He gives power to the faint;
and strengthens the powerless. Isaiah 40:20
My grace is sufficient for you, for your power is brought to its finish in weakness. 2 Cor.12:9
In my readings, I have come across a marvelous character and here I would like to share him with you by quoting Marva Dawn :
"Clifford Schultz, one of the mightiest men I have ever known, was almost completely incapacitated by multiple sclerosis. The vibrancy of his faith and witness and the depth of his love and compassion moved literally hundreds of people. He always had a good word of encouragement for everyone he met, especially the other patients at the convalescent home where he lived. All who visited him were uplifted by his strength. No one could ever doubt who was the Source and Giver of Clifford's immense resilience.
Clifford had a tremendously eternal mind enclosed in a terribly confining body, limited to little physical movement. He constantly struggled against pain and limitation. His faith and zeal for evangelism were a constant inspiration for others. He knew well how to draw his strength from the LORD. He told everyone he met about the great love of his Savior Jesus Christ.
One day while he was struggling to breathe and travailing laboriously to speak and sing, he said, "You know, Marva, life is so wonderful down here, it's hard to imagine that heaven will be even better. But it will be!"
He knew so well the promise of strength in Isaiah 40:29, and his love for the LORD overpowered everything else. His heart, mind, and spirit were so eternally fixed that the limitations of his body were surmounted with great struggle and greater joy. He always had more than enough strength to carry on his ministry, even in the weakest of times. Isn't it amazing that God accomplishes his purposes through us -in spite of us! What is stunning about Isa.40:29 is the realization that we never do really begin to discover the power of God until we learn our own weaknesses.
In 2Cor.12:9, the verb in the Greek original, which is usually translated "made perfect", is the same verb that Jesus cried from the cross when his work was ended. Every time that verb appears in the New Testament, it is translated "to bring to the finish," with the one exception of 2Cor.12:9. If we brought the customary meaning of that verb to bear on that verse also, we would know more clearly how God's strength is available to us.
When we are weak, we no longer try to exert our useless power. It is brought to its end, and we become yielded vessels. Then God can really begin to exert his power through us to reach out to others. That is what Clifford demonstrated so profoundly. Having no strength of his own, he was an almost perfectly pliable tool in God's hands. With his power ended, God's power could come through Clifford strongly.
Do we take God up on His promise? Are we able to receive His strength? We can never know God's power unless we attempt the impossible. As long as we are doing things that are within our capabilities, things for which we are qualified and skilled, we can easily trust our own gifts (forgetting that those come from God also). Only when we try to do things beyond us, will we end our attempts at power, dependently turn to the LORD and rely solely on Him.
As individuals and as a church, we should proceed more boldly with missions that we know to be the LORD's will. We can trust that God will multiply doubly the strengths we need to accomplish his purposes.
The key is knowing the One who is the Giver and Multiplier of strength. We might faint or lack the necessary might, but it is irrelevant. In fact it is better that way because then our power can be brought to its end and instead God's power can be multiplied through us on behalf of others. Then everyone can see that the transcendent power definitely belongs to God and not to us."
Quoted from "To walk and not faint" by Marva Dawn"
Thursday 17 January 2008
Monday 14 January 2008
The Everlasting God
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary,
his understanding is unsearchable.
Isaiah 40:28
Can anyone explain how God is eternal or imagine the impossible prospect and incredible possibility of our own everlasting existence in God's presence?
To better understand God's everlastingness, three pictures are given:
1) God is the Creator of the ends of the earth. He not only create all the earth and everything in it, but he also set its boundaries. This means that God created beyond what we know. Even though scientists have discovered an enormous amount of knowledge about the farthest parts of the cosmos, we still cannot fathom its limits, but we know that God is beyond those boundaries as their beginning and end. God's everlastingness means that all things are under His control. By His great might and powerful strength, nothing is missing, nothing escapes his notice. Surely our way cannot be hidden from the One who sees to the ends of the earth.
2)God does not become faint or grow weary. Not only did He create the world, but He continues to preserve it. Not only did He save us, but He continues to work in us to transform us into His likeness and to fulfill His purposes through us. Not only does He establish us, but He continues to care and to provide for us and to sustain us.
God works constantly, watching over everything, all at once, all the time - and He is not tired tomorrow. Nor does He go to sleep tonight. We can call on Him time and time and time again and all of us can call on Him at once, and He remains patient and forbearing, ready to receive and answer our cries. He never grows weary of helping the oppressed, the needy, the comfortless, the desolate.
