.

The world is in chaos right now, with warring evils and principalities. We don’t know what the future holds, but we do know who holds the future. And yes, there will be uncertainty, but God is still in control. He will keep you from evils and harm. Trust the One who can part the Red Sea to keep you between the drowning walls of water. Let’s hand over our life to the One who can see the big picture with a 20/20 vision- so we can simply trust in Him, and wait upon how He can turn things around in due time.

“…blessed is the one who trusts in you.” (Psalm 84:12B)

Trust, that means to take God at His Word-

“For the word of God will never fail.” (James 1:17)

Trust, that means God is in control-

for all the world is mine and everything in it. (Psalm 50:12B)

Trust, that means nothing is impossible with God-

“I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” (Jeremiah 32:27)

Trust, that means we can overcome anything because we have God who loves us-

…in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:37)

Trust, that means placing your hope in Someone who has been proven to be trustworthy.- No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. (Joshua 1:5)

P.S. May I add one more power to my super Hero? The more we trust Him in any circumstance, especially in trying trials, the bigger he will become. The more we magnify His Name, He can loom over any of our enemies we are facing.

RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 9: Who or What Rule Your Day?

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Just simple manna that is easily digestible for the day, ‘Choice’:

We all have choices, each day:

To trust God or not to trust Him.

To obey or not to obey.

To believe or not to believe.

Which is better- which choice do you want to rule your day?

All you need is to decide in your mind, consciously, and the rest will follow.

Test it.

That is.

#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 8: God Have You Fully Covered For Life!

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My recent review on my insurance coverage have inspired me to pen this devotional that God can be our ultimate Insurance-

All of us feel secure to have some sort of protection to be well prepared for rainy days. There is nothing wrong in so-doing, but oftentimes, life doesn’t go as planned- None of us like unexpected ‘surprises’ that life may throw at us. But God has us all covered for life with these fundamental Truths from His original policies.

God Is Our Life Policy.

You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble

He will never leave us nor forsake us, He will be our safety net we can fall back on.

God Is Our Protection Policy.

Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life. – Psalm 54:4

No matter what happens, God is the Strength and Promise that undergirds our lives, 24/7.

God Is Our Savings Policy.

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:19

He is our ultimate Provider, who meets all our needs.

If I may be audacious to propose a brand tag for God’s TRUST Insurance succinctly, it will read “The ONLY GUARANTEE, TRUSTED for life.” with these guarantee:

God never fail.

“I am the same yesterday, today and forever.” – Hebrews 13:8

He is the only constant that will not change though times can change; He will not call quits and abandon though markets can crash: He will not contradict His Integrity as it is part of His Divine character even though the laws on earth may evolve from time to time.

He will take care of ALL our needs.

The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.

– Psalm 23:1

God knows exactly what we need, even before we ask of Him. In Him, we will lack nothing.

100% Safe.

The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. – Psalm 121:7-8

God is a strong tower and make a good hiding place; where He can preserve us from troubles, keeping us safe.

Where on earth can we find such a FREE insurance coverage that not only guarantee for life, we can also reap much benefits from it! God is good!

#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 7: Downsize Mountains To Molehills (With A Chair?)

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Continue from my previous post on “Birds, Birds, Where Are You?”, this time I shall relieve myself from missing holidaying by “imaginary travelling” to another picturesque landscape- the alps. (P.S. Interestingly, the devotional topic for my own Quiet Time on 7 October, is about mountain with the key verse from Isaiah 26:4, “TRUST (Emphasis for my devotional series!) in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord is the Rock Eternal.” Perhaps God is hurrying me to finish penning this piece, lol!)

I have always marvel at how majestic God created the mountains. They are towering over me so sky-high that the horizon seems to reach ‘peakless’. While meandering through the path from mountain to mountain, at certain juncture, I suddenly feel so small and insignificant… I found myself entertaining randoms, “What if the mountain suddenly topple over me? Will I be crushed to death?” Rocks of adversity and avalanche of messes precipitate crises that can easily enshroud any one in darkness.

But do you know there is a difference between belief and trust? Belief in something does not mean you are trusting in it. It is simply giving a mental assent to an idea, but not placing your faith in it. For example, you may believe that a trapeze performer can carry you across a waterfall in a wheelbarrow on a tightrope. But until you get onto the wheelbarrow, you have not placed your trust in what you believe about its safety. The performer assures and invites you to entrust your life completely to him to get you across. So the question is, “Can you believe that it is safe to get onto this wheelbarrow and trust with your life to this person who can carry you across safely?”

Let change another scenario, this time bizarre (if I may be being creative), a chair is placed in between the fearsome-looking mountains. Will you scrutinise this chair to such an extent-

“This chair looks small…”, “The legs look flimsy…”, “Can it really support my weight, it won’t give way?”, “It does not look safe to sit on…”. In short, that means, you do not believe that this chair can be trusted to sit on safely.

Believe and trust, or, unbelief and distrust? A better choice is still, believe and trust. A simple back to basic timeless Truth will be a solid anchor for life:

“Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart. And do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognise Him, And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].” (Proverbs 3:5-6 AMP)

The above verse, in most translations reinforced the word, TRUST, with the word, ALL our heart. Why our heart? Because our heart: (1) is the wellspring of life; (2) where everything you do flows from it; (3) determines the course of your life; (4) is the issues of life.

Our vacillating feelings can deceive us, our fallible wisdom can fail us, but the immutability of God stays indisputable. Surely, He is our secured anchor of hope! If we, in all our ways, acknowledge Him, then our “mountains” will shrunk into “molehills” and our paths will be made cleared.

Remember, the Lord was long before any mountain and will be long after it has been reduced to nothing. He is the only rock of security and stability. All our tomorrows belong to Him. So we can live in trusted confidence that He will take care of us!

Amen?

#HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) #ForLife Experiences 6: Birds, Birds, Where Are You? Tweet: “Fear-LESS, be trust-FULL.”

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Is your life hanging by the cliff?

Are you down to the last dollar for your next meal?

Fear is waiting to rear its ugly head?

It seems like you are probably reaching at the end of your tether, and you are struggling to balance walking on a tightrope of life challenges.

A tough season.

The glimmer of hope is, tough season don’t last but tough people do.

Perhaps it is time for some reorientation. How about take a day out for some birdwatching? God has so much to say about them. They can be His physical reminders of His Great love and Faithfulness. And appreciating nature is a great way not only to de-stress, it helps to reorient our focus on God who is the Creator, Provider and Sustainer of all things. Nature can teach us something- Look at the caterpillar, the birds, the grass, and the “mountain / hill”:

He also gave their crops to the caterpillar… (Psalm 78:46a)

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. (Matthew 6:25-34)

Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds. (Luke 12:24)

Who provides for the raven its prey, when its young ones cry to God for help, and wander about for lack of food? (Job 38:41)

All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs; under its branches all the beasts of the field gave birth to their young, and under its shadow lived all great nations. (Ezekiel 31:6)

Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. (Psalm 84:3)

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:29-31)

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. (Luke 12:6)

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. (Psalm 121:1-3)

He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20)

Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. (Mark 11:23)

Why is it so difficult to stop striving and simply trust in God’s provision? Perhaps, you are thinking that your best isn’t good enough… So how to be fear-proof? TRUST. (With added emphasis). Simply trust, it flushes the trash of worry and anxiety. Abide and rest in God by trusting that no matter what happens, God will take care of things like He takes care of the birds, He clothes the grass of the field. He is the Maker of all things, so He is ultimately in control– Fear-LESS and be trust-FULL, day by day, step by step, God provides the manna one day at a time.

P.S. Take time off for some bird-watching yeah?

HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) #ForLife Experiences 5: Dwarfing The Giants

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Who are your Goliaths? The giants who loom and lord over you?

What occupies your mind nowadays? What keeps you awake in the middle of the night? What possesses you the entire week? Have you been stewing anxieties for months?

Let’s face the number one adversary that seek to sidetrack us- FEAR (of any sort).

FEAR in its naked form simply an acronym of False Expectation Appearing Real.

We fear anything, and every thing. Fear has no other name, call it a spade, a spade. And is a no respecter of persons. But fear knows our name, intimately; it croons each night to jolt us from slumber; it robs us of peace that we could have enjoy for the day; it revs us up in hyperventilation mode any time.

Fear is irrational, it can blind, deafen and desensitise us. It grips, immobilises and gags us with a band of strong men, imprisoning us for prolonged period if we continue to allow it the authority to play punk.

Fear is unreasonable, argues baselessly with faith, and loves to wrestle and tussle insensibly with Trust.

None of us are strangers to those legitimate fears that are so “real”. And these are Satan’s favourite hot buttons to activate our system breakdown and cause us to go haywired easily.

But fear shall not be the final voice because God has the last say, if only, we tune in to the correct source and listen, “Headline these Truths!”:

1. TRUST.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways, acknowledge Him (God) and He will make straight your path. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Life won’t make any sense, no matter how and no matter what, because we live in a fallen world that is utterly broken. We won’t be able to find or get any answers to life’s uncertainties and its unfathomable fallacies, anyway. The only recourse is to surrender and simply trust that God will work things out for good, with all our heart.

2. TRUST.

I will have no fear of bad news; my heart is steadfast trusting in the Lord. My heart is secure, I will have no fear; in the end I will look in triumph of my foes. (Psalm 112:7-8)

There is always light at the end of the tunnel. We just have to keep walking, walking, walking, no matter how tiring or how long it takes… God will always make a way when there seems to be no way- the Light is round the corner if we keep our gaze ahead.

3. TRUST.

You will keep me in perfect peace if my mind fixes on you, because I trust in you! (Isaiah 26:3)

In order to experience the supernatural Peace of God, we simply fix our mind on the God of Perfect Peace. Look up and we will never get to see the shadows. God is, and still is, in control: He holds the ground, he holds the fort. Pax Vobiscum.

Internalise the truth, and trust God, He is way much better at handling our lives than we do our own. Our giants will come tumbling down, and down, and down… It is time for your own Disney’s sequel of “Honey, I shrunk the kids!”

