Amazing Love

Adapted from Our Daily Bread (Wednesday, 8th Dec 2010)

Dwight L. Moody said, “When a man thinks he has got a good deal of strength, and is self-confident, you may look for his downfall. It may be years before it comes to light, but it is already commenced.” This was true of King Uzziah. Everything seemed to be going so well in his life. He was obedient, submitted to spiritual mentorship, and sought God’s guidance during most of his reign. As long as he asked God for help, God gave him great success – evidenced by his many accomplishments (2 Chronicles 26:3-15).

Uzziah’s life was one of great power and human success until he became blinded by it. His pride was evidenced in several ways: he challenged God’s holiness by trespassing the temple and presuming upon a position he would never be able to have (verse 16); he viewed God’s power as good but not necessary for his leadership (verses 5 and 16); he refused Godly correction and counsel (verses 18 and 19); he bypassed his opportunity to repent; and he ignored, instead of feared, the consequences of his sin (verses 18 and 19).

When God gives us success in any area of our lives, let’s not forget the Source of our success. May we choose humility, for God gives grace to the humble. – Marvin Williams

Is thy heart right with God,
Washed in the crimson flood,
Cleansed and made holy, humble and lowly,
Right in the sight of God? – Hoffman

God lifts us high when we choose to live low.

2 Chronicles 26:16 “When he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction.”

Father in Heaven, I want to thank You for this painful reminder. I’m sorry, Lord, that I’ve been too full of myself. Lord, I contain so much pride and dark secrets within me, and I constantly compare myself with others. All these sins have swallowed my faith in my Heavenly Father, and my love for You, God. My heart is so judgmental, and I seek human acceptance, recognition and the pleasure of pleasing them more than You, God. And I know how painful You must be feeling inside right now. Even though on the surface, I might be just like King Uzziah, constantly trying to be obedient, submissive to spiritual mentorship, and seeking Your guidance during my life journey, but You know that I have fallen short of Your glory, Lord. No matter how well I do, I can never measure up to the world’s standards, much less Yours.

Father, I feel like I’m being trapped in a spider web. This spider web is full of the spider’s proteinaceous silk from its spinnerets. I feel as though I have just spun a web around myself. O Lord, why has my heart been so crowded with things? I thought I could handle, but no, that was simply my presumption! Father, correct my ways, so that I can be pure and holy before You, my King. Let my heart not be troubled, for You have overcome the world! (John 16:33) Jesus, let my heart not be greedy for human acceptance or recognition. Father, I’ve grown weary because of all the load I’ve been carrying over my shoulders. Let me lead a simple life that pleases You, Lord!

As days, weeks and months of commitments, activities, assignments, projects, presentations, meetings and Youth Camp lay before me, I want to tell You, Lord, that I can’t handle them at all. I want to tell You, Lord, that I’ve given up on my life completely, and I want to tell You, Lord, that You are the only One who can carry me over Your shoulders across the fire of life. Let me experience the Fire that will be poured out from Heaven. Let me experience the Living Water that only overflows, and never runs dry. Let me experience the Power of the Risen King. And lastly God, let me depend on You completely, all my life. Never again in my life, will I say I do not need You. Never again in my life, will I doubt You in my mind. Never again in my life, will I not be open to the Discipline of the Almighty God. Jesus, I want You more than anyone in my life, Lord! Take me away with You!

