Good day, Mdm!
Thank you for arranging the durian plantation trip last week. I believe everyone had a great time! Thank God for His Grace throughout this trip. Can't help it but kept noticing the rhythm of grace working around us through the entire trip.
Was there grace, you may ask? Well, We left Singapore with heavy down pour and we arrived the durian plantation without a single drop of rain. Our trip could have been ruined with that down pour, isn't it? That's grace.
The mosquitoes attack was kept to a minimal, thanks to your Army-proven mosquitoes repellent spray. And I believe you came to that knowledge of using such repellent in time for this trip. Or else we could have been irritated by mosquitoes bite throughout the plantation walk, isn't it? That's grace.
Those durian we ate, they were creamy, bitterly sweet and delicious. However, the environment for consuming them was not conducive. The house flies were all over the place. The durian could have been easily contaminated by these flies and we could have fell sick after consuming them. Thank God none of us had diarrhea nor fell sick. That's grace. I remember many years ago we were in Bandung, Indonesian for mission trip, we had our lunch in one of the chicken stall. Likewise, house flies were all over. Some of us fell sick and had diarrhea after the meal.
And that driver, being new to the route, did not waste too much time searching for the destination. Or else, we will be spending most of our time searching for the location. One thing I really admire about this driver is that although he spent 16 hours driving us around (not including the time he himself need from his starting point) and graciously serving our needs, I did not notice any tiredness from his face instead he was always smiling and friendly throughout. Well, you can say that he is working hard for the money. For 16 hours without a sign of tiredness and serving with smiling face does make a difference to a road trip. Imagine if we have met a grouchy driver, our trip would have been less enjoyable, isn't it. That's grace.
And your friend, Terence. What a friend... to spend his entire day to show us around Maur. That's grace.
Grace is all around throughout this trip. Are you seeing it? There's this rhythm of grace and everything seem to fit in nicely in its place. All we need to do is just flow and be thankful to God that everything turn up well even though it is just a simple trip.
By the way, you know that little hill your friend Terence brought us to climb. I know for you is chicken feet. But for me, it was a challenge. Before we reached the "mid" point where the hut is, I remember saying this to Brielle as I was carrying her " Grace Grace." For I knew I would not have the strength to carry her all the way to the top. Thank God, some of us decided to stay behind (for I doubt I could continue further with Brielle along) while Terence, youself, Greg and I decided to continue with the climb. And we made it to the top! Thank God for His grace.
In Zechariah 4:6-7., Zerubbabel has struggled to build the temple amid all many and means of problems. An angel comes with encouragement and wisdom:
This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel:
“Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit”
says the Lord of Hosts.
Who are you great mountain?
Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!
And he shall bring forth the capstone
With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”
Basically, the message to Zerubbabel and to us is that some problems are beyond our ability to fix, no matter how powerful or talented we may be. When we rely on the LORD and say "Grace Grace" to our situation, the task will complete by the Spirit of the Lord. Amen!
My "mountain" then was to climb up the hill that day. Thank God despite the challenge, I made it alive! I knew people who was more fit than me fell flat (died) in the midst of his challenge. It's real and sad. Thank God I am alive! That's grace.
You might ask "So, how do we tap into this grace? If nothing we do can earn God's Grace, how do we constantly positioned ourselves to receive His favor in our daily life?"
Let's go to 2 Peter 1:2-3:
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
God’s Word tells us that when we receive revelation in the knowledge of Jesus, it will cause grace and peace to be multiplied in our lives. It will cause us to receive all things that pertain to life and godliness.
What is grace? It is the unmerited, unearned and undeserved favor of God shown to us. There is nothing we can do to earn God’s grace. But the more we learn of the beauty and love of our Lord Jesus, the more we see His perfect work on the cross, the more we position ourselves to receive a multiplication of God’s grace in our lives.
The verse says that peace too, is multiplied to us through the knowledge of Jesus our Lord. The peace of God sets our hearts free from fear, stress, worries, anxieties and cares. Won’t you want to have the peace of God presiding over your heart always?
God’s divine power has given us all things that pertain not just to godliness, but to life as well. Won’t you say that health, money, a good job and a nice home for your family pertain to life? Well, all these things and everything else which God has already given is released to us through the knowledge of Jesus our Lord.
So let’s ask God every day, “Father, give me wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus.” For to know Jesus is to have grace and peace multiplied to us. To know Jesus is to receive all things pertaining to life and godliness! Amen!
Grace & peace be with you always.
Shalom
Bro
No comments:
Post a Comment