Refreshing
After I've written whatever I wrote below, I read the post on February's YF. My eyes were laid upon the part where I wrote about Christ's constant and incessent intercession for us - me! - everytime we've sinned.
It's is comforting to know, that they are already forgiven.
So, whatever it is tomorrow, God has willed it to be so. Whether He wants to be harsh with me or not, let Him do what pleaseth Him.
"yet will I trust in HIM"...
Results, results, results...
Tomorrow is A level results day.
I am afraid.
I have regrets.
I know being distracted at J2 year is really to my own downfall, but I did it. I was so distracted. And I displeased God, I know, by doing so.
It would have been a lot better if I’ve corrected my wrongs, to cut away that distracted, after my A levels. But I did not. And that scares me more now.
Whatever it may be tomorrow, let it be clear that God willed it so.
“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” – Job 13:15
May I have that same attitude of gratitude towards God tomorrow. Afterall, He had saved my soul. What REALLY matters is already salvaged and certain. =D
“the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” – Job 1:21
Ah well, not in the disposition for many words. I’ll write tomorrow.
I hope.
February Youth Fellowship
Uncle Joseph spoke to, or rather, discussed with us on the topic of Prayer during yesterday's YF. It was very good and very refreshing and reflective. So i'm going to write it down here now, lest I should forget it in time to come.
He discussed about the problems we face when praying. Afterwhich, he grouped them into 3 categories: 1) Theological, 2) Spiritual, 3) Lifestlye.
1) TheologicalPraying has often become to us a shopping list for God. We utter our acknowledgement, confession, we'll move on to tell God what we want…shopping list syndrome. When we do thus, the following problems will occur.
a) We repeat our prayers…prayers become mundane, even boring, and also makes us doubt the effectiveness of God.
b) We want to bug, or even threaten, God to get what we want.
It is important that we don’t repeat. Christ Himself disagreed with the Pharisees’ repetition of prayer. Our prayer to God should be earnest. Personally, I think there’s nothing wrong with praying to God constantly regarding something, so long as we acknowledge whatever results and accept them with humility if it is against our wish. But that I must be careful not be think that by bugging God long enough He’ll finally give in to me. This is not the case. How deceitful my heart would be, if I should think that God will yield to mere human out of irritation! Neither should we doubt the effectiveness of our prayer! The only reason why some of our prayers are not answered is that it is not God’s will; it is not His will that it should happen, or it is not His will that it should be granted at that time.
I raised the problem where at times, knowing that I had displeased God, I came to Him in prayer with such heavy heart that prevented me from praying. What uncle Joseph said was very comforting.
The extent of Christ’s redemption is this: that everytime we sinned, Christ Himself is at God’s right hand, interceding for us! What hope and joy to know that God has already forgiven us before we even confess. When I thought about it, it seem to me like this situation: Father knowing child did something wrong. He was angry but has already forgiven him. He puts on a stern face, waiting for child to confess it himself. I don’t know how accurate I am in picturing my Heavenly Father’s forgiveness. (I pray that I would not insult him in thus). But what touched me was the very act of Christ’s intercession for us. It further emphasize that we ourselves has no power to even seek forgiveness. Christ would do it for us! And because Christ is God, He knows our every sin, even small ones which we forgot, and intercedes for us for those that we don’t even confess. How horrific it is, if God’s forgiveness is based on how much of our sins we’ve confessed. If I should forget one sin and die, I’ll go to heaven still sinful, still condemn because I forgot to confess that 1 sin! How wonderful, then, it is that God Himself who knows all fault forgives us of all!!
So God is not severe to the extent that He cuts you off from prayer. But there’s another reason why displeasing God makes prayer a problem.
2) Spiritual
My Spirit, which God has given to every born again believer, grieves when I sinned against God, and makes me ashamed to talk to Him. To this, Uncle Joseph gave this food for thought: Do we pray to be spiritual, or are we spiritual because we pray?
We need must pray to be spiritual! If we are spiritual because we pray, we are like the world which boasts how often and how much they pray! Though the amount and time we spent are important, but they are not the basis which we determine spirituality from. Having that established, I need to know that though the Spirit within me is grieved, I still need to confess, so that I can step over this obstacle to be closer to God.
Another problem that Uncle Joseph pointed out was that often we pray for others to hear. When we pray we are conscious of what others will think (resulting in shying away from praying aloud), our attention would therefore be turned away from God, but towards man! The Heavenly Father knows what we are thinking, and if our prayer should merely tailor to suit the brethrens around us, we may displease God if not careful. Thus, we need to make a conscious effort, during public praying aloud, to keep our attention to God Himself and God alone.
3) Lifestyle
Brother Robin and Sister Elizabeth pointed out the problem of tiredness and lack of time. To that, Uncle Joseph replied that it is all in our lifestyle. If I should find myself lack of time to pray, or too tired to pray, it is my responsibility to readjust my lifestyle and schedule in order to give time to God. Like what Pastor said today, seeing how great Christ has done, should we not give a bit more, nay, all that we have? God knows of our worldly necessary duties. And He knows if we have consciously made an effort to give Him time. Thus it is in our responsibility to adjust ourselves.
Uncle Joseph also mentioned some very refreshing points. He shared that a friend of his, in his hobby of painting, would take that time as a communion and meditation of God’s word. He writes a verse down first, and paints according to that verse, thinking and meditating as he paints. This is a communion with God! As we paints he would be reminded of things or people to commit to God, and he’ll do it. Meditation is a form of worshipping our Lord God! Time spent in waiting for bus and MRT, in sitting inside the bus, can be used in prayer and meditations.
As conclusion, Uncle Joseph also shared that our prayer should not confine to petty, little things. Not that we cannot pray for these things like our personal needs, wants, and burdens. But we should pray beyond us, beyond our community of brethren, it can even extend to foreign countries and so on. Prayer is such a wonderful gift that God has given us, should we not use it? We don’t fly a Jumbo Jet to school, we ferry passengers overseas with it! How underused my prayers have always been! How belittling of God’s gift!
May the Lord help me, and us all Christians, to pray a-right to Him who is our Father.
The Road Not Taken
The Road Not TakenTwo roads diverged in a yellow wood,And sorry I could not travel bothAnd be one traveler, long I stoodAnd looked down one as far as I couldTo where it bent in the undergrowth.Then took the other, as just as fair,And having perhaps the better claim,Because it was grassy and wanted wear;Though as for that the passing thereHad worn them really about the same.And both that morning equally layIn leaves no step had trodden black.Oh, I kept the first for another day!Yet knowing how way leads on to way,I doubted if I should ever come back.I shall be telling this with a sighSomewhere ages and ages hence:Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--I took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the difference.How can I not put my favourite poem if I should call this my blog. Being back in Swiss, teaching, makes me remember my secondary school days. Perhaps the more significant part of those days is the experience with poetry at upper secondary. Poetry is powerful, expressive, though disguised within succintly few words.This was the poem shown to us, Lit class, in our first / second lesson. The precious few of us, 19, after a year with no lit class, were likened to people taking a less-travelled road. Though, sadly, some were there because they didn't get their choice subject combination.
Frost's poem, of course, doesn't just matter to Literature and romantic (in the original sense of the word, not modern lovey-dovey meaning) people. It relates to everyday choices we make. Do we choose well-trodden paths? Do we choose to be different? And will we look back with a sigh? Will we regret?
"And that has made all the difference."