Isaiah 42:3, Matthew 12:20
"A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will
not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice."
1998...
We were all gathered in the Muar Prayer House for a retreat for the TOUCH NUS ministry leaders and interns. The Lord visited and touched many deeply one night.. The takeaway thought for the day was to keep the fire on the altar of our hearts burning - receive it, keep it (keep walking, keep obeying, keep loving, keep trusting), grow it and give it away..
When the minister walked around to pray for people, I noticed one guy sitting on the floor and leaning against the wall. His head was bowed low and he held his hands over his head as if in despair. He wore his usual jacket. Yes, that jacket... He wore it everywhere, everyday, every moment...
When the minister walked towards him to pray for him, he quickly arose to his feet. Perhaps he thought, oh, it's my turn to be prayed over, let me get into the proper posture to receive... hmm... stand up and open up my palms? That's what everybody does when they receive prayer..
But the minister gently held him and said it's ok, and he bent down to where the guy was sitting, and prayed for him.
I was frozen by the sight of the minister bending over to pray for the guy.... tears filled my eyes...
What flashed in front of me became a picture of a tender-hearted God who stooped down to us, to where we are... yes, He sees us, our struggles, and comes to where we are and touch us. It's as if God showing me that we don't have to do the things that make ourselves 'look right' or be 'cleaned up' and then receive from God, but God comes to us where we are...
He stoops to where we are and lifts us up... He knows our weaknesses and struggles deep within us... and holds us till we are healed, till we experience victory. We can trust Him! He thunders His love over us, over the one whom He loves... (Psalm 18). How not to be touched by a God whose heart is like that?
I continue to wonder why people would say "I've given my youth to ministry, now I can do my own things"... To me, these years of ministry were the best years in my life, for I've tasted and seen that He is good and He is real...
But the best is yet to be... as God, by His grace and mercy, continues to ambush me in the years ahead... May I remember what He has done and keep talking about it, for it strengthens my resolve even as I forge ahead, for the upward call of Christ in my life...
Psalm 18:35... "Your gentleness has made me great..."
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