Deep longing. Deeper assurance.

After decades has passed...


I'm still on the road believing
To a promise worth fighting.

Finish line is still out of sight
But hope keeps me strong in the fight.

Agony is surely waving
But HIS love is far more convincing.

The more I get my knees to the ground;
The more I see how HIS grace abounds.

Well, who says there's a deadline in faith anyway?
Faith is just believing all the way.

Ohh yes, after decades has passed
All I know is, His goodness is steadfast.

When Small Means BIG

I think many “strong” believers "fail" more on the little things than the big things. We can hear a louder “yes” or “no” when we will be tested on giving up our “big dreams”, “big desires” and responding to “big callings” but we tend to miss listening to the whispers of giving up our rights, responding righteously when no one sees, thinking admirably especially at the middle of emotional tortures. How funny it is when we can say YES on an instant to BIG stuffs but make excuses on how we are behaving on small things?
If there’s a camera everywhere, will you respond differently? If there’s a megaphone on your mind, are your thoughts worth echoing? I was walking one evening when I saw this advertisement that says, “Transparency is beautiful when you have nothing to hide.” Oh how indeed so true and these “hidden” things are actually what define us the most.
These small things shape us as much as the big things. Even Jesus highlighted this, "Whoever is faithful with very little is also faithful with a lot, and whoever is dishonest with very little is also dishonest with a lot." Luke 16:10, NASB

Small responses mean BIG especially when your character is on the line! So yes, “CHARACTER” is the word and is best displayed when we have all the excuses to be rude, impatient, mean and all…
“On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.” 1 Thessalonians 2:4, NIV

Yielded Heart

When I was still studying, I used to tell to myself, "There's no such thing as a surprise quiz to those who are always ready". Now I have come to realize that in our Christian journey, there's no such thing as a "surprise test" to those who have that right kind of heart.


I have been contemplating these past few days on how is it to really live a life in a place of total yieldedness... and this lead me back to the basic - the state of heart. Many times we tend to make all our trials as our excuse on why we responded "that" way but isn't that our actions are just a mirror of what’s inside of us? Matthew 12:25 says, "a good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him". No matter how utterly surprising things would come, a yielded heart would always exude the true qualities of it.

These are the priceless teachings I got from one of my great heroes, Job. It never fails to inspire me on how he responded to the overwhelming "surprise tests" he had. Just right after everything was taken away from him in one instant, he humbled himself and said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:20)
His response was more than notable, it was exceedingly commendable! Did it come as a surprise? Absolutely yes! But his outright response reflected the state of his heart. Talking about yielded heart? Job displayed it perfectly.
To conclude, only thru our yielding to GOD that we will experience the fullness of life. Job yielded and in his yielding, he had that life everyone would want - "full life" (Job 42:17).

It is POSSIBLE!

It is possible to stay strong even if all the people are displaying their weaknesses.


It is possible to be so hopeful even if all that surround you are hopeless.

It is possible to keep calm when everyone else is in panic.

It is possible to believe when they are all doubting.

It is possible to forgive when it's "valid" not to.

It is possible to extend grace even if your pride says no.

It is possible to stand again even if you were wounded countless times.

It is possible not to say hurtful words even if the situation prompts you so.

It is possible to advance even if everyone else retreated.

It is possible to bless even if all others are cursing.

It is possible to remain faithful, even if they all forgot.

It is possible to keep on loving even if you feel it's not being returned.
It is possible to respond rightly even if you were offended.
It is possible to contend in faith even if they all think it's ridiculous.
It is possible to keep on fighting even if it has already caused you so much pain.
It is possible to walk on water even if you were the only one left daring it.
And definitely...
It is possible to pursue Christlikeness, even if the scenario tempts you otherwise.


It is possible!!! The answer only rest on the choice that you will make - it will spell the BIG DIFFERENCE!


(Today's random thoughts inspired from Ptr Les' preaching)

IRONIES

Isn’t amazing that GOD is asking us to think not the way the world thinks? Here are some life chunks that the Lord taught me and still teaching me:

1. Sometimes, the CLOSER you get, the FARTHER you will become. Does familiarity ring a bell to you?

2. The HIGHEST wisdom that you need is mostly found at your LOWEST point, at least true to my experience!

3. It is never about your GREAT achievements but the LITTLE things that you do that will put you at the right spot.

4. It is not about what you do when the SPOTLIGHT is on you but what you become when the party is OVER that will define you.

5. When YOU need refreshment, try refreshing OTHERS and you will be refreshed! Oh well, it's actually in Proverbs 11:25, NIV!

6. It is not when you RECEIVE that you will gain the most but it is when you GIVE.

7. MATURITY begins when you accept that you are still IMMATURE.

8. The more you COUNT it, the more you will FALL short.

9. Knowing the value of true REST and granting yourself one, will keep you GOING.

10. You are ready to HAVE it when you are ready to LOSE it. (This talks about yieldedness to HIM, surrendering everything to HIM, trusting HIM come what may.)

11. The "pride" that you could BEST offer HIM is when you have not taken any pride with the things you have offered.

12. It is not about how people acknowledge you but how you acknowledge that it's not about acknowledgement at all.

13. The more you SURRENDER to HIS ways, the more you will experience VICTORY.

14. Influencing lives talks more about what you can LEAVE and not what you can TAKE.

15. Sometimes knowing it all does NOT actually mean you know it ALL.

All glory belongs to YOU GOD. You must increase so I would decrease (John 3:30)...

