The pilgrim's progress

“ If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, Then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace,In which you trusted, they wearied you, Then how will you do in the floodplain[a] of the Jordan? Jeremiah 12:5

Read this for morning devotion. Had been in the book of Jeremiah for very long. I never quite gone through this book with intent. Still unable to comprehend fully.

But this verse comes from the mouth of God, a stark rebuke to Jeremiah question and plead for God to send judgement to wickedness, and life seems so unfair that the wicked are prospering.

As I meditate over this passage. A few thoughts came over. Jeremiah did not ask this out of jealousy but out of frustration.

He called for judgement on his own people. The ways of a man who love God does not delight in wickedness, whether within or with-out. Jeremiah perceived by sight not faith. God answered that His statues are sure. The wickedness would be punished, eventually.

The heart of Jeremiah is one of intense weariness. God direct his thoughts towards his situation. Unfair it seems. Weary it seems. And it is. But God relents not to tell him, he will suffer more. He will see more. More trials shall enter his life.

His everyday struggle with what seemingly unfairness in the light of wickedness prospering is not the delight of his soul. He will suffer even more hardship.

A life of sight will weary you intensely. Neither would it go away, even you have a life of faith.

But the life of faith accepts the words in Jer 12:5.

And it drives us to be weary.

Weariness in God desires a more needy faith.

And a more assuring promise.

It produces a need for endurance. Hence the words from God says,“ If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, hen how can you contend with horses?
And if in the land of peace, In which you trusted, they wearied you,Then how will you do in the floodplain[a] of the Jordan?"

God tells Jeremiah - Endure and be assured in God. You need more in the days to come. And I will give more things that you have need to endure.

Faith will grow when you endure.

That is the progress of the pilgram. A life separated to thrust God alone.

O wearied Christian. Where lies your rest?

I pray for myself this morning. Come to the sure fountain of God. Wearied and wounded but never cast down nor cast out.

A rest so precious that you want it more. Progress as a pilgram. Progress in this gift of faith.

Christianity

It has been several months since I heard John Piper.

Reality really sank in today.

Thank God.

The blazing centre contain so much truth about God. About life. About suffering. About living your life for God.

Christianity is never the absence of something that we feel blessed. Does the absence of cancer, absence of loss of a love one, or absence of money....makes us feel blessed. Contrary.

We feel blessed with the presence of things...often outside of God.

A dear friend told me something today. Awoke myself to the harshness of life. Suffering doesn't seem distant.

It is near. It is real.

Who is God? What is life?

Reinforce one thing. We live one life. Whether we suffer, whether we live. Who is God?

I realise this..FAITH. FAITH in GOD. FAITH conquers the valleys of life. God is good. Do you believe it. GOD is good all the time. Do you believe that?

This life have too much pain and heartache. Every happening of happiness lies in an happening...And we should enjoy it. If you win a prize, if you passed your exams..these are joyous thing. We should not guise our joy. Joy is natural.

But above that, when the test of life comes and remove that joy of happiness, where lies our being?

The hope of God concludes everything in life. Only God sustains and the true giver of real joy.

Everything is a veneer and falls away.

God abides. He has no time, no end, He is the alpha and the omega.

Living for God makes every sense, derives every joy, gives every hope.

Christianity. Isn't it living for Christ alone? Isn't it the sole satisfaction of your life. Does it need suffering to tell you that? Then let suffering come.

Our lives are too polluted. Too clouded. God, take away the veils of our life. You glory is when I am satisfied in you the most.

Thank you God. Thank you for revealing yourself again.

God you are good.
You are very good.

Thank you so much!!!

Quiet Place

All alone in the laboratory.

Perhaps a good time to think of writing the christmas song.
But no mood, no feeling. Haha

Still a lot to think about and stress about I suppose.
This blog is turning out to be an outlet of what I am thinking.

But thankful. Strange how God works.

There is much to ponder.

Experiments still not going smoothly. Campus seems to be growing.
Souls are saved. People having desire to live for God.

I can't thank God enough.