3) God's understanding is unsearchable. No searching can penetrate His comprehension. Never will God be fully understood. We can only barely begin to imagine Him because His love encompasses us. Even though we cannot figure out why God behaves toward us as He does, we cannot attribute it to His being tired or powerless to to help. Rather, we must recognize that we cannot penetrate God's infinite wisdom. This gives us hope in our waiting. When God does not intervene as we wish, when things don't change as we hope, it is not because God is not able or does not will it. He has reasons infinitely beyond our understanding; many mysteries of God's are not yet unfolded. We do not comprehend why things happen the way they do but God knows, and we can trust that His character is to be just and gracious and righteous. We believe His understanding is right, truly in accordance with genuine reality, even though we cannot decipher it. Consequently, we are driven to a deeper love for His infinite care. Without growing weary of us, the Lord is everlastingly devoted to us.
I grow very weary in devotion. I cannot imagine that God never gets tired of me. My needs seem so important to me, but scrutinized against an eternal perspective, they're not so significant. Yet we allow ourselves to be dominated by our worries and controlled by our anxieties. Why do I worry about God's provision when I should have known that He does not grow weary of caring? Haven't I heard that He knows my needs and understands (better than I do) what I am going through?
One of the most precious assurances for our humanity is that Jesus has undergone every temptation and trial to which we are subject, so that He eternally understands. Who can begin to comprehend how deeply He discerns - since He knows our feelings both from a human perspective and from God's everlasting wisdom?
God's understanding is unsearchable, but we believe that it includes trustworthy purposes for us. God is never weary in faithfulness and well-doing.
It is time for you and me to know. Pay attention now, and let us hear. For God is the God of everlasting good.
Quoted from "To walk and not faint" by Marva J. Dawn
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary,
his understanding is unsearchable.
Isaiah 40:28
Can anyone explain how God is eternal or imagine the impossible prospect and incredible possibility of our own everlasting existence in God's presence?
To better understand God's everlastingness, three pictures are given:
1) God is the Creator of the ends of the earth. He not only create all the earth and everything in it, but he also set its boundaries. This means that God created beyond what we know. Even though scientists have discovered an enormous amount of knowledge about the farthest parts of the cosmos, we still cannot fathom its limits, but we know that God is beyond those boundaries as their beginning and end. God's everlastingness means that all things are under His control. By His great might and powerful strength, nothing is missing, nothing escapes his notice. Surely our way cannot be hidden from the One who sees to the ends of the earth.
2)God does not become faint or grow weary. Not only did He create the world, but He continues to preserve it. Not only did He save us, but He continues to work in us to transform us into His likeness and to fulfill His purposes through us. Not only does He establish us, but He continues to care and to provide for us and to sustain us.
God works constantly, watching over everything, all at once, all the time - and He is not tired tomorrow. Nor does He go to sleep tonight. We can call on Him time and time and time again and all of us can call on Him at once, and He remains patient and forbearing, ready to receive and answer our cries. He never grows weary of helping the oppressed, the needy, the comfortless, the desolate.
3) God's understanding is unsearchable. No searching can penetrate His comprehension. Never will God be fully understood. We can only barely begin to imagine Him because His love encompasses us. Even though we cannot figure out why God behaves toward us as He does, we cannot attribute it to His being tired or powerless to to help. Rather, we must recognize that we cannot penetrate God's infinite wisdom. This gives us hope in our waiting. When God does not intervene as we wish, when things don't change as we hope, it is not because God is not able or does not will it. He has reasons infinitely beyond our understanding; many mysteries of God's are not yet unfolded. We do not comprehend why things happen the way they do but God knows, and we can trust that His character is to be just and gracious and righteous. We believe His understanding is right, truly in accordance with genuine reality, even though we cannot decipher it. Consequently, we are driven to a deeper love for His infinite care. Without growing weary of us, the Lord is everlastingly devoted to us.
I grow very weary in devotion. I cannot imagine that God never gets tired of me. My needs seem so important to me, but scrutinized against an eternal perspective, they're not so significant. Yet we allow ourselves to be dominated by our worries and controlled by our anxieties. Why do I worry about God's provision when I should have known that He does not grow weary of caring? Haven't I heard that He knows my needs and understands (better than I do) what I am going through?