#HOWTOLEAN On #TRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 4: Facing The Giants And The Pharaohs One Day At A Time

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I ever wondered if I know how my future is, I may be better prepared now to face the “unforeseen” of what is forthcoming. Nothing is further than the truth- if I saw what it shouldn’t be, I think I would have better off not knowing than to be anticipating with anxieties or fears of what will unfold each day— the giants and Pharaohs I have to face, the rejections, the closed doors, the health challenges, the financial crises— I might think, “It is better to just stay where I am so that I don’t get into those troubles…” I may even manipulate the course to force a desired outcome out of my own myopic insensibilities and ended up with more messes or in situations that are (potentially far) worst than “originally allowed”.

And there comes the groans of the heart— we have heard them, because we made them— They are the vernacular of pain, the chosen tongue of despair. And when prayers do not come, the pain sensors will up the notch, to get us tuned in and we will get haywired.

That is why, God is gracious for not showing us the details because He knows we would talk ourselves out of it. If we can’t figure out how something that is ever going to work out, we will start to get anxious and be robbed of the peace for the day.

It is more comfortable to live in the moment, and one day at a time. For tomorrow has enough troubles of its own, why would we need to borrow tomorrow troubles with today’s strength? Would it be needless to be robbed of today’s joy over tomorrow’s worries (which might not even happen)?

Our responses should be, “God, I don’t see a way or have the answer for how this situation can work out, but I trust You!” This attitude of faith allows God to do great (and greater) things. He had the solution before we had the problem. All we need to do is to pass our own test and simply trust Him for the outcome, which will be temperated by His Love and Faithfulness.

One day, at a time.

HOWTOLEAN On #TRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 3: Do You Know You Have Unlimited Trust Funds?

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“Miss Worrywart, are you not a beneficiary of God’s trust funds?”

Pray.

Great miracles happen.

Trust.

Good things follow.

Believe.

Opportune times ensue.

HOWTOLEAN On #TRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 2: Get Your Hands Off!

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Penned on 7 Aug 2022:

DISORGANISED TO REORGANISED:

Since I was injured, my mornings are getting sufferably earlier and longer that I have had so much time to catch up with a long list of “to-do”s, one of which is to tidy up my devotionals and blogs that have been collecting e-cobwebs since the season of COVID, lol!

(Seriously! Ok, back to my penning now…)

STIR UP TO LEVEL UP:

If you found yourself often catching laborious breathing, experiencing jittery hands and being immobilised with a hyperventilated soul. Chances are, something must be getting out of control… And coping with changes can be unsettling. But changes can be used for good, which is necessary for growth.

So if there is one thing to drill home, it is this: nothing in this life is guaranteed nor stay constant, not health, finances, business, career, nor any of our plans. Anything can change and not everything we can have control over. God, who is infinite, is the only constant. We can be assured that God’s character remains unchanged, no matter how much change in the day to day, God will forever remain powerful over all things, trustworthy in all He says, and faithful and compassionate through all changes.

God’s faithfulness and compassion are not dependent on our faithfulness, He is faithful and gracious to us because of His character. That’s just who He is, so you and I can be assured that God will always be faithful no matter what happens, and that His compassion for us will never fail!

Therefore…

1. Relinquish the Need for Control: Shift our focus

We need to recognise and accept our own limitations, fallacies and finiteness. We need not be victimised by changes while living in the fallenness of this world, we just need to relinquish the need for control, believing in the promise that Jesus has already overcame the world and is standing with us in victory over our foes.

Whenever anxieties hit, shift the focus that God is ultimately sovereign and in control in every situation.

RESET TO REGAIN:

2. Recommit the Decision to Trust: Exercise our choice

Trust is not a one-time commitment. It has to be a daily practice. It is a rededication of worship; surrendering the need to know everything. It is indeed a tall order and a very hard lesson to learn—especially when each day looks more uncertain than the last or the next. Trusting God has to be an active choice, it cannot be fundamental on our feelings, as our feelings will change, but choosing to trust in God is an act of faith- to trust beyond how we feel, whether we like it or not, even when we don’t feel like it.

Every challenge provides room for growth in new and powerful ways. In teaching us obedience, the Lord redirects our natural inclinations so we can grow in a Godward direction.

Humble yourself therefore, make it your goal to be a pliable student in the Lord’s hands, do not disdain His discipline in moulding mind, shaping values, and tutoring heart. Let your plumb line be measured by His precepts. Do not try shortcuts or short-circuiting the desert time of God, as it will only leads to cul-de-sacs, which force you to revisit the lesson(s) you have yet to learn. Embrace the process, so that you will come out purified by His Refiner’s fire, temperated with His Great Love.

HOWTOLEAN On #TRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 1: Knowing The One Who Can Be Trusted To Help

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My recent trauma with a critical fall on May 14, prompted me to consolidate my experiences on the word, ‘TRUST’ and ‘FEAR’, as part of my learning process. In sharing this series do not mean I have mastered being trustful, but to remind myself in retrospection and reflections should 1 day I be confronted by this giant. I hope in sharing, those seeking life answers may find hope, peace and breakthroughs in some ways.

P.S. We all are work in progress, and learning about life is never a destination but an ongoing process of discovery.

Penned on 1 Sep 2022:

While the world is beginning to wake up from a forced hibernation of the post-COVID19 endemic, some of us are beginning to be jolted to reality, coming to terms with what has been broken, displaced and lost.

Anxieties and fears have been a common vocabulary for the past 2 years when unforeseen circumstances beckon us in the first instance to cower to niggly fears- fear of bad news, fear of what is next, fear of lack in the future… The stress and the fear of the unknown rattled us, with the merciless cronies of anxieties, dismay and gloom, gnawing our innermost relentlessly, leaving us insecure and uncertain about life that often seems like a long, zig-zag winding road, disconcerting us when we can’t see what’s around the corner…

Amid the uncertainties, we can still find peace by ruminating on the truth that God is in ultimate control and we can trust that He is Sovereign- He rules and reigns in the spiritual and physical realms in power:

1. God is our Guide For Life.

He holds the compass with our journey already pre-mapped out, navigating the biggest bends to the smallest curves, positioning the sign-posts along the way and erecting road blocks against deadly ends. God will direct our every steps under His watchful eyes.

2. God is the Author Of Our Story.

He knows the unwritten pages of our future, and has penned down a plan for each of us in advance. There is no need to worry because He holds the last page.

3. God is our Helper Of All Times.

He is always ready and timely, in great faithfulness, step by step, and day to day. We can fall back on His Safety Net without being afraid. He is always ready to catch us should we stumble.

Each time we decided and chose to obey in faith, the shackles of anxiety will loosen gradually. We may still feel fear, but we do not have to let it dictate our life and immobilise us. Our human tendency to catastrophise must fully yield to trust in God’s sovereign care.

Remember that nothing can get to us without first getting through God. So no matter what happens, we will still be in God’s good Hands.

Remember that Jesus has overcome the world.

Remember that God takes care of the birds of the air and clothe the grass of the fields, would He not care about us and take care of our needs since we are much more valuable as His children?

#SGUnited #StayHomeStaySafe #SinglishQT Series (5) QT: No-mess Spiritlicious Recipes For Good Health And For Life

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Everyone can guess that the trending posts on FB during Circuit Breaker period is “I also can cook!” Imagine it can be very kang kor for Singaporeans who love to makan are being barred from dining out. When the popular quick-fix fast food giant, MacDonald, suay-suay kenna infected with the COVID-19 virus, had to cease operations on 19 April, forced many to find alternatives to jiak. So since being “imprisoned” at home may as well learn to anyhow masak-masak up a storm and get to hao lian photo-bombing on FB and IG. And wah sei, some really machiam restaurant style. Lagi best, some anyhow agar agar chin chye hantam, throw in anything into the wok also turned out to be bagus siah! Really, it can be super leh chey and sian to da pao all the time. And every day eat same same can be jelat. So may as well check out recipes online and be creative as a chef-wannabe with homecooked food!

(Ok, enuff with the Singlish liao…)

And now, isn’t it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You’re more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you’ve come out of this with purity of heart. – 2 Corinthians 7:11 MSG

While relishing a succulent muffin, I got into my usual habit to dissect what ingredients that gave the muffin its flavourful oomph. Each individual ingredient, may be tasteless, but they are integral to the success of making the muffin as a whole. And when these ingredients are mixed together, the final first bite gives it its verdict.

And yes, the bible is our best “recipe” book we can turn to if we want “omphlicious” food that feed us spiritually. Just as physical food feed our body, we need spiritual food to feed our soul. And what we feed grows, what we starve dies. So when we eat well, we get stronger. And the more we eat, the bigger our muscles when we build them up. (By the way, it is harmless to binge on spiritual food and we will not grow out of shape too!)

Depending on our “craving” at the time, we will need the right “ingredients” from the bible, follow the “recipe” as instructed, and just have to wait patiently for the “timing” to get the final product. We can trust that the result is always to our “satisfaction” if we “follow” the “full” recipe correctly. But of course, we may not get it “100%” right all the time because of certain or unexpected “human and mechanical errors”. It is also necessary to go through more “trials and errors” in order to “improve” our “skills”, as each “process” offers different “learning” experiences.

Practice makes better. Nothing will go wrong if we fully follow the instructions given. After all, God’s the Teacher, we’re the students, so trust His training. There will always be something new to learn each day- so check out God’s “recipe” today, you can be assured of the most satisfying meal for the day (and minus the stress)!

#SGUnited #StayHomeStaySafe #SinglishQT Series (2) Labour Day Special QT: Mai Kan Cheong, More Than Enough- Stockpile Treasures From Heaven.

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(Be warned: Singlish overloaded! Cheem local ‘vocab’ may stretch you! Power siah!)

When the local government raised the Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) level to Orange as a result of increased cases of the novel coronavirus on February 7, sending signal that the disease was deemed severe and infection might be contagious. This news was enough to drive Singaporeans into a panic mode, worrying about their livelihoods and the top-of-the-mind response was, “Food!”. You got it- Singaporeans went siao chiong-ing to raid the supermarkets. Worried over food scarcity should the country follow suit to lockdown nationwide, they die-die must stock up the necessities. And wah piang eh, the situation was really sibeh jialat, the shelves for toilet rolls, kitchen towels, wet wipes, maggie mee, rice, eggs, canned meat and hands sanitisers had been wiped out almost clean! I simply don’t understand such mentality especially with paper products which are not edible! Wah lau eh, like that die already loh when the aunties with mountain-full trollies of those essentials made the headlines with our infamous Singaporean symptoms: Kiasu-ism and Kiasee-ism. I myself malu as a local to witness the snatch and hoard culture. My fellow Singaporeans, tolong leh, steady pompipi, it is not the end of the world lah! This kiasu virus is even more potent than COVID-19 and soon the buay tahan virus would evolve even stronger. Sian, I had to join the queue just to get a few simple essentials, but no choice leh before the stock kosong! And sibeh suay to have to jostle with the crowd, the snaking queues really had me flipped!

(Ok, let’s turn sane with proper English now.)

These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. (Matthew 6:32) Do not be like them (the pagans), for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew 6:8)

So, the question is, “Are you the type of person who see half a glass of water as, half full or half empty?”

Insecurities. It is what drive us to react and response the way we did. Living in today’s world which prizes achievements, social status, material comfort and wealth, that equate success, has bred a downhill trajectory ethical culture. Failing which or fallen short of such benchmark, we may feel insecure like social misfits. And this label left many of us a disgruntled lot with a “hoarder” mentality- the constant need for covetousness and accumulating possessions to feel safe in the least. Sometimes, even the more than enough is not enough…

Because, insecurities will always breed insecurities. This fella will always precipitate:

i. Fear, so we worry.

ii. Lack of faith, so we get anxious.

iii. Distrust in God to provide or can provide, so we take matters into our own hands.

But the best counter-measures to overcome insecurities:

1. Turn on the power of prayers

Because worry and prayer cannot co-exist at the same time, either you expend energy worry or better utilise the time to pray- which is useful?

And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith. – Matthew 21:22

2. Magnify God instead of zooming in on the situation

Turn your focus to our infinite God who is much bigger and can handle anything and everything.

‘Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.’ – Jeremiah 32:17

3. Meditate on God’s Promises

Rehearse the truth of His Promises over and over until they sink in, for example, one of the good reminders from Matthew 6:25-34, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. …”

4. Allow God’s Peace to rule in our heart

If God’s Peace anchors our heart, insecurities will not rock or cause a rippling effect to our soul.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. – John 14:27

5. Recall how God has met our previous needs and be reassured that God still care

We are all forgetful beings, so we need to make conscious effort to recall how God had previously provided for our needs. In so doing, we will be more assured that God who is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, still care to meet our needs.

Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. – 1 Peter 5:7

6. Trust God to supply as He knows our needs

God, as our loving Father cares for His children, will take care of what we need.

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. — 2 Corinthians 9:10

7. Learn to live in contentment

Keep life free from having to want more, and learn to live with what we have at present.

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. – 1 Timothy 6:6-10

8. Seek to live one day at a time

Worry does not serve any purpose for good, just as Corrie Ten Boom aptly put across, “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.”

Therefore, take no thought about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take thought about the things of itself. Sufficient to the day is the trouble thereof. – Matthew 6:34

So, stockpile the treasures above instead and the inventory will keep us in good faith to fight a good fight, over the long run.

BE INTENTIONAL (12): Changes- It Is Time To Recalibrate Our Lives

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I am the Lord, and when it is time, I will make these things happen quickly. -Isaiah 60:22 NCV

It is often said that life is a like a game of chess – a strategy board game where every decision made on each move of a chess piece will impact the entire game. And each move will result in different outcome.

By the same token, COVID-19 pandemic has effectuated changes in our lives that require us to adapt to everyday situations and adjust our expectations. Changes is fundamental for us to get our acts together.

So what is God doing right now? It is time to recalibrate our lives and thrive in this season of crisis. We cannot remain where we are and expect to move with God, nor expect Him to move without doing anything.

And to quote someone, ”Stupidity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome.”

We need not be victims of circumstances, though we do not have control over the external, but we have control over what we can do at best, and leave God the rest.

So changes is not necessarily a bad thing- There are times when God need to shake things up to force us to change – He is intimately aware that we will not move forward without a push. So He will put us in situations that will make us uncomfortable (in whatever our area of struggle) to stretch us and make us grow. His ultimate goal isn’t to make our life miserable but to push us to a greater purpose for His higher Glory.

Change, and we be changed too.

When people’s lives please the Lord, even their enemies are at peace with them. – Proverbs 16:7 NLT

So hang on tight, and trust that God will eventually bring something good out of it, one day.

I trust the Lord God to save me, and I will wait for him to answer my prayer. – Micah 7:7 CEV

BE INTENTIONAL: Fight or Flight- Lock down but not knock down

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Through You we will push back our adversaries; Through Your name we will trample down those who rise up against us. Psalm 44:5

SPECIAL THANKSGIVING FOR THE HEALTHCARE HEROES AT THE FRONTLINE BATTLING COVID-19:

No words can really describe how it has not been easy for all the healthcare personnels on the frontline, working tirelessly with the day to day demands in battling COVID-19 and coping under untold pressure. These unsung heroes have my utmost admiration for their great sacrifices, especially their time with their families. May they continue to stay resilient and God rewards them greatly. I would like to bless them with these verses:

Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary (Isaiah 40:31). For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory (Deuteronomy 20:4).

Let us remember too we each have our part to play by exercising social responsibility, and together we can overcome! Keep strong and safe everyone!

——————

For the first time I felt the heat of “the gloom and doom” of the unprecedented season of COVID19 pandemic, that has the world in crumbles.

For the first time I have personally witnessed empty malls and people are getting 1-metre distant because of the new safety measures imposed for personal safety and protection from the spread of infection.

For the first time I can feel the intensity of the battle when the numbers of infected cases rising each day, as if earth is coming to its last day:

Borders are closed.

Entertainment venues are closed.

Enrichment centres are closed.

Schools are closed.

Offices are closed.

Malls are empty.

Food establishments are empty.

Streets are empty.

Events are cancelled.

Flights are grounded.

Salaries are cut.

Jobs are lost.

Deaths are counting……

Uncertainties, anxieties, insecurities and fears plagued everyone as news spread on social media like rampant bush fires. No one can really make sense of what is happening right now.

Does adversity mean God is not at work or His seemingly absence imply His nonchalance? Why don’t we consider hearing this Truth:

Hard times and trouble are God’s way of getting our attention! And at this very moment, God deeply desires to lead you from trouble and to spread your table with your favorite food. – Job 36:15-16 CEV

It is a wake up call that need our attention.

Cry out in the night… Pour out your heart like water in prayer to the Lord. – Lamentations 2:19 NCV.

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. – Genesis 50:20

We may be locked out but not knocked down- tough times don’t last but tough people do. Keep the hope and fight with faith, together with God, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. (Romans 8:37).

BE INTENTIONAL (8) 250120: Beyond Limitations.

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The God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. – Romans 4:17

Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year and every Chinese will get ready for the festivities lined up for the day, especially little children who will get excited to receive “ang pows” (red packets) from the elders (who are married).

And not forgetting we have our Father in Heaven who is ready to bless us, His Children, with “ang pow” too.

However, beyond seeking the monetary gain, what will truly be the “ang pow” will we really ask from our Heavenly Father who generously give good gift to those who ask of Him? (Matthew 7:11).

Many of us dare not ask because we felt insignificant to request for something we do not deserve; many of us struggle to trust God for the impossible as we cannot see beyond the limitations. But God, is the God of Life, gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were (Romans 4:17), promises that nothing is too hard for Him (Genesis 18:14).

God loves to turn the impossible into the possible, because of a greater Glory that no one can steal from Him nor deny His Omnipotence. Simply recall one of the greatest miracle in history where Moses was at a dead end at the Red Sea, with the pursuing Egyptians hot on his heel. And voila, God parted the Red Sea to provide a way out for His people, and the enemies tailing behind them was drowned by the same sea!

In need of a blessing from Abba Father today? Ask, and you shall be given. (Matthew 7:7)

In need of a breakthrough? God who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32)

In need of an answer? God desires to bless our heart desires, and He will not withheld the request of our lips. (Psalm 21:2)

Don’t give up on the situation you see as hopeless, for God is the God of all hope, and faith is the currency for miracles. God is still in the business to do the impossible.

BE INTENTIONAL (2): REFUEL- Hope, Moment to Moment

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Those who hope in Me will not be disappointed. – Isaiah 49:23

Broken homes. Broken dreams. Broken relationships. Debilitating diseases. Devastating news. Crippling fears. Looming darkness. Relentless pain. Despaired tomorrows. Bleak future. Robbed lives. Tough 2018.

Tough life. Yes, it will be, if we live without hope. The Bible did warn us that without hope, we will be like living zombies (1 Chronicles 29:15; Proverbs 13:12). That is life on earth in a fallen world – the inescapable passage of time, with inevitable phases of suffering.

But just one simple Truth will change our lives- put our Hope in God who never fail- Our flesh will fail, men will fail and things will fall away but only God, who is Omnipresent and Omnipotent, can transcend all things.

God knows the plans He has for us, plans to give us a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11), and He promises that He will be our portion (more than enough), therefore we can put our hope in Him, for the Lord is good to those who wait upon Him and seek Him. (Lamentations 3:24-25). We also have a Living Hope in the power of the resurrected Christ (1 Peter 1:3), and with Christ living in us, we have the Hope of Glory (Colossians 1:27). We can take heart too that hope that is seen is not hope at all; for why do we still hope for what we can see? But if we hope for what we do not see, we will then eagerly wait for it with perseverance (Romans 8:24-25).

We can draw near to God who offers better Hope (Hebrews 7:19) This Hope serves as an anchor for our soul, firm and secure (Hebrews 6:19). Now may the God of (all) Hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing, that we may abound in Hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).

Hope has to be in the moment – be intentional, live moment to Moment. And we will find renewed strength.

It Is Always Easier To Quit!

