Thinking back, I asked God to humble me this past semester. I thought it would look something like this: I would keep getting my A's and God would just make me more humble. Wishful thinking but the former has not turned out to be reality thus far. Everything I prided myself in as a student, a good memory, straight A's, a strong work ethic, all of those things have disappeared before my very eyes. What I once boasted in and defined myself as has ceased to exist up to this point half way through the Fall 2009 semester. I now see why God says not to boast in anything but our relationship with Him. Nothing else lasts. Nothing. God heard my prayer and answered it. Even though it wasn't the way I was expecting, praise God!
Talents are God given. He can give and take them away at anytime. I feel like my "ability to get A's" is practically gone. Last night, I went into my organic chemistry exam in complete peace, not because of who I am but because of who my God is. Just because I can't do what I once could to doesn't mean that I cannot continue to praise God. In every moment and every situation, there is an opportunity to bring glory to God. Though by all worldly standards I may have failed last night, I know that my heart and attitude brought glory to God. Praise God for the opportunities to continue to praise Him.
This semester has been nothing like I thought. While my academics haven't been as hot as I was hoping they'd be, that doesn't mean that God has been silent. He's surrