Saturday, May 14, 2011

Extravagant God

My God, who walks with me, He is extravagant...

My God, whom I run with, He is extravagant...

He is extravagant in His commitment to me. He is extravagant in His provision. He is extravagant in His jealous love over me, His bride.

My God, who loves me, He is extravagant...

Thursday, May 12, 2011

It's not as hard as it seems, or is it?

Took a minor leap this month, and led two devotional sessions over a period of two weeks. You see, doing ONE devotional session per month is BIG deal to me - in terms of how seriously I would prepare for it and execute it. Doubly serious, simply because I'm still new to it and it's to the audience of ONE you know... I'm saying yes to the stretching to keep myself on the edge yet not stretching till I burnout. Through this experience, I've come to one realisation - it's not as hard as it seems... but...

For one, I'm technically challenged - both in skills in playing the guitar and in my vocal power. I digress. I was often on the reserve team for the sports I took part in during my school time. I remembered training hard on my knees, hitting that ping pong ball against the wall for every practice. Albeit being on the reserve team, for obvious reasons, I took the training seriously. Never despise humble beginnings!

Back to the techniques. Honestly, I don't see myself improving over the next few months or significantly over the next year or so, not that I don't want to, just that it would take time. Yet month in month out, for now, I'll do one or two devotional sessions per month. After this month's attempt, I realised that the 'doing' is not hard - there are glitches here and there, and yes, totally not-perfect, but it's not 'impossible hard'.

The realisation is my 'oil level'... The 'but' in the "it's not as hard as it seems, but..." is the 'oil level'. Am I acquiring the oil of intimacy with God aka jealously keeping my chamber time with God, as mentioned in the Parable of Ten Virgins? I'm trying to manage my walk with God in ministry without neglecting my chamber with God time. I admit I haven't got 'it' yet. But the principle is - to go wide, I have to go deep... to do more, I have to buy oil... Going deep in the Lord is NOT automatic nor replaceable by ministry. Our walk with God will NOT automatically become better but it will surely automatically decline if we don't keep the diligence and delight in drawing close to Him!

Before you think buying oil is a strategy for ministry, which we sometimes subconsciously do at one time or another, take a step back and 'reformat'! 'nuff said.

Many ministries seek to grow wide without the foundation of going deep in the Lord. This is akin to putting the cart before the horse. The detrimental outcome can only be salvaged by our gracious God if we realise and turn... When our heart gets more excited about ministry than with God, it's a sign to re-examine our priorities, and our heart! Ministry happenings can be exciting - especially if we see lives changed under the power of God, miracles, breakthroughs etc. Yet may our hearts be utmostly (I invented this word :) satisfied with God and God alone.

Let's buy oil... it's really not that hard, yet it is hard work for the wise who choose to buy oil and set their hearts to know and love God as the priority in their lives...


Songs 1:4
"...draw me away, we will run after you..."

Monday, May 09, 2011

Till... each appears before God in Zion

Psalm 84:4-7
Blessed are those who dwell in Your house;
They are ever praising You. Selah
Blessed are those whose strength is in You,
Whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
They make it a place of springs;
The autumn rains also cover it with pools.
They go from strength to strength;
Till each appears before God in Zion. (NIV)


Nothing gets us up on our feet and living our lives with focus, better than knowing "WHY-are-we-doing-what-we-are-doing?" and "WHERE-are-we-going?".

Knowing the answers to these questions deep within us sharpens us, aligns us and strengthens us to "what" we are going to do and "how" we will do it. Are we going to just-meet-the-requirements or live our lives with excellence and even beyond the requirements? ... and all out of voluntary love...

It sharpens us because we will be intentional in our efforts in our pursuit of God, with more intensity. David was intentional in his pursuit of God - he sought to go hard after God all the days of his life. His life is marked out by his intentional inquiring of the Lord in all the matters of his courts. He sought out the way of the Lord above the ways of man. Apostle Paul says in Phil 3:12-14, the one thing he does - forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. He is focused on what is ahead and presses in - good days, bad days, mundane days... toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. What discipline! Such passion and doggedness!

It aligns us because we will prioritize our lives accordingly. We will not be caught up with petty issues and will keep on track in running this race. We will rearrange our lives and CHOOSE what is important and what is not. Christian living is measured not over one or two good days or years, but the posture of our hearts, over decades, that keeps saying yes and choosing the good part. Like how Mary of Bethany chose the good part, and put seeking God as the priority all the days in her life.

It strengthens us because God satisfies. Living for God satisfies and gives us joy deep within as we feel the pleasures of God. As we burn for God, doing God-things, staying focused and aligned to Him, it gives us strength. A life lived out of conviction and passion for Jesus is one that is vibrant and never dull. We may get tired physically but inwardly we are renewed day by day.

The Psalmists in Psa. 84 set their heart on pilgrimage - a journey of knowing and loving God, overcoming all odds, until they see God face to face. They overcome it all because they have decided and set their hearts on God and count all things as rubbish for the sake of knowing Him, for the sake of living to see God face to face in Zion. To us, this means a life whose goal is to see Jesus in His second coming, that will transit us from this (earthly) age to the age-to-come (Millenial Kingdom) where He will make all things new and dwell with us, forever...

May we take time to ask ourselves... why are we doing what we are doing... and where are we going? God is inviting us to draw nearer to Him and run further. May we say yes... An invitation, an occupation and our love obsession! of going hard after Him all the days of our lives!

Weak, sincere as we may be... a people whose traits are not what we can do or say, but whose strength is in God, whose only boast is that we know Him intimately... Let's ask for grace for this new season... More of you! Less of me...
 
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