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Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.… – Matthew 7:13-14

A recent conversation with a friend caught me mulling over a point blank question, “How desperate are you for a breakthrough?…… It is your choice, and your choice determines the result.”

We all live each day with decisions to make, big or small, poor or wise, and our choices determine where we will end up in: each decision will result in either repercussions or blessings.

Some of us hate to make choices; often vacillating between A and B, unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Let’s face it- most of us love to take the easiest route, and it is a no brainer to make that choice. Why? Because it is always easier to quit than to continue, and it costs us less pain. Who doesn’t like the easy way out?

SO,

we chose to cave in and give up, too readily and too easily.

BUT,

if things come easy, do we need God?

AND,

The heart of the matter is often the matter of the heart.

The crux is, how desperate are you for a breakthrough? Here’s are some gauge you can find answers in:

Are you griping, “Too tall an order I can’t do it. I am just a common man.”?
Is your decision based on self and emotion or God and His direction?
How many times have you pray about the situation in a day?
4. How many times have you consulted the Bible and the Great Teacher in the day
How often do you humble yourself at your knees in seeking breakthrough?
How willing are you to die to yourself?
How willing are you to change yourself first than to change the situation?
Have you exercise other sound options and try until something happens?
Have you persevere until something happens?
Do you prefer to settle for less?

Great men of suffering ever shared their experiences:

When God does an impossible task, the takes an individual and crushes him.

– Charles Swindoll

Until a man is nothing, God then can make nothing out of him.

– Martin Luther

Ever wonder, the greatest Glory awaits those who chose to persevere? Jesus persevered, at the point of death. If He didn’t, there is no Hope for mankind. Jesus is God, yes, but He was also 100% man, in the same skin as you and me.

I recalled the time I was in a health, Identity and financial crises, so broken from coming to the end of my tether, and desperately begging for a breakthrough that I literally chewed the Bible for any morsel of God’s living Word, day in and day out. As a newborn spiritual baby, I prayed like a mad woman not knowing how to fire with any spiritual gears bestowed. I just need to get out of my valley and get up on my feet. Was it easy? No. Was it quick? No. It took me a year (may be longer). Miracle happened because I chose to preserve, I made the choice to believe that God will bring me through it, and God didn’t waste my tears, my efforts to die to self and gut-wrenching pain. I didn’t give up then, so here I am, a living testimony of His Grace and amazing transformation.

If I chose to give up then, I believe my life would have cost me more agony and landed me in more mess than before.

So it all boils down to your choice- Be wise.

Some of us may shrug at this devotion and brush it off “It is not applicable to me”. Let me submit to you that the Bible says in John 3:30, “Only when I decrease, so that God can increase”. Like it or not, we will all be tested- Brokenness is fundamental to restoration, and it is the only antidote to our self-centered nature.

When I am unable, God is Able;

When I am powerless, God empowers;

When I am faith-less, God is faithful;

Whenever I cringe in fear, God always stay near.

Unchangeable. Unbreakable. Unstoppable.

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Whenever life gets into a mess

From the trying times of high stress

Those moments caught me faith less…

When Providence seems to be taking me for a ride

There is nowhere I could hide

I no longer know how to take things in my stride…

All the wanderings in my mind

Caught my spirit in a bind

There are no answers to life’s vicissitudes I could find…

The battles I have to wrestle each day

The rebellion of sins hold me in ransom to pay

There are times I could not even pray…

The silent nights seem long

My waning soul long for a song

In need of His Love to stay strong…

The core of my soul crippled in pain

Every fibre of my being in need of an Angel’s slain

I am back in the valley again…

Weary from all the fight

When days passed without light

And God is no where in sight…

The howling storms of doubt and fear assail,

I cling to the promises of God that never fail,

by the living Word of God I ought to prevail…

As I watch by the breakwater the turn of each tide

The sea reminds me that God’s Love is deep and wide

That I have forgotten God is right by my side…

As I watch from a distance the day falls from dawn to dust

I look up to God whom I place my trust

Hold on to the Almighty I must…

His Character is unchangeable

His Promises unbreakable

His Love unstoppable.

Why Waiting Is So So Hard……

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“God does everything just right and on time, but people can never completely understand what He is doing” – Ecclesiastes 3:11 NCV

Living in today’s fast-paced world where everything is a quick-fix, quick-gain, quick-grab, quick-bite, quick-sale, quick-fly, quick-quit and quick-confirm (a Singlish terminology), little wonder that people are a lot more impatient now than ever. Nobody likes to wait — except Singaporeans’ unflinching penchant for good food that long-long queue means die-die-must-try (speaking in Singlish again) — as waiting always challenge one’s patience, and is always the hardest and perhaps painful, especially when we are in a hurry.

And it hurts to know that God has never been in a hurry- He is never too early nor too late – His Timing is always perfect. But we are the problem – how do we hear His answer, nor know His Timing?

Wait, wait and wait… Delay after delay… And yet God is still silent. We all have such seasons in our lifetime. But God has His reasons that we are not able to grasp His infinite incomprehensibleness.

So when we are in a hurry, we are susceptible to commit the fallacy in taking matters into our own hands, thinking that God will still bless us if we think our decision is right. Little are we aware that impatience really means it is a lack of trust. When we are impatient, we are implying that we do not trust God enough to wait any longer, because time is running short and we reinforced our decision, thinking that God does not care enough to answer on time in our best interest, or perhaps, we think that God’s way is not the best. And here’s another pinch to our already bruised soul- God never reveal His Timetable nor His plans for us, ahead.

Sounds familiar?

I had been there, and it took me donkey’s years to really learnt that trusting God’s timing is always a maturing of character and testing of faith, that I need to discern between hearing God says, “No.” and “Not yet.”. And delays are not necessarily His denial. (And yes, I often wish God can simply say, “Yes!” and make my life easier, but I guess I would not have learnt what it means to differentiate discernibly His Will in so doing.)

From time to time, I often have to remind myself how God had prepared Moses for 80 years, including 40 in the wilderness from a somebody (he was born a Prince) to a nobody (he became a refugee from murder) then to be somebody He had intended Moses for (leading the Isrealites to the Promised Land). I am sure, like Moses, we all have wondering and wandering times, struggling with “What is next, God?”, “When, God?”, “Is it time yet, God”, “What is this, God?”, “Are you there, God?”…… And God’s “Not Yet” took Moses 80 years in waiting… Woah, it is a-gulping-long-time…

God can do any thing any time, time is never a factor to Him. But He is far more concerned in our Character than our comfort; that we act in Faith than respond in fear; and that we preserver in Trust than we panic and tumble. Common to the adage that great souls are birthed through seasons of pain and suffering, our learning path will be shorter so long as we do not short-circuit our process of God’s refinements. Just as James advised, “Don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed” (James 1:4 MSG).

Just remember where we are standing now- how far we have come, we are not yet where we want to be, but at least we are not where we used to be.

Here’s God’s golden rules:

Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act – Psalm 37:7 NLT

Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, And he who hurries his footsteps errs.- Proverbs 19:2

Last but not least, LEARN to be patient and WAIT in trust for God’s Best in His perfect Timing.

Supernatural Outcome Comes From A Supernatural God

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Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said, “And we are coming with you.” So they went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing. As morning was breaking, Jesus [came and] stood on the beach; however, the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. So Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish [to eat along with your bread]?” They answered, “No.” And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat (starboard) and you will find some.” So they cast [the net], and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great catch of fish. Then that disciple (John) whom Jesus loved (esteemed) said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” – John 21:3-7 AMP

Our human nature have the tendency to confine God in the boundary of our finite thinking and understanding, that we believe only what we have experienced or witnessed in the physical realm. As a result of this limitation, we have shortchanged ourselves in believing what God can really do what we can’t do. But God is so much bigger, so much powerful and so much incomprehensible, the Mystery of all mysteries, and as a supreme knowable Unknown, miracles do not happen by what we can see or think imaginable.

As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. – Ecclesiastes 11:5

We will always be awestruck with wonders what God is going to do or can do, for no one can fathom His Ways- Supernatural outcomes come from the hands of a supernatural God. If we can do what we can do, it doesn’t require faith because it is natural; faith however is super-natural that is required when something is beyond us that we can’t do ourselves and that is why we need God in this equation. And a super-natural faith must come super-naturally, which come only by hearing the living Word of a supernatural God.

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. – Romans 10:17

(Do you wonder by now why I add a hyphen between ’super’ and ‘natural’? Because we need to “supplement” something to the “natural” in order to have “supernatural” result. And that “supplement” requires us to input by “hearing” and “believing”… Read on below.)

There is no other way nor a shortcut In moments when we find ourselves in doubts, or weakened spiritually, chances are we are not in tune with the Word of God, which means we have been missing spending time feeding on His spiritual manna. The tragedy is, prolonged exposure in the world will cause us to live in the flesh, dull our spiritual senses, dim our understanding about God and quench our passion for the things that matter to Him.

And the tall order is, having faith alone is not enough. We need to also supplement it with believing God. It is only when the two are combined that God’s power is released and manifested in the physical realm.

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. – Hebrews 11:6 ESV

Therefore, pray for God to open our supernatural eyes to see beyond the physical and believe God for a supernatural outcome as a result of a super-natural faith. In God’s Timing, we can then exclaimed like John did, “It is the Lord (who did such a miracle)!”

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, – Ephesians 3:20

A Victim into Victor: When You Can’t Trace God’s Hands, Trust His Heart

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And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. – 1 Peter 5:10

Not so long ago, there was a continuous spate of events about the breakdown of our local train made me realised that humans grumbled a lot when they encountered the inconveniences of disruptions. Regarded in the same light, we are also quick and inclined to throw a fist at God for the one thing that caused us great disappointment or anger, yet we failed to count the times God has blessed us with so much more. Just one setback can discount everything else.