Paul had a thorn in the flesh so that it buffet him from being proud.
I am not Paul.

But can't help that these circumstances are refraining me from being proud. Thank God for that.

My longtime desire is still not fulfil. I wish it could be but no.

Still waiting on the Lord for deliverance but moving more towards a passive waiting, I guess. Still praying.

God will answer. The heart of a king is His hands and He moves it like a river. Can't remember where this verse came exactly. May not be word perfect but it should come from Proverbs.

Above all, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Wise men are all God-fearing men.

Haha..What a great day and night!

Memorable 31!!!

Thoughts

God is very good.

I have been stressed very recently. Very stressed.

Lamented a fair bit about it. Till someone told me this.
If life is free of troubles, where cometh thou humility and grace?
Do you choose humility over pride?
Do you choose grace over self-sufficiency?

I answer in my heart, I choose God.

And God is full of grace.

And so I choose trouble.

And I found joy.

Thank you God for 31 years.
Thank you God for more years (eternity) of walking with you.

Christmas Musical

Here I am at 1:54am in my office...just wrote down some notes to do my experiment in a while.

No choice, everything in the lab is being used during office hours. Hope this night, the tiredness will not get to me. Everything will be added correctly.

Listening to "Here to Worship in the Laboratory" - I mean the song "Here to Worship" and thinking about the X'mas musical. 3 more songs to complete..stress :P But trusting God will bring the words and the tune...Very needful..Haha..God will...please...X'mas is coming....Celebrating our Lord Jesus birth.. :) Waiting for the musical to begin..and seeing the Joy of the World being proclaim...Praise Him Praise Him, Jesus our redeemer.

Today, had supper with my dear friend. Celebrating my 31st birthday in a isolated kopitiam in Sembawang, drinking frog leg soup...delicious..haha

Talked about Christian growth..and many other things. Realised this while driving back to the laboratory. God has moulded my Christian Nature to be more coronory than adrenalin driven. As I looked around, I see many Christians losing their sudden zeal, it seems life has gripped away. I see people who started working and soon after begin to be afflicted much. I was like that. I am still am but I realised one thing, God has worked in my heart and turned it coronory.

What I mean is this. I used to serve out of pure zeal, hitting and banging. A fervancy like tomorrow would not come. But I didn't guard my heart. I got burnt out. I am more interested in serving like a.ka. Martha and not Mary who would rather guard her heart and spend time with the Lord in devotion. I forgot to love my Lord by adoring Him and devoting time with Him. I must first have a heart that love him. Paul says even if I offer my body to be burnt and have not love, I am nothing. What a incredible sacrifice - to burn your body yet it profits nobody because you have not love. Christ said we love because He first love. What a imperative need that we must first love the Lord before we serve. Be careful dear Christian brothers and sister, know the flow of every drop of blood is from the heart. Serve God with a coronory heart..one that beats because of the love of Christ. Adrenalin will push you but it can't sustain you.

May God help us!

Time to enter the laboratory again :p

Goodnitez everyone who is zzzz

Tsunami

Going to be 2 years already since I witnessed the devastation of the Tsunami at Phuket and Khao Lak Thailand.

Remember the tragedy and left with me many thoughts and resolution.

I must remember these valuable lessons..and lesions..lesions in my mind that is.

Some resolutions I made still unfulfilled. God, let me have a weeping heart. The business of everyday has not allowed me to be still for even a while.

Meditating these 2 years...hmm it is time I will plan what I want to do next. Praying..I hope I pray more earnestly for this plan. God willing.

2 more years to go before my bond is up.

Life is so transient. Yet I don't think I had spend it all. John Piper told me these words "Dun waste your life. You got only one life. Risk it for God's sake. Only what is eternal counts. Dun exchange it for more mudane in life only. Do something radically different. Do it for God and that lasts. Remember, only that lasts. Dun waste your life. Dun at the end of your life tell God, look at my seashells...Love God...it begins now."

Lord help me. Only you alone has the glory to satisfy this soul.

Late up in the lab again..:p