Sweet lessons...

The LORD concluded my birthday celebration with these lessons in life:

1. You don’t need a “secret formula” to influence lives… Just be the woman (or man) GOD wants you to be- just the way HE designed you and there goes the “formula”. Remember, HIS designs, every inch of HIS idea about you is the perfect blueprint and it covers everything!

2. A willing heart attracts GOD! Don’t resist HIS move. Don’t fight HIS grip. There is nothing more edifying than a heart that is just so willing to trust and obey HIS move. Abide in HIS words. Trust HIS silence. Listen to HIS heartbeat. Pursue HIS dreams. Remember, you can never outgive, outlove and outdo HIM; HE always give you back in hundred folds!

Beyond logic...

When Jesus multiplied the fish and loaves, He definitely didn't use logic. When He raised the dead, He didn't support it with logic. When HE caused the lame to walk, HE didn’t explain it with logic. When all other miracles happened from Old to New Testament, GOD never presented logic. HIS goodness is just simply beyond our comprehensions and logic will fall short to explain even just a single miracle.

So why use logic when faced with seemingly unreasonable challenges after challenges? Logic will not take us any farther; we will just find ourselves lost in trying to understand all things. That’s why the psalmist said, "Be still and know that HE is GOD. (Psalm 46:10)" We were never asked to “understand GOD” and in fact, Ecclesiastes 11:5 says, “As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.”

If truth be told, GOD is inviting us to walk the path of miracles and beyond logic - to dream bigger than ourselves and to dare wilder than what we have been seeing. Excuses are no longer “excuse”. Jesus even guaranteed us that greater things shall we do (John 14:12). Where’s the logic in there? A resounding NONE! We just have to see it for ourselves!

We were created beyond logic to begin with. And the purposes and potentials implanted within us are as well beyond logic. For this reason, we were posed to “live by faith and not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7).

The Yardstick

The more you measure it, the more it will come fall short... but the more you pour it out, the more it will just overflow...

These phrases have been just ringing on my head and echoing in my heart since this morning. You just got to give love, release hope, bring joy, and carry encouragement relentlessly without measuring the extent of what you have already given or counting what you have already received in return. You just got to let that love go!When will we know if we have already given enough? I guess penning answers to that question is like limiting what love can actually do. Can we really measure love? Taking the illustration of a candle – will the candle stop burning after it will provide you light for a moment? I doubt that because giving is not just merely responding for a moment. It’s not just answering to someone’s needs. It’s just simply giving because it's the nature of the giver. I have come to realize that the more you withhold it, the more you keep yourself away from shining that glory GOD has implanted within you because the glory of someone is being revealed in the giving mode – in the line of duty, in the light of service. When was the glory of the Father’s love perfectly shown? When HE gave HIS only SON. And when was the glory of HIS son JESUS immensely demonstrated? When HE gave HIS life for us.

So what’s the yardstick of giving? In Phil 4:19 it says, “And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” God gives according to what HE can, what HE has and what HE will. This verse perfectly expresses that in giving the yardstick is not the receiver, but the giver himself.

The Heart of the Matter

"As the water reflects the man's face, so the man's heart reflects the man." Prov 27:19

It always and always boils down to the state of our hearts. It's never about the amount of revelations we have received nor the multitudes we have discipled nor the recognitions we have taken nor the positions we have attained... NO, not even the number of days we have been serving God because the heart of the matter is, OUR HEARTS. Putting on the table plainly, in the kingdom of God, our hearts will matter the most because "God looks at the heart" (1 Sam 16:7).

The greatest test of TRUST, OBEDIENCE and HONOR would be at its highest level when it comes to the matter of the heart and that's why the scripture says to "guard our hearts with all diligence (Prov 4:23)." And when you will be tested to the core, your response will not be based on how much you have influenced the people nor how much great things you have accomplished but rather, on how much all “these things” have transformed your heart during the process. Be it on the offensive or defensive side, leading or the one being led to, if your response stinks, it simply means your heart stinks because "out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks (Matt 12:34)."

So what does the man after God's own heart has to say? David taught me that my heart is my compass.

As a follower, be like David. He perfectly showed me to honor the leaders or superiors at all time - not because of their positions but because there must be some good reasons why God put us under their care. David taught me the value of true honor - even when King Saul was seeking to kill his life, he remained honoring Saul and amazingly still considered as "anointed one of God" (1 Sam 24). How could he still take Saul as anointed man of God in the midst of Saul’s evil works? It's his heart - an honoring heart.

When leading, be like David. When his son Absalom plotted to take his throne, he kept his humble heart (2 Sam 15). David displayed here that his heart was steadfast.

When you are hurting and the promise doesn't seem coming, be like David. When he was hiding in a cave, he turned his cave into a palace - he always knew his identity. He turned his pains into songs and hymns, his anguish into praise and worship. Looking for someone to look up to? David is my professor when it comes to keeping a fixed heart. Besides, who were not hurt anyway? At some points in our lives, we were hurt and have hurt others, we were offended and have offended others but what would separate us from the crowd is our response -- and that would count the most.

David's journey gave me a remarkable demonstration that to be a woman after God's own heart, my inner strength should depend on God's very nature and that even at moments my mind wouldn't understand, my heart would keep on trusting the intentions of His heart. And so I conclude that the impact of the revelations I have been receiving will only really matter if my heart is being transformed to reflect His heart.