When things aren’t going in our favour, we are susceptible to strike a protest or stage a long-drawn rebellion. And before long, we spiralled down to a spiritual “black-hole”. The truth of the matter is, there is always a cause and effect in everything – it all start with an incidence that provoke a thought to engender a decision which in turn evoke our emotion and lead us to an action. Don’t belittle even the little thing because it is often the little foxes that spoilt the vineyards (Song of Solomon 2:15). A small spark is capable to set an entire forest on fire. (James 3:5B)

I once was on a rampage why life was so unfair to me. I felt coerced having to accept my “ill fate” that I did not deserve. Broken dreams broke my heart, so much that I came to hate this God who claimed He was good and everything was in His control. I had been cussing vehemently, “What a joke! There is NO God.” I was so broken that God actually came in person- In a deliverance session of dealing with my deepest pain, I saw myself as a three year old lost, enshrouded in darkness and wailing away. At that instance, Jesus came smiling, held my hand to comfort me and led me out of that darkness. As the back view of the two silhouettes dimmed away, I found my heart touched in a very supernatural way in showing me how much I was loved that He came to lead me out of that black-hole. That was my personal encounter with a living God that I could not deny His existence. That was how God got my little fox- it was the aching void of rejection in the need to be loved.

We all had our past, our former way of life with old mindsets and belief systems. And life in the fallen nature has us on roller-coaster from time to time. Although we may have accepted Jesus into our lives which already marked a new beginning, but some of us are still living with foxes that are nestling in deep burrows. The quality of our lives now reveal traces of what had been once-upon-a-time.

Hollow out the little sly fox(es). Jesus is very near to the broken-hearted. When we can’t trace HIs Hands in whatever situation we are in, we can trust His Heart no matter how you feel. A victim by exigencies can become a Victor by overcoming.

P.S. Today is Good Friday, let’s look at the Cross, again, the horizontal beam demonstrates how wide is His Love and the vertical beam shows how deep is His Grace. And when the two beams intersect in the middle, God affirms that nothing can separate us from the Love of God, no matter how far and how deep we have wandered. Because of His Greatest Sacrifice sending Jesus nailed on the Cross, there is no redemption beyond the impossible. Jesus bore our transgressions, carried the cross for our shame and sting by painful rejection from His own Father, yet He was willing to lay down His Life for our sake, so that we can live. Shouldn’t that give you reasons enough to hand to Him what you can’t handle? Shouldn’t that teach us not to take His Grace for granted?

A Beautiful Exchange

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To all who mourn in Israel He will give: beauty for ashes; joy instead of mourning; praise instead of heaviness. For God has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for His own glory. – Isaiah 61:3 TLB

(Studies shown that in the Biblical times, it was the custom for people in great mourning and difficulty to lay down in pile of dirty ashes.)

Today marks a new beginning: a new chapter, a new hope, a new milestone, and a renewed spirit. “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?” (Isaiah 34:19A)

Matthew 9:17 cautions that ”no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.”

So in order for the new to arrive, we have to get rid of the old.

The bumps and curves of life in the past year may have left us wounded with hurts and crushed by disappointments. We may even wallowed in that stinking puddle of pain, anger, bitterness and resentment. In our sub-consciousness, we may even be angry with God.

Yet our loving and gracious God doesn’t want us to remain in the ashes of the past; He wants to trade our brokenness for healing and restoration; He wants to exchange our ashes for the better (beauty). A beautiful exchange that wasn’t merited; His promise is far greater than the sum of our past, failures, mistakes and agony.

But that can only happen if we let go of what has been holding us back, and let God does His Work. Only then can we experience true freedom when we have totally release what we have been holding in our hands- if you need to forgive someone or even yourself, forgive; if you need to get rid of an unhealthy habit, rid of it; if you need to overcome the carnal nature of the flesh, crucify it.

It all boils down to a choice, we have to choose not to let what has happened to define us, and allow God to use those things to refine us. All our tears and heartaches are not without purpose, for our desert experiences seek only to draw us closer to Him so that we can learn to trust Him more.

So don’t waste another day sitting in the ashes, for we have a future ahead that can be filled with beauty. God has already done a beautiful exchange, we just need to trade up and return to Him as a new ‘wineskin’.

“I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud And your sins like a heavy mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.” – Isaiah 44:22 NASB

Whenever Our Heart Condemns Us

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For whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.- 1 John 3:20

I will never forget the expression of my friend when she admonished me last January, “how can a Child of God behaved that way like an unbeliever as if you do not have God!” when I confided in her that I had been struggling with faith in believing God when my business hit a stalemate and my physical condition deteriorated. Though she meant well to point me back to the promise that God provides for our every needs and hears our every cries, I felt as though I was condemned with my honest fragility and naked vulnerability.

It might seem like an unsympathetic reproach from my friend, but her words resonate a truth that we often let it fall between the cracks in our struggles. Sometimes, we need a ‘tight slap on the face’ to be roused to reality in revealing a flaw in our belief system.

Do you know that we make evident our unbelief instantly whenever we fret over life circumstances? Are we aware that we have believed a lie about the nature of God whenever we act upon our fear or anxiety? Our actions will either convict or affirm us of our belief system, where it reveals: (a) the true central focus of our lives – God or the self; (b) who do we place our ultimate trust in – God or the self.

As believers, we often face such paradoxes from time to time. When we are on a spiritual high, we can believe God can move mountains and perform the impossible, but when we are on a spiritual low, we question the very existence of God. And despite history recorded the miracles of God in the Bible, we still entertain doubts.

We may know the truth but yet we consciously or unconsciously commit those sins we shouldn’t have said, done, reacted or behaved as a Child of God created in His Image. Failing which, our ungodly actions will bring about a guilt of conviction or a call to repentance. God knows, and He is greater than our heart and a sum of our thoughts.

Have it not been for the Grace of God who is slow to anger and abounding in love and faithfulness (Psalm 103:8), we would not be able to stand before Him uncondemned. However that does not give us a license to continue to sin, we are to make every conscious effort not to crucify Jesus all over again and subject Him to shame, especially when we are with unbelievers who will mock at our God.

And then have fallen away–to be restored again to repentance, because they themselves are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to open shame. – Hebrews 6:6

With the year end closes in soon, it may be time to unclutter our baggages (inspect and reflect) and have a spring-cleaning (repent) to start the new year on a clean slate. After all, why would you want to move into the new year as ‘same-old same-old me’?

When God Sings……

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Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. – Psalm 143:8

I ever prayed for God to wake me up earlier so that I could start my day early. On two occasions while sound asleep, I heard my spirit singing in the morning, “I have my hope in Christ alone” repeatedly. It almost sounded like a soft alarm to rouse me from my sleep gently, but I brushed it off, “Aarrgggh, I need to sleep… Be quiet please…” But the spirit continued to sing, “No fear in death, no fear in life, I have my hope in Christ alone…” While fuzzy with sleep, I peeped at the clock besides me, it was showing exactly the time I had prayed to wake up!

On the contrary, I think God is also ministering to my soul when I consulted Him about some concerns I had while prayer-strolling the night before. In another occasion while I was sleeping, my spirit sang again, this time a love song (which I had forgotten the exact words). (And yes, it was also about time for me to wake up as scheduled.)

Such a gentle whisper affirming me of His Love that morning nourished my soul. It brought to my mind the verse in Psalm 143:8 where God brings word of His unfailing love in the morning, He will show the way when we entrust our lives to Him.

Sometimes God sings as His way in expressing His Delight, Love, Affirmation and Reassurance.

“The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” -Zephaniah 3:17

Do you need to hear Him sings? Make a request to your Abba Father who desire to quiet you with His Love and sing to you.

Period.

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“Be still, and know that I am God.” – Psalm 46:10

A punctuation mark has just inspired me- a full-stop, in other word, “Period”.

We have all from time to time entertain the dot, dot, dot, dot, dot, dot. But often God puts a period to where it should be. Although our life is a journey, our ups-and-downs are never a destination: Each hard knock is a school; each trial is a teacher, each experience is an education; each test is a testimony; and each challenge is your character development. And that is where we all need to learn where to put the “period”.

RECALL (Upward focus):

God is All-powerful (Matthew 19:26). Period.
God is Sovereign (Psalm 103:19). Period.
God is our Refuge and Strength (Psalm 46:1). Period.
God is unchanging, He is the same, yesterday and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8). Period.
God is in control (Psalms 22:28). Period.
God is our double-portion (Isaiah 61:7). Period.

REALIGNMENT (Inward transformation):

Fix our eyes on things unseen (2 Corinthians 4:18). Period.
Set our mind on things above (Colossians 3:2). Period.
Guard your heart with all vigilance (Proverbs 4:23). Period.

RESPONSE (Outward action):

Wear your full armor of God daily so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6:11). Period.
Think of thoughts that are true, good and sound (Philippians 4:8). Period.
Hold your mind steadfast on God and trust in Him so that you can have perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). Period.
Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you (Psalm 55:22). Period.
Do not rely on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5B). Period.
Be anxious for nothing but pray for everything (Philippians 4:6A). Period.
Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done (Philippians 4:6B). Period.
Submit to God and resist the devil (James 4:7). Period.
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will direct your paths (Proverbs 16:3) Period.

RETRAIN (Forward resolution):

Always be on the alert and stand firm (1 Corinthians 16:13). Period.
Be an overcomer (1 John 4:4). Period.
Fight the good fight of the faith (1 Timothy 6:12). Period.

And God will work things out in the end (Romans 8:28). Period.

Do Not Despise Small Beginning

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Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” (The seven lamps represent the eyes of the Lord that search all around the world.) – Zechariah 4:10 NLT

While on the way to a friend’s office to help rectify some defective printing goods two weeks ago, I was doing my usual morning reflection on the bus- I expressed my deep gratitude to God again for an account that I never dreamt landing on my lap without prospecting it. I acknowledged that it was truly a divine provision from God– I had to be home-bound in June to help my parents to babysit my baby niece staying with us– Since then, this Client has been engaging me for small jobs each month. I ever paused to ponder over why their projects were all so budgeted. I reckoned that this Client might not trust me for a bigger project until I proved myself with all these small jobs. I was then reminded about a biblical principle to be faithful with the little so that I can be entrusted with much (Luke 16:10). Lo and behold, I heard a small still voice that followed after my train of thoughts, “Do not despise small beginning.” It amazed me how this liner was ever found in Zechariah 4:10 NLT!

