God works in wondrous ways | Saturday, July 23, 2005
GOD WORKS IN WONDROUS WAYS
As I looked back throughout my life to see how God was leading me, I was amazed for His Word stands true and He is always so faithful to me. I thanked God for everything that He has done for me and that He has helped me through my times of depression and been a refuge to me when I need a place to hide and rest from my troubles. When I started my theological training, God gave me a job as a relief teacher which I have not been actively seeking for a job at that time and it has helped to pay my school fees until now and He has provided me money when I am lacking the funds to pay for my school fees and for my sustenance. Thank you God for what You have done in my life and so much more.
As I am going to finish my theological training after four years, my friends and I have been planning to go to China as a mission trip, exploration trip or fun trip, I do not know but one thing I do know is that I do not have the funds to travel. Then, I decided to pray and interestingly, God gave me a job as a relief teacher again in a secondary school. I now have the funds to finish my studies as well as the money to go to China. I thanked God for His provision and that He preserves me in times of trial. Just as I thought I was going to settle in that school, I heard news that four contract teachers (2 English teachers) would be coming in to teach, I thought that I would soon be jobless again but I thanked God for what He has done. The principal invited me to have a talk with her and made known to me that she would like me to teach till the end of November and this only serves to mean 2 thngs to me: (1) I have the funds to finish studying in a my theological college because I would be finishing my degree in this year and (2) I now have the means to go to China. I thanked God for His faithfulness and of how He has been blessing me in ways that I could not see until my reflection time.
Even in the process of teaching, there are times when I woke up feeling defeated, feeling very reluctant to go to school, God gave me a verse to cheer my heart, reminding me to trust in Him again. The verse is "This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it." It helped me to not only get through the day but challenges me to face the day and overcome the challenges that the day has for me. How great Thou art and Your Word stands true forever.
Polycarp says it best when he was about to die and his torturers encouraged him to give up his faith. He says that God has not done him wrong in his eighty years and how could he do Him wrong? Let it be the same for me that Lord, may I never do you wrong when You have blessed me so much and hold me in Your loving arms for You work in wondrous ways which men would never see if You have not revealed it to them. Work in my life I pray O Lord, for thine is the power, glory and honor forever Amen!!!
Created at 11:12 PM
Hearing the Voice Of God | Friday, July 08, 2005
Last month, there was a mission conference known as Go4 organised by the churches in Singapore. This was the 2nd time Go4 was organised in English and the first time that the chinese churches in Singapore has joined to participate. I was very blessed when I went in to hear James Taylor, one of Hudson Taylor''s desecendants to speak and the passion he spoke was evident in his speech and animation. He mentioned that the price of Jesus was great and that when we are slain by the Holy Spirit, when we rose up again, we should be different. We cannot be the same as when we are moved by the power of the Holy Spirit and fell to the ground and rise up again just like Saul fell from the ground when he met God on the road to Damascus and that he rose up as Paul, one of the greatest apostles and defenders of the faith.
I was very moved when I heard this but the greatest impact that came to me was that James Taylor read a letter from Hudson taylor and Hudson Taylor mentioned this words, "Can we do enough for the Lord and can we do too much for the Lord?" My answer rose up within me that nope, anything and everything I do won''t be enough of what my heart desires to do and that I have only one life and that this life should be lived meaningfully for the Lord. Another Speaker of the Go4 conference pointed out that Abraham heard one Word from the Lord, who told him to move out of his familiar surroundings and to go into a place that he has not known, Joseph, one dream to sustain him in his darkest times, Moses, one vision to propel him to lead the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt. In my teenage life, I too heard the Voice of God in my life and that has been my guiding point throughout my life even now. My path of life, ministry and theological studies all started just because of that Word and even now, I see my life unfolding little by little every day and yet, there are times when I feel uncertain of the way I should go and would seek God as like a oracle seeking for directions of what should I do next or which direction I should go? That night, when I heard the speaker say that, i was very prompted and I asked the Lord for one more Word, dream and vision to propel my way or rather a kind of cataylst to move my life forward in the direction of where God wanted to move me and the Lord said this very clearly to me that I have spoken to you already. I was very impacted and I almost wept before the Lord and I was blessed in such a way I never know and that is how I feel that God speaks to us.
He has spoken to each of us in our lives, be it in different stages of our lives such as a child, youth, a young adult, mature adult or in old age but the end thing is that I long to hear Him say, "Well-done, my good and faithful servant." The Lord has moved my heart and He reminded me that when I am a child, He has called me to serve Him and that He has made the same calls throughout my life and now, He reminded me that I have already spoken to you and called you, wouls you follow Me? and My answer is found in Psalm 27:11, "When Thou didst say to me , ''Seek My Face,'' my heart says to Thee, ''Thy Face O Lord, I will seek.'' That is my answer and my cry and I pray that would be your answer too when the Lord asked you the same question. May you be blessed when you read this.
Created at 9:06 PM
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Name: Joseph Chia
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