One of the most precious assurances for our humanity is that Jesus has undergone every temptation and trial to which we are subject, so that He eternally understands. Who can begin to comprehend how deeply He discerns - since He knows our feelings both from a human perspective and from God's everlasting wisdom?
God's understanding is unsearchable, but we believe that it includes trustworthy purposes for us. God is never weary in faithfulness and well-doing.
It is time for you and me to know. Pay attention now, and let us hear. For God is the God of everlasting good.
Quoted from "To walk and not faint" by Marva J. Dawn
Friday 11 January 2008
Friendship House
A group of close friends and I have started a Friendship house, a semi-D house which we are renting from a couple in the group at a very rate. The aim of the house is to provide housing and food for patients and their relatives at Sarawak General Hospital who are from other towns or cities in Borneo. Many of them are cancer patients who need very long-term treatment, often months at a time. The hospital is going through renovations presently causing the wards to be very cramped, both male and female patients share what used to be the male ward. Those who have spent time in the Friendship House are very appreciative of the provision of this place where they can have proper sleep, wash and hang their laundry properly, cook their meals and watch television when they are free.
We just started this project last month and we are still learning how to run this place well. The hard work of cleaning the place and furnishing it is done. We are trying to work out a system to make sure there is enough food for the occupants to cook with. Some stay for a few days, some for a much longer period of time. At one time, all four rooms were full and food was running out fast. Food will probably be the major expense in running this place. Most of those who come to stay here do not have the means to buy their own food. In the hospital, if there is remainder food after giving out to the patients, the parents who are looking after their sick children will receive a share as requested by their doctors. If there are no left-overs, they have to share their children's food or go hungry. In the past, when they run out of money completely, after a long stay, they asked for discharge from the hospital, to go home, even though the treatment is not yet completed. Hopefully, with this place to go to, the cancer patients can receive the full treatment and stand a better chance for a cure. May God bless this project in such a way that many will know of His love and goodness through what they receive in this Friendship House.
We just started this project last month and we are still learning how to run this place well. The hard work of cleaning the place and furnishing it is done. We are trying to work out a system to make sure there is enough food for the occupants to cook with. Some stay for a few days, some for a much longer period of time. At one time, all four rooms were full and food was running out fast. Food will probably be the major expense in running this place. Most of those who come to stay here do not have the means to buy their own food. In the hospital, if there is remainder food after giving out to the patients, the parents who are looking after their sick children will receive a share as requested by their doctors. If there are no left-overs, they have to share their children's food or go hungry. In the past, when they run out of money completely, after a long stay, they asked for discharge from the hospital, to go home, even though the treatment is not yet completed. Hopefully, with this place to go to, the cancer patients can receive the full treatment and stand a better chance for a cure. May God bless this project in such a way that many will know of His love and goodness through what they receive in this Friendship House.
Thursday 10 January 2008
Everise, live up to your name!
Can you believe one of the leading chains of supermarket in Kuching kept a big group of shoppers waiting outside their entrance for more than 45 min while the staff had a briefing? Why is it called a briefing if it is not brief? Yesterday, a public holiday, 19th.Jan.2008, started badly for me because I went to Everise, BDC, where I usually shop, to get 2 packets of Vico as I had run out of it.I reached there at 9.45am and it was supposed to open at 9.30am. But I had to join a large crowd of shoppers in waiting for the guards to let us in. They said that the staff were having a briefing, so we waited. But by 10.15am, I was really mad that the "briefing" was still going on with no sign of coming to a close! I had waited 30min for nothing! Isn't it rude that the manager did not care that we were waiting so long outside. I peeked and could hear her rant on and on, while most of the staff were so bored and disinterested. I have never heard such a thing happening anywhere.
Yes, there have been long queues outside certain shops before they opened, so that those who queued up could be the first ones to buy certain special merchandise, eg Harry Porter's last book in the series. But those shops opened at the scheduled time, not a minute later.
And here we have a supermarket which opened more than 45 min later than its usual opening time without prior notice. I did not know exactly when it opened yesterday because I left at 10.15am, annoyed that so many of us had to waste our precious time waiting for nothing! There are so many other supermarkets to go to and if Everise is not keen to have my business, I will certainly go elsewhere, especially now that there are two big new malls which have just opened in Kuching, with many bargain buys.