Everything has a beginning, and usually started small, so that we can take one step at a time, and depend on him one day at a time. If we remain humble and faithful, relying on God’s blueprint for us, we will be on the road God has already mapped out for us. Above all, God calls for responsible stewardship in big and small alike, to honour Him in all we do. Since everything we have belongs to Him, so if we are faithful to what have been entrusted to us in both quantity and quality, only then can we be trusted with confidence to take care of bigger things. Nothing is insignificant to God- He looks at both our heart (attitude) and our hands (stewardship), and He will reward us in His due time.

His master replied, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ – Luke 19:17

P.S. And yes you have guessed it- after 3 months, my Client decided to engage me for a higher value project. I believe my earnestness paid off. And all thanks to God! May God continues to establish the work of my hands for His Glory sake!

Courtesy photo (P1040673) taken by Rachel Hong @ Bandung, Indonesia, August 2017.

T.R.U.S.T.

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The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.- Isaiah 26:3 NASB

I still do struggle with trusting God periodically, especially during trying times. The word, “Trust”, seems too abstract to me on how to really apply it effectually. Proverbs 3:5-6 taught that we are to trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding; in all our ways submit to Him, and he will make our paths straight. The question is how to really trust God with ALL our heart? As emotional beings, our heart can be deceitful for we can easily swayed by capriciousness of being human; even if we get our feelings under control, our mind can still wander. Hence it has been my million-dollar question on how to really trust God under stress?

Until I found the answer in Isaiah 26:3, God will keep me in perfect peace if my mind is stayed on Him, because I trust in Him. I sum up TRUST as:

Total

Reliance (on God)

Under

Spiritual

Tenacity

Human strength fails because we have limited capacity, there is only so much we can do, but with the Holy Spirit living in us, we can be empowered and to persevere under testings.

Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit (Zechariah 4:6). For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13)

That is why we need to rely on God totally, only then can we pull through trials, trusting God to do what we can’t. And in any relationship, trust takes time to build, likewise with God. We can build a stronger trust in a never-failing God by:

(a) Recalling what He has done before and claiming what He can do for you now

(b) Recounting your blessings and be thankful

(d) Remembering that God is Sovereign over everything on earth and is still in control

(e) Rejecting negative thoughts for what we worry about usually do not happen

(f) Resisting temptation of the flesh to manipulate things your way

(g) Refocusing on the goodness of God

(h) Relying fully on the Word of God and its living power

(I) Resting in quiet confidence that God will bring it to pass

These building blocks not only strengthen your trust in God, you will also find perfect peace in Him when you keep your mind steadfast to Him in trust.

When All You See Is Your Pain, Perhaps Then You Lose Sight Of God?

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I was watching “The Shack” film at https://solarmoviez.to/movie/the-shack-19835.html (Thank God for the subtitles!)- I can relate to how the main character of the movie, Mack, struggled with God when he was plunged to the abyss of pain. In the process, He had an encounter with God, where Mack confronted Him why He allowed bad things to happen and why He didn’t stop the tragedies. God knew exactly how Mack was feeling, thus He had planned for Mack to meet Him at the Shack- the place where his pain began when he lost his youngest daughter. God was showing Mack that healing can only began at the place of pain when he let go and let God- Mack was stunned when God responded to his barrage of questions, “When all you can see is your pain, perhaps you have lose sight of Me.” God had walked through with Mack his journey of inner healing thereafter.

I love this movie (except some parts are a little controversial, but as a whole, the key messages are sound and edifying). I was actually stumped at the point where God told Mack, “When all you can see is your pain, perhaps you have lose sight of Me.”

Indeed, I lost sight of God two years ago when I went for a physical review. And the double whammy was when I was told I had a higher chance of getting dementia as a result of this deterioration. At that point, my world seemed to crash down and it was a very dark night. I could not help but sobbed convulsively almost involuntarily as fears seized me. I was an emotional wreck. In the deepest recesses of my heart, I bombarded God, “God, why is this happening? I thought You can heal?”, “God, are you there?”, “Is it not in your will to heal me?” and all the “Whys?”. I remember vividly, the first few weeks after my physical review, I could not worship at church service, and I could not even sing or utter prayers. I recall trying very hard to contain my pain, as if my heart was oozing blood profusely. Even well-meaning friends wasn’t able to offer the slightest comfort, and I found myself withdrawing from them instead. Over time, my heart gradually calloused, and I was in a spiritual spiral of decline when I wallowed in my own pit. That was not all, I was rendered dysfunctional and could not operate my business, I was incapacitated for almost six months.

I received no answers to all my whys, it was a vain tussle. This emotional and spiritual battle only I could fight, no one else can fight for me. I was well aware that the only way out of the pit was to climb out of it. I recalled how God had delivered from my financial crisis eons ago, He would not stop lifting me out of any deep waters (Psalm 18:16). And reality sank in when the last statement of accounts had jolted me that my savings had been dwindling, I realised then that I had been subsisting living without any income. The detachment from God had left a deep void in my heart and the spiritual deafness had made me yearned to hear from my Heavenly Father even more. I started to draw near to God, surrendering my pain and fears, and by His Grace, I received healing emotionally and spiritually. I will re-learn to trust Him for my physical healing.

Through this journey, I recognise that sometimes God allows “the pit experience” (pain) to happen in order for us to draw closer to Him, because it is human tendency that when life is going well, we may forget about Him. Isn’t it true that we pray the hardest in our most challenging moments? And we pray the least when we get too busy? (And yes, be warned that God does discipline us lovingly when we wander off..)

As the common adage that goes, “No pain, no gain.”- Pain is often a catalyst for necessary growth:

(1) that we emerge stronger with new level of faith, trust and refined character.

(2) as it changes us for good, if we allow God to deal with the issues in our lives.

(3) so that God’s strength be displayed in our weaknesses.

(4) to humble us to rely and depend on God instead of our own strength.

(5) in teaching us the value of being Christ-like in His suffering.

God always have a purpose in your pain, let Him walk you through your pain, only He can handle it far better than you do yourself. And your healing process will be shorter too.

“Consider it all joy, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4) We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. (Romans 5:3-5 NLT) His grace is all you need, for His power is greatest when you are weak.” (2 Corinthians 12:9a TEV)

Courtesy photo (P1040440) taken by Rachel Hong @ Bandung, Indonesia, August 2017.

God In The Details

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Lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.- Proverbs 30:9

A friend gave me a hassle-free nano aquarium with self-sustaining eco-system of mini wonder shrimps and water snails. I love to take a break in between work to peep at these pets as it is therapeutic to observe how carefree they are around the tank. What really amaze me is, they can find food within their environment- they literally feed on any microorganisms bred in the specially designed eco-system. All I need is to feed them supplements – though not necessary- every alternate days to keep the shrimps happy. The round-shaped squishy looking mossy Marimo (in other word, algal ball in Japanese) latched in between the twigs provided decorative filaments to the already pretty aquarium, other than their main function to provide oxygen, and absorb waste and debris. (And yes, Marimo is considered a pet too, according to Wikipedia, since they are living organism.)

This aquarium is a very good reminder as a physical parallel to how I as an owner, an imperfect human, care for these little pets, and make sure they are fed and living well, so how much more our Heavenly Father who is perfect so desired to feed and provide for our every needs?

I have also picked a leaf from these pets that they seem to have a quiet assurance that they will be cared and provided for so they can live worry-free and happy. How much more, we as Children of God, even more precious to Him who love us, care not how we are doing?

You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. (Psalm 139:2) For now You number my steps (Job 14:16A). And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. (Matthew 10:30)

God is in the details. He cares for every little things in our lives. He knows what we are going through, and our every innermost thoughts. We can take heart that God takes great pleasure in giving us what we need, because He is our loving Father.

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32), And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry. (Proverbs 10:3A)

Therefore, God knows what we need even before we ask of Him. And His provision always come on time, not too much lest we forget Him, nor too little that we dishonour Him. It is always just right and on time. It is better to trust God than to put confidence in men or even ourselves. (Psalm 118:8)

Courtesy photo (P1030698) taken by Rachel Hong @ Bandung, Indonesia, August 2017.

Guilt. The Blues. Deception.

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Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. – Romans 8:1

Recent news about my friends’ parents committing suicide weighed heavily in my heart. Their deaths left behind mark that we cannot find any answers to. At the same time, I noticed that my blogsite registered the highest traffic on the topic of “When Forgiveness Is Hard…”. It seems like many of us have had a hard time either in releasing forgiveness or in the need of forgiveness, even to one self. National statistics had also shown that a rising number has suffered from depression, and it is a worrying trend.

We all have seasons in the doldrums and have entertained negative thoughts from time to time, but what is that furtive silent killer that gnaw incessantly inside us and tip us off balance? It is not uncommon that many in the world today wrestle with the vicissitudes of life to battle the blues, guilt and even deception. How then can we emancipate ourselves from the limitations that life has dealt us?

It is well-known that our mind is the Devil’s playground, therefore I would like to share 7 life-giving Truths that will bring Light to this world of darkness:

Accept God’s forgiveness and forgive yourself

Guilt is one of the key hot buttons that Satan love to press. But we have to recognise that when we genuinely confessed our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). (And yes, we have to be truly repentant.) Forgive, just as God has forgiven you.

Accept the fact you are God’s creation and dearly loved

I had been there- spending time and money to look good on the outside that it became an obsession, and in the end only to discover that I could not be what I hoped to be like someone else. It was depressive. The crux was, I could not accept and love myself. It took me years to learn that I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) that there is no one else as unique as me. And the bonus is, I am dearly loved. (John 15:9, “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.”)

Look at yourself through God’s eye

Sometimes Satan insinuate us with thoughts of failure, but we have to stand firm secured in our identity as the beloved Child of God, to resist such temptation. After all, we all have failed in one way or another. Remember that we are work-in-progress and remind yourself that God isn’t finished with you yet (Philippians 1:6).

