Head Knowledge or Heart Knowledge that the Lord is good? | Friday, May 09, 2008
It has been quite some time since I have updated my blog and since I have some free time, I think I will better write down all the blessings that God has blessed me through and all my trials and troubles. Heez.
I have been thinking about the distinction of the two knowledges that we could have towards God: One is from an academic point of view and what we could derive from the Bible and the other is the experiential touch of the Lord in our hearts and make us feel so loved, that we could truly feel that He loves us. I believe that both are important but to me, I feel that a personal touch of the Lord makes all the differences between staying in my faith and giving up following Him.
This is my reason for thinking in this way when I reflect on my situation so far in a foreign country and other cultural differences:
There are times when things have been rather unpleasant and there are times when I wonder what I am doing over here that I feel like going home and reconsider things over. Yet, if not for the Lord's personal Word to me, I would have left and would have change to another mission field where I believe I will not feel so lonely and so helpless. Yes, all my Bible studies and theological knowledge told me that God is there for me, with me and will always take care of me or there are times when I said the same words to people who are feeling down, discouraged and exhausted. Don't give up, perserver on for God has not left you and that He will always take care of you.
Such words can become meaningless when we have not tasted the reality of the Goodness of the Lord. It can be meaningless to me if I have not heard the promises of the Lord in my heart and His promptings on my soul. It is that I have tasted the Goodness of the Lord that these words have a life on their own and can be relevant in our lives. God is good and He is indeed good because i have tasted and see it for myself.
I have been cheated by the taxi-driver when I first came to this country, frustrated by the greed of the local worker and subsequent "betrayal" by him and his constant questioning of me about my ministry of what I want to do. It can be so draining and tiring because to hold back one's anger and to talk reasonably and to express sympathy to him because of his hurts and disappointments in life can make me uncommunicative and retreat to my own room in silence and find refuge there.
In times like this, I can feel so discouraged because I have seen the work of the Lord doing in that worker's life and to see him being torn into two parts can be so difficult. I tried using Scriptures to encourage him but it's not working and that he may feel that I do not understand his situation and I fail to reason with him. He too knows the Scriptures and that God is His provider but he fails to trust in Him and is always trying within his means to make things work better in his situation and to keep on failing can be a serious blow to his ego and pride.
As I have said earlier, I believe in the promises of God and I have felt His hand upon me that kept me going in spite of all these discouragements. God has opened a door for me to build a better relationship with a local student. He is a seeker and he expresses his interest in wanting to know more about God and I gladly share with him of what I know. He loves to come to the centre to listen to uplifting songs and hymns and he is especially touched when I explained John 3:16 in great details about the love of God. He also would like me to baptise him when he decide to make his faith known. To me, that is a great honor and privilege and I was really touched by his request.
I was also touched by God's grace upon my life when his brother came to me on the second night after he came back from another city. His brother told me that he saw me as an older brother and that it is his desire to see me as soon as possible. They came with their cousins and we shared on the topic of love and my opinion and principle in a relationship. They like my definition of love and I was hoping to introduce on the love of God slowly into the topic for the next time and I pray that God too would open a door for me in this area.
Indeed the words of the Lord always prove true and that it will not return void to Him. That is my hope and my belief that God will make this country as the Antioch of C.A and that we will see the glory of the Lord pouring so strongly in this place and that it will flow through to other nations. I count myself most privileged to be able to partake of it and that you will be blessed to be a blessing to others too. Do not just strive to have a head knowledge of God but to really know Him of who He is. I want to invite you to "taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8).
Created at 2:48 PM
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Name: Joseph Chia
Age: 28
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