Lord I’m hungry for Your presence
Lord I’m thirsty for You alone
Come and fill me with Your Spirit
Let me worship You alone

Pour out the oil of Your Spirit
Lord let Your rain fall on me
Cleanse me with fire from Heaven
I will be ready for Thee

Lord I’m longing to be near You
Lord I’m yearning for Your return
Lord I’m watching, Lord I’m waiting
Come and take me away with You

Jesus, my heart burns with passion
I give my all faithfully
You are the One I desire
You are the One that I need

In Jesus’ Name, Lord I surrender all to You,
AMEN. 🙂

12:05 am, 29 November 2010

I wish to thank God! Today, I was at the lowest and most stressful point of my life. Throughout the weeks before, there were disappointments, moments of loneliness, expectations from outsiders, standards I had to fulfill to please a certain someone – the someone keeps changing, demands to be met by designated deadlines. One thing I saw in myself – My Faith was gone. My faith in God was gone. Why? Because of the cold, insensitive and indifferent replies I received, the hardened hearts I saw – harder than a tough nut, people I’ve been praying for and working on for years – still being their same old self or worse, hopeless youths who endanger the lives of one another.. Yes Xiuxiu Laoshi was right, and has always been right about my life. “Our trust in the Lord is built from the foundation of Faith, not the clever arguments of men.” I will always remember this verse now. It’s not like if we can argue, not just verbally, but also in our hearts, about how God isn’t real in our lives. It’s not something we should argue about, because by arguing in this way, we’re being too full of ourselves, and not allowing God an opportunity to enter our hearts and transform our lives. I was saddened by the fact that my Ls have hardened their hearts against God, but it’s truly alright.. I will not take things into my own hands, but trust God to work in their hearts at the right timing. That would be much easier, wouldn’t it?

So today, I’m sorry God.. And I apologise to You once again, for devastating Your heart when I just broke down upon a few trivial lashings from my S. But I believe God, You have Your perfect plan behind all these imperfect ordeals. I love it the moment You spoke to me personally, in my heart, that I am Yours, and Yours alone. God, You told me that my heart was too crowded with many worries, expectations of myself, deadlines that I will have to upkeep to keep up with the school’s standard of one doing well. Yet, God, You reminded me at the same time, that I was not living for my Ls, nor my school, much less anyone else that You have placed in my life to draw me closer to You, but You have reminded me that I was, and I am, and I will ALWAYS be living for You. Almighty God, today I come before Your throne of Grace, with a brand new heart I embrace, Your warm blessings into my life. May it overflow, like an endless river of purity. Let my life be excited not by food, nor achievements, nor competition, but let my life – my spirit, my soul, my body, my heart and my mind be alive for Jesus Christ, the Risen King! Let my life be excited and challenged and worth pursuing a step further, many steps further, because I love You, Lord.. Because I love You more than anything else in the world.. Because I have set You apart from the rest as my personal Lord and my personal Saviour.. Because You have become the priority of my life.. Because You are my everything, and everything that I have in my hands now, are Yours alone, which no one can take away.

Father, I’m opening the door for my grandfather to enter now. Please grant him a soft and gentle heart, and me, a heart full of Christ’s love, and a life full of Christ’s likeness.

Draw me close to You, Never let me go
You are my desire, No one else would do
I’m laying it all down again, To hear You say that I’m Your Friend
Bring me back to You, Never let me go
You’re all I want, You’re all I ever needed
You’re all I want, Help me know You are near

Lord, help me to serve You with the right motives and the right attitudes. Examine my heart, and purify my life. God, I pray that You will continue to reign in my family. Help my grandfather, my grandmother, my father, my mother, Cherie my sister, Alicia my sister, Ignatius my brother, to be covered and protected by the blood of Jesus, and in the name of Jesus, let us be set free, O LORD! I proclaim freedom, righteousness, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in my family. All of our lives, will be lived to honour You and to please You, my Lord!

Lord, also thank You for reminding me as You spoke to me to “Freely receive from You, and Freely give to others”. Lord, in this way, I know I will never run dry, but will always be able to run with Joy, knowing that I am the channel that releases Your blessings unto others, but You are, and will always be my Provider, till eternity. I long to see You at the Heavenly gates when my time is up! While I am still here on earth, remind me of the Cross that is always placed before my eyes. I am to look to the cross, and set my eyes on Jesus, in everything that I do, in everything that I say, in all that I think, I must do it for Jesus Christ.

In Jesus Most Precious Name I Pray,
AMEN. 🙂