Look at yourself as how God sees you: You will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow. You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the Lord will take delight in you, and your land will be married. (Isaiah 62:2-4)

Decide to be positive at all times

Anxiety can creep in like an armed bandit, binding us to worry over things which we cannot control, and which dominates and controls our mind and trouble our heart, filling both with doubt, fear, and dread. Anxiety cannot be removed; it must be replaced- Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things (Philippians 4:8). We remove our anxiety by handing over our concerns and worries to the Lord, trusting him to care for us- Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

God’s power is working in you and through you even when you don’t see or feel it- For you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength.” (Philippians 4:13)

Anticipate the abundant life God has in store for you and trust Him

God has a beautiful plan for you. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to his purpose for us. (Romans 8:28)

For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:17 NASB) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10) Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Take heart that God will make everything beautiful in His Time (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Always choose to be thankful

Change your garment of mourning to a new garment of thanksgiving- give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:18-19). Just as light and darkness cannot co-exist, similarly, thankfulness and ingratitude cannot occupy the same room in your heart. Count your blessings, each and every day, even for the little things. Sometimes in our busyness and constant pressures from life demands that we can be sidetracked or blinded. By giving thanks, you will begin to see how blessed you are for what you have instead of what you do not have (which many others may not have what you have too!)

Surrender your life to God and start serving others

I discovered that when I let go and let God takes over, it takes my mind off myself. (James 4:7, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God.”)

And when I consider how others who are less fortunate than me who need help, I realised life isn’t that harsh on me after all. As I serve others, I am less inclined to wallow in my own self-pity parties (Proverbs 11:25 says “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.”). Matthew 6:33 NLT says, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” God promises to provide for our needs- so if we run after things, we will never have enough. Seek God first and we will have everything.

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome all evils, because the One who is in you is greater than the one (Prince of Darkness) who is in the world. (1 John 4:4). Therefore, you are more than conquerors through Christ who loves you. (Romans 8:37) For every child of God defeats this evil world, and you achieve this victory through faith. (1 John 5:4)

Something To Mull Over: A Matter Of Perspective

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And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? – Mark 8:36

Ever heard of the adage that goes, “Many build their wealth at the risk of their health, only to lose their wealth in order to rebuild their health”? Let me offer another angle too- “Many pursue the things of this world at the risk of losing their soul, only to regain their soul by letting go of things of the world.”

People always assert that money can always be earned back, but not health when it is at risk. That explained why many have fallen to sicknesses as a result of high stress and mental illness as a result of depression.

I have been mulling over why I have been obsessing with finances, ever since I embarked on the journey of entrepreneurship, where cashflow is not insured from time to time. I sensed I may be “losing myself”. To begin with, I have been living with a faulty belief system that I need to have more in order to enjoy more, and when I finally got there, somehow I wasn’t happy in achieving the goal. Life somehow seems meaningless- is there all to it – Do our existence contingent on our possessions?

Then Jesus said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” – Luke 12:15

In other word, greed is a bottomless pit, the constant pursuit of wanting more or having something better, which is never ending can be meaningless.

The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart. I realised that I need a paradigm shift to see things from another perspective.

Which Is Truly Important?

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I may not have earned a lot,

but I am thankful that I am not that poor to worry about my next meal;

I may not own a house,

but I am thankful that I still have roof over my head and a place to sleep;

I do not own a car,

but I am thankful that I do not impose upon myself such a liability;

I may not have amassed much wealth,

but I am thankful I still have good health;

I may not be a game changer,

but I am thankful that I can do what I am best at and called to do;

I may not have achieve success as the world pursues,

but I am thankful I can get up each day to do what I love to do;

I may not have a lot of material things that money can buy,

but I am thankful for the simple things that bring joy which money cannot buy nor time can redeem.

At least I enjoy true peace and a good night rest each day,

for many it costs them too high a price to pay.

At the end of the day, what can you bring to Heaven?

“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones.” – Luke 16:10A

Happiness is not something to arrive at or the need to acquire it. True joy can be attained in the moments, even when you have little. Life is best lived simple, if we learn to see things from another perspective.

The Wilderness: A Call To Trust

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Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. (Psalm 68:19) “Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of his servant!” (Psalm 35:27) God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. God is in the midst of us; we shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. (Psalm 46:1,5) “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me? (Jeremiah 32:27) And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)

An emotional season in the pit in the late 2015 to early 2016 had derailed me from the track of faith and incapacitated in my regular routines- I neglected my business while cowering under self-pity blankets. I thought I’d left Egypt eon ago, instead of being whisked into a promised land of milk and honey, all I could see was mountains and snakes at every turn. I had trod into an unfamiliar territory- another wilderness! When I finally jostled from my “deep slumber”, reality hit that the economy was taking a downturn, I began to feel the heat when the company registered negative cashflow for almost a year. Insecurity set in when the uncertain future loom in and fears seized me. Alas I was standing at a verge, with the army of Egyptians hot on my heels, facing me was the Red Sea, with no other way of escape.

At that crucial moment, I cried out as hard, as much, as long, to the Almighty to save me and deliver me from my helplessness. By a bat of an eyelid, I found myself on a Rock, my enemies no longer pursued me. God finally broke the long chill of the silent nights, “Do not let your heart be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in Me.” (John 14:1) reinforced with Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He’ll make your paths straight.” His voice resonated with the word “Trust”.

In the silent mire of abyss, my impatience got the better of me, I doubted God had heard my prayers. But I ended up with a megaphone blasting my ears, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?!” (My hairs really on stand…) By this, God had shown me that even a mustard seed of faith could move mountains and they shall be moved! Thence, my faith skyrocketed to a new level.

Much as “snakes” tempted me into discouragement, God had in the same breath faithfully sustained me with His one-step-at-a-time blessings and His day-to-day-double-portion of Strength. By His Grace, He gave me a gift of an encouraging Spirit that I could be optimistic; He gave me a vision in conquering the “Goliath(s)” in my life; He spoke to me His Life-giving Promises that I could profess victory; He had shown me that He is a God of Multiplication when He impressed me with a scenario where Jesus multiplied 5 barley loaves of bread and 2 fishes to feed the 5000 people full; He inspired me to compose a poem that Jesus can still a nasty storm (“Anchor Deep”); and He led me to pray with prayers I had never prayed before.

God is still teaching me something about “Trust”; and no doubt that He is bringing me closer to Him so that I can hear Him better; He is disciplining me through His refining fire to keep me going from strength to Strength and from faith to Faith; So that I can rest unto God’s Peace, “Peace I leave with you; my Peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27) and His Faithfulness, “If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you.” (John 15:7).

I am thankful that God had been there, and even the present. I counted my blessings for the people who has eased my burdens in some ways. I marvelled at how God had provided despite the impossibilities. There is always a miracle every day- big or small, it is how you see them.

God is not hard of hearing- Our tears are precious to Him for He is especially close to those crushed in spirit. Just be still and let God be God. He will walk on the water and grabbed you before you could sink just as Jesus rescued Peter from drowning when His faith failed him.

“The more secured you are in Christ, the stronger you stand even if your whole world came crushing down. Your security is not found in transient things but in Him alone.”

P.S. And one thing for sure- Every time I pray, the Supernatural always happen in the spiritual realm- that we cannot see now but will happen later. So keep praying- P.U.S.H. (Pray Until Something Happens).

The Green-Eyed Monster

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A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. (Proverbs 14:30) It is better to be satisfied with what you have than to be always wanting something else. (Ecclesiastes 6:9b GNT)

Many years ago, I used to love this perfume, Envy, by Gucci. I simply love its scent, and the green colour was soothing to the eyes too. It was the only perfume as a self-confessed brand loyalist, that I would stick to for years. The second generation after the popular Envy series was, Envy Me. I was contemplating then to try it out, until a remark from a close friend in the church,, “Are you sure it is a good idea to fall head over heel in love with Envy? Are you not aware that Envy is a green-eyed monster?” (My friend was trying to raise her concern without malicious intent on the product, for she knew I struggled with envy……)

Envy reared its ugly head in the early stage of my life because of my own imperfections that I seek perfection elsewhere in order to compensate for the gap: Where I should be in my career; What I should possess in life; And how I should appear to others. I was always on the pursuit of “bigger and better things”, failing which, I was green with envy whenever someone had what I could not have. I once held a conviction that I needed to have certain things to be happy, and envy bred a competitive spirit in me, “Look what they are getting? Why did they deserve it? I deserve what they have! So I am going to get more and have it better!” to a point that I secretly wished they would fail, because it made me feel better that they could not have what I could not have.

Envy was eating into me every time I compared myself to others- it didn’t make me feel superior but rather painfully lousy. And my heart could not be at peace because I was obsessed with covetousness. And contentment was never found in my dictionary.

It took me years to learn that making comparison is the root of all envy. And the very key to overcoming envy is to stop comparing yourself to others. I have to recognise that the Bible says, “Isn’t everything you have and everything you are sheer gifts from God? So what’s the point of all this comparing and competing? You already have all you need.” (1 Corinthians 4:7-8 The Message) For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness. All these evils come from within, and these are what defile a man. (Mark 7:21-23)

Instead of focusing so much on the-never-haves and the-never-happens, I should be grateful for what I do have, since life itself is a blessing, and what I have been given not others can have. There isn’t anybody like me, for God made me to do which others can’t. So there isn’t really any basis for comparison. When I knew the truth, the truth sets me free indeed.

The Bible also tells us that we already have more than we need and far more than we deserve. Every good thing in our lives is a gift from God. We can pick a leaf from the Apostle Paul who said, “I have learned to be content.” So being content is a learning process that we have to exercise continually- when we are content, there is no room for envy.