I think the incident shows how inconsiderate some people can be. If that manager needs to talk to her staff for one hour, then meet them at 8.30 am so that the supermarket can open at 9.30 am as scheduled. Well, I have called the Everise head office to let them know of this and I hope there will not be a repeat of this incident.
Yes, there have been long queues outside certain shops before they opened, so that those who queued up could be the first ones to buy certain special merchandise, eg Harry Porter's last book in the series. But those shops opened at the scheduled time, not a minute later.
And here we have a supermarket which opened more than 45 min later than its usual opening time without prior notice. I did not know exactly when it opened yesterday because I left at 10.15am, annoyed that so many of us had to waste our precious time waiting for nothing! There are so many other supermarkets to go to and if Everise is not keen to have my business, I will certainly go elsewhere, especially now that there are two big new malls which have just opened in Kuching, with many bargain buys.
I think the incident shows how inconsiderate some people can be. If that manager needs to talk to her staff for one hour, then meet them at 8.30 am so that the supermarket can open at 9.30 am as scheduled. Well, I have called the Everise head office to let them know of this and I hope there will not be a repeat of this incident.
Thursday 3 January 2008
21st.Dec.2007 found us, a group of 36 city folks, trudging through mud on our way to a fish farm. We were in Long Beluyu, on the highlands near Lawas, quite near Ba Kelalan.
My husband, my youngest son, my daughter and I have joined our good friend's family - his own family plus all his brothers and sisters and nephews and nieces - on a visit to his Lun Bawang roots. When we trudged through mud for 2-3 hours, we were told that my friend and his siblings used to walk like that for 3 days just to get to school. And they did it, starting at the tender age of 6 plus, without any adult supervision but under the guidance of older school-mates.
After the first 15 min of walking bare-foot through the very muddy path, I nearly gave up because I was never this dirty in my life before. My feet were sore from cuts and bruises and I really did not like the idea of stepping into a muddy puddle, not knowing what is at the bottom of it. Sometimes, there were sharp thorns or sharp pieces of wood. Sometimes it was simply so slippery that I fell on my bottoms and was covered with mud. Often we had to step on buffalo shit which we nicknamed "Hongkong Pau" because it was all over the place. When we finally reached the fish pond we were rewarded with freshly-cut sugar cane to quench our thirst. The view was beautiful - 2 big fish ponds and padi fields with their golden grains nearby. We had a lot of fun catching fish with nets - 2 pails of fresh water fish for our dinner that day. But we had to trudge through mud again on our way home. I was so glad to see the village again. The ordeal was over! The feeling of great satisfaction that I was able to complete that journey was wonderful! It goes to show that often we are capable of doing much more than we think we can! Let us not be limited by what we think we can do. Let us look for opportunities to test our limits - physical, mental, spiritual - to try to go beyond what we know we can do!
My husband, my youngest son, my daughter and I have joined our good friend's family - his own family plus all his brothers and sisters and nephews and nieces - on a visit to his Lun Bawang roots. When we trudged through mud for 2-3 hours, we were told that my friend and his siblings used to walk like that for 3 days just to get to school. And they did it, starting at the tender age of 6 plus, without any adult supervision but under the guidance of older school-mates.
After the first 15 min of walking bare-foot through the very muddy path, I nearly gave up because I was never this dirty in my life before. My feet were sore from cuts and bruises and I really did not like the idea of stepping into a muddy puddle, not knowing what is at the bottom of it. Sometimes, there were sharp thorns or sharp pieces of wood. Sometimes it was simply so slippery that I fell on my bottoms and was covered with mud. Often we had to step on buffalo shit which we nicknamed "Hongkong Pau" because it was all over the place. When we finally reached the fish pond we were rewarded with freshly-cut sugar cane to quench our thirst. The view was beautiful - 2 big fish ponds and padi fields with their golden grains nearby. We had a lot of fun catching fish with nets - 2 pails of fresh water fish for our dinner that day. But we had to trudge through mud again on our way home. I was so glad to see the village again. The ordeal was over! The feeling of great satisfaction that I was able to complete that journey was wonderful! It goes to show that often we are capable of doing much more than we think we can! Let us not be limited by what we think we can do. Let us look for opportunities to test our limits - physical, mental, spiritual - to try to go beyond what we know we can do!
