Ros reminded me at cell the other day that kingdom perspective and mentality is so important in daily living, especially the times when we are out of a "churchy" environment. isn't that where it really counts? sometimes its so demanding and so difficult to make jesus my Lord..and you start yielding allegiance more to other things that are really not that important..faith to believe that God knows what He is doing sometimes is so difficult especially when there is a sudden urge in us to one to have a say in that..
this week alone, i feel rather refreshed. Not flustered. Not stressed. Surprisngly...really surprising especially with so many things on my plate. So little time. So many uncertainties. So many challenges. So many things to think about. I thank the Lord for His deposit in my life through these 40days of faith thing we're doing as individuals and as a church..I thank the Lord to allow me to see how I'm growing in this area...I thank the Lord too for a brilliant word I heard on spiritual warfare when we were amazing snowed in last week in Leeds..and for that opportunity of bringing 2 of my dear non believing friends to church ..and even for the car trouble we had on the way back..Ah well, seeing the Lord's hand when I have that little faith...and then He increases that little faith to a bigger faith especially when I see the things HE does so tangibly..can't imagine what He is doing that I can't see :)
For those of you who regularly pray for me, do keep me in prayer with regards to bible college. There are few complications that have sprung up which is kinda difficult to write about. Praying that God will continue to lead and guide in terms of the way my course is going. I know He is opening certain doors & He is teaching me so much here this year. I'm quite certain its a year of preparation and humility. But, with all that I believe I need to still keep praying that I will remind myself to be excellent in all i do especially in my essays & assessments.
Its probably the last week of the spring term for me as I'm heading off to a much awaited time with my parents on saturday when we fly off to Germany for a week :) i've never wanted anything as much as this before..do keep us in prayer in our travels this month and that we will be a blessing wherever He takes us in these 4 weeks in the UK.
Faith On..Faith On..
Probably end this entry with a treasure I found this week about Faith & about my God :
Many of us know about having a trusting faith i.e. believing that God knows what He is doing and He'll get us there. Many of us also know about having an active faith i.e. by doing something on our part in seeking Him, struggling & wrestling going to Him knowing He has the answer.
Have we ever thought about having a defiant faith?
I thought long and hard about it yesterday. Man, its not enough to just have a trusting and active faith. I need a defiant faith! It is the kind of faith that engages with the need to fight and stand firm - to rise up to rebuke the deception & work of the enemy in crushing our beings. Its the kind of faith that I am goin to rise above this by being that instrument of Jesus' Lordship and continue on in that kingdom perspective, in continuing in the things I am doing , and in living my life for God not for myself.
Perhaps all these 3 things add together will give me that daily faith I so need - a faith to live life by - a faith that helps me go through life not to pulling away at what God has called me to. and i so need it right now especially when i think about my career path, a certain job in particular and my certain dream which somedays i just see fading away...But I know I need to keep reaching. A reaching faith with a certain hope :)
i find myself like a climber trying to reach the top of this mountain..and i need that kinda need to keep reaching ...and belief I can reach it even at the times I know its too difficult and its too hard. Especially so in the times I find myself falling off and having to keep trying and keep climbing again and again..
My cousin shared this with me about his weekend and I thought it captures so beautifully what's in my head now..i think he puts it just so beautifully..( thanks, jon!)
It's been months since I last went rock-climbing. And it was awesome! To feel the fingers strain as they went from crevice to handhold, to reach with all your might to conquer the next obstacle, the rush of satisfaction at finishing a rock-face. If only for one day, it was Life.
One particular climb was a bitch. It was going smoothly right to the last handhold, which was positioned just out of reach from my hand. Meaning, I would need to reaach. First time I tried, I fell. Second time, I fell again. Third time, I fell yet again. By the 10th time, it was getting absolutely frustrating, my hands were killing me, and other climbers by then were looking at me try my comical and darn best. It was the perfect time to quit.
Only, I didn't. Or I didn't want to. I knew I couldn't give excuses anymore. After probably about 25 minutes trying and trying at the top, I thought of maybe using my legs on a hold near my kneecap to push me up. Leg, push, reach, and hold. I had done it! I rappled down, to the applause of the 2-3 climbers who were watching (and probably were exasperated at my inability).
Afterwards, I thought about why didn't I just throw in the towel, move on to another challenge, live to fight another day. But it was more than just a handhold I couldn't reach. It was my life, symbolised by stone and rope and harnesses. Too often, I find myself unwilling to push the envelope, to see how far I can actually go. There is no faith, no confidence to know if I can reach beyond my wildest dreams, to reach for the handhold that seems out of my grasp. And for one day, I actually touched it. So maybe, that job that seems too hard, or that girl that seems too special, or the God that seems too absent, might all one day be within my hand, just by reaching in faith and belief.
Its like that with God too...He knows we struggle and He knows sometimes how afraid we are but He wants us to just reach and touch in faith and belief. Its like what Jesus told Jairus, don't be afraid. Just believe and she will be healed. Faith as someone reminded me is putting hope in what GOD can do!
Faith On...Faith On...
Thanks for praying for me...
“The Lord is with me: I will not be afraid….
The Lord is with me; He is my helper.”
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.”
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