God’s Masterpiece

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At some point in time, I struggled with my own identity, often questioning my existence in God’s Plan and Purpose for my life. Until I literally heard a Voice relating a story and my Spirit singing away (at the end of the story):

A Master potter was at work with his clay to prepare for his art show. After years of refining his skills, his effort paid off; He painstakingly arranged all his potteries in the gallery space. And finally the art show opened its doors to the public. Everybody admired the beautiful pieces as they were perfectly made. Until they came to a showcase where it displayed all chipped, broken and unpolished potteries. One member of the audience, out of curiosity, popped the question, “Why do you display such ugly works on this showcase, Master? They are not worth even to look at.” The Master potter replied with a smile, “I am sure everybody looks at those beautifully crafted potteries displayed on the open pedestals. They appear to look grand and perfect. But to me, they are common pieces which anyone can made. If you take a closer look at them with a magnifying glass, you will see they have chips too. Would you then see them as ugly? So nothing is perfect nor without flaws. But these potteries which you have called ugly, useless, worthless and ignoble, are my greatest masterpieces. I am proud of them so that is why I have separated them on this showcase. Yes, they have cracks or chips not because I made them that way but in the processes when they are made, they are refined by the elements. Don’t you think, each and every pieces are unique? So unique that they are beautiful in itself. Not only do they bear my handprints, they have also withstand the test of time. Each cracks and chips on them has a story behind, and that is what made them more beautiful. And I am most proud of these masterpieces. Although I value all my work the same, but I chose these broken potteries as my signature works because they have noble purposes. And I see them uniquely beautiful. How else will others know they are made by me?” The audience was stunned silenced.

But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this? ”Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use? – Romans 9:20-21

Do you see yourself as a pot that is lousy with no purposes or value? The world may see the intelligent, smartest, pretty, multi-talented “pots” as perfect and beautiful, but the fact is, they all have cracks and chips we do not see. If you have felt inferior, take heart, because you are truly God’s masterpiece for a noble purpose. It is just that, perhaps, it takes time for you to be fully polished that you can shine like a hidden diamond out of soot. The Master Potter who had made you had put His Heart, Love and designed talents / purpose in you- you are one and only in this world, which only you can do.

(You Are God’s) Masterpiece
(Modified lyrics from the original secular “Masterpiece” song by Atlantic Starr)

A simple touch of His Hand,
And everything is right.
The loving way He looks at you,
Each and every day.
He’d given you the Freedom no other love has known
And now be thankful girl, thankful girl

The countless ways He’ve touched your heart
Is more than you can count
The beauty that He have shown to you
shows that hope’s not lost
A picture perfect painting, that’s what His Love is
And yes you need to know, He loves you so

Chorus:
Ooooh
God’ve made a masterpiece in you
a work of art it’s true
And He treasures you His Love
Ooooh
God’ve made a masterpiece in you
a work of art it’s true
And He treasures you

When times you wonder what you’ll be
Have He not hold you
A lost and dejected soul this world
could show you nothing new

But now your life’s a canvas
painted with His Love
And it will always be
And do you see

God walks with you together
Through time will never part
The Divine Cross He’d shared
is close inside your heart
It will be forever
never let it go
this promise He still make
Heaven is yours to take

Repeat Chorus

When you’re lost and insecure
He builds you up and make you sure
that everything will be alright
My love

Repeat Chorus

(The Divine Cross He’s sharing
is close inside your heart
It will be forever
never let it go)

A Blank Page

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Each book, each chapter, each page,
Strewn with autographs of life-
Scribbled with regrets.
Pierced with rejections.
Trampled with derision.
Crumbled with resentment.
Composing into a cacophony of hoots and wails.

And Heaven declared a new lease of life.
Erased with The Divine Blood, leaf by leaf.
Finished.
A brand new page-
Tomorrow births a new beginning.
A blank new chapter-
Tomorrow glimmers a new hope.
How would you choose then to fill those dashes?

The brushes. The bruises. The stings.
Try again. Get up again. Start over again.
Tomorrow is a blank new page.

But ever thought how many pages you have left?
Those misses you are afraid to try again…
Those times you fail to treasure…
Those lives you have no time to care…
A blank page.

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. – Isaiah 43:18-20

Look At The Farmer

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See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. – James 5:7 NLT

My journey on entrepreneurship is often fraught with challenges that is beyond apprehension. When times are bad, business gets a slow-down, and prolonged seasons of barrenness can really test faith as well as financial strength, and the next moment, discouragement sets the scene.

While in my usual habit of taking a prayer-walk at my park down the block, I saw a vision of a farmer ploughing the ground, and planting some seeds. After planting the entire field, perspiring from such hard labour, he waited by the side overlooking the field with anticipation…… At that instance, the scene seemed to freeze for the longest time- the farmer was still in the same position, waiting patiently……

This vision seemed to be conveying to me:

(a) The field represents my business and the land is given by the Lord;

(b) There is a time for everything: plowing, planting and harvesting- a time to sow and a time to reap;

(c) The farmer is synonymous to: (a) patience- seeds take time to sprout; (b) stewardship – watching over the field is call of duty; (c) faithfulness – seeds require constant tender loving care (watering, fertilising, pulling out weeds and even pest-control). And do not neglect the little things for the little things is a proof of trustworthiness. (Luke 16:10)

(d) The outcome is never instant, it takes a lot of hard work- it takes years for the seeds to grow into trees;

(e) It takes seasons of faith to trust the Lord to provide, as He determines the outcome.

We are to work hard if we want our field (apart from work, our ministry counts too) to bear fruits: Remember this–a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. (2 Corinthians 9:6 NLT)

Farmers toil with blood and sweat, neither can we have it all easy too, otherwise God will not mention the wise and hardworking ants in the bible (Proverbs 6:6, Proverbs 30:25)! However, God is still the ultimate God of the Harvest, our duty is to just do our best and leave the rest to God. And in His time He will bring about our due in due time. Just trust, and wait patiently.

The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works. The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing. – Psalms 145:13b-16

That is one thing for sure, God will never let us go hungry.

The Wilderness

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Just as I thought I had left Egypt years ago, instead of being whisked into a promised land of milk and honey, all I see was mountains and snakes at every turn. I had trod into an unfamiliar territory- another wilderness! When I finally woke up from my “deep slumber”, alas I was standing at a verge, with the army of the Egyptians hot on my heels, facing me is the Red Sea! There is no way of escape.

At that crucial moment, I cried out as hard, as much, as long, to the Almighty to save me and deliver me from my helplessness… By a bat of an eyelid, I found myself on a Rock, my three enemies no longer pursued me. God finally broke the long chill of the silent nights, “Do not let your heart be troubled. TRUST in God, trust also in Me.” (John 14:1) reinforced with Proverbs 3:5-6 “TRUST in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He’ll make your paths straight.” His voice resonated with the word “TRUST”.

In the silent mire of abyss, my impatience got the better of me, I doubted God had heard my prayers. But I ended up with a megaphone blasting my ears, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?!” (My hairs really on stand…) By this, God has shown me that even a mustard seed of faith can move mountains and they shall be moved! Thence, my faith skyrocketed to a new level.

Much as “snakes” tempted me into taking a court action and discouraged me in my unemployability, just as much God has faithfully sustained me with His blessings and His double-portion strength in each and everyday. By His Grace, He gave me a gift of an encouraging Spirit that I could be optismistic; He gave me a vision of conquering the “Goliath(s)” in my life; He spoke to me His Promises that I could profess victory; He shown me that He is a God of Multiplication when He impressed me with a scenario where Jesus multiplied 5 barley loaves of bread and 2 fishes to feed the 5000 people full; He inspired me to compose a poem that Jesus can still a nasty storm; and He led me to pray with prayers I had never prayed before.

Instead of cowering under pity-blankets as I would in the past, I would recall how the Lord delivered me from the slavery land of Egypt years ago and His never-failing faithfulness. I drawn near to Him and He draws near to me. My turning point came when I confessed of a cherished conviction, in repentance I cried to the Living God, “Help me!”

No doubt God is teaching me something. No doubt He brought me closer to Him so that I can hear Him better. No doubt He is disciplining me through His refining fire to keep me going from strength to Strength and from faith to Faith. I can rest unto God’s Peace, “Peace I leave with you; my Peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27) and His Faithfulness, “If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you.” (John 15:7)

I am thankful that God has been there. I am also thankful for the people who has helped eased my burdens. I have been through the dark tunnel a few times and God has been there. And God is not hard of hearing- Our tears are precious to Him for He is especially close to those who are crushed in spirit. Just be still and let God be God. He will walk on the water and grabbed you before you could sink just as Jesus rescued Peter from drowning when His faith failed him.

“The more secured you are in Christ, the stronger you stand even if your whole world came crushing down. Your security is not found in transient things but in Him alone.”

Refiner’s Fire

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An interesting conversation with a friend about “trusting God” inspired me to pen this devotion- she forwarded a devotion on this topic that I responded to her that trusting is a lesson that takes ongoing re-learning. She replied, “Yes it is. Like playing a game- It gets upgraded whenever we pass one level. Life is fun, isn’t it?”

Indeed, akin to any computer game, as we conquer level by level, our journey will be fraught with different sets of difficulties that challenge our limit each time. Just when I thought I have passed Level One colourfully, it doesn’t end there, I have to ascend to Level Two, then Level Three until I get to my destiny. This episode brought me to a verse where God would test each of us and refine us as gold.

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you (1 Peter 4:12). Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction (Isaiah 48:10).

But first let me share how gold is processed, as this is foundational to our understanding why God uses refining fire, furnace and gold as analogies.

Gold is processed through smelting and refining. High heat, pressure and chemicals are used to remove impurities from the gold. Gold in its raw material contains rock, gold nuggets, scrap gold etc, need to be re-liquefied in a hot furnace. Various chemicals are added to the molten substance to separate the gold from other metals. The process has to be repeated in greater intensity in order to remove all impurities for gold to be refined and pure.

The bible is full of verses on God’s refining fires:

God knows exactly what we are made of.

“But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.” – Job 23:10

God know what is in our hearts.

The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts. – Proverbs 17:3

Fires refine the quality of our faith.

So that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. – 1 Peter 1:7

Trials build our character.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. – James 1:2-4

In retrospection, I did not have my life easy, but I can attest to through trials, my faith is tested under fire but I have learnt to grow stronger. I deem fires as necessary for refinement. I can only pray that God will give me the strength to persevere and his mercies to carry me through, from faith to Faith, strength to Strength and glory to Glory. So do not be surprised at what you are going through, God is doing a deeper work in you. If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. (1 Corinthians 10:12)