Wednesday 2 January 2008
Hello there! I can't believe I have blogged only once last month! Well my children were hogging the computers during their holidays and we were traveling quite a bit. Anyway, it is good to be back and I hope to discipline myself to blog everyday.
Happy New Year! 2008 is here! What great opportunity to start anew and get things right! Below is part of the lyrics of a song I love:
May the Good Lord bless and keep you,
Whether near or far away;
May you find that long awaited golden day today.
May your troubles all be small ones,
And your fortunes ten times ten,
May you walk with sunlight shining
And a blue bird in every tree;
May there be a silver lining
Back at every cloud you see;
Fill your dreams with sweet tomorrows,
Never mind what might have been;
May the Good Lord bless and keep you
Till we meet again!
I had a most lovely double celebration of the New Year and the 21st. wedding anniversary of my husband and I. We welcomed the New Year with a big group of friends . There were more than 50 of us and it was great fun to enjoy a very good dinner and singing and watching an encouraging video together. Later yesterday morning my husband and I drove to Damai Puri Resort and Spa in Santubong, about 45 min from Kuching. That place used to be the Holiday Inn Damai Lagoon Resort but it was bought over by the Sutra Harbour group. It is still under renovations, but half of the rooms had been beautifully renovated and there was a new family pool with water slides and fountains. The only problem was that the water was so shallow that my husband scrapped his fingers while we were swimming in the pool. But we had a very good time relaxing at the beach, watching the breaking of the strong waves as they reach the beach. The weather was cool and the breeze was refreshing. We chatted and simply enjoyed each other's company. It is good to steal away from everyone and everything else once in a while and just enjoy the presence of the one you love. This is a ritual we have been keeping for the last 21 years. Every 1st.January will find us celebrating our love in a hotel somewhere, usually on a beach, my favorite holiday venue. God is so good to us and we continue to trust Him to keep us strongly bonded together in Him.
As we drove home today, we decided to make just one new year resolution. We will commit ourselves to having at least 2 family devotional times every week. Every Monday night and Thursday night, immediately after dinner, we shall read the Bible and pray together with the two children who are still home with us. We must not neglect the nurturing of our spiritual lives as a family. So much time and effort is spent on academics and badminton that it is easy to forgo family devotions but we must do our utmost to keep growing spiritually as a family that trust in Almighty God. May God help us!
Happy New Year! 2008 is here! What great opportunity to start anew and get things right! Below is part of the lyrics of a song I love:
May the Good Lord bless and keep you,
Whether near or far away;
May you find that long awaited golden day today.
May your troubles all be small ones,
And your fortunes ten times ten,
May you walk with sunlight shining
And a blue bird in every tree;
May there be a silver lining
Back at every cloud you see;
Fill your dreams with sweet tomorrows,
Never mind what might have been;
May the Good Lord bless and keep you
Till we meet again!
I had a most lovely double celebration of the New Year and the 21st. wedding anniversary of my husband and I. We welcomed the New Year with a big group of friends . There were more than 50 of us and it was great fun to enjoy a very good dinner and singing and watching an encouraging video together. Later yesterday morning my husband and I drove to Damai Puri Resort and Spa in Santubong, about 45 min from Kuching. That place used to be the Holiday Inn Damai Lagoon Resort but it was bought over by the Sutra Harbour group. It is still under renovations, but half of the rooms had been beautifully renovated and there was a new family pool with water slides and fountains. The only problem was that the water was so shallow that my husband scrapped his fingers while we were swimming in the pool. But we had a very good time relaxing at the beach, watching the breaking of the strong waves as they reach the beach. The weather was cool and the breeze was refreshing. We chatted and simply enjoyed each other's company. It is good to steal away from everyone and everything else once in a while and just enjoy the presence of the one you love. This is a ritual we have been keeping for the last 21 years. Every 1st.January will find us celebrating our love in a hotel somewhere, usually on a beach, my favorite holiday venue. God is so good to us and we continue to trust Him to keep us strongly bonded together in Him.
As we drove home today, we decided to make just one new year resolution. We will commit ourselves to having at least 2 family devotional times every week. Every Monday night and Thursday night, immediately after dinner, we shall read the Bible and pray together with the two children who are still home with us. We must not neglect the nurturing of our spiritual lives as a family. So much time and effort is spent on academics and badminton that it is easy to forgo family devotions but we must do our utmost to keep growing spiritually as a family that trust in Almighty God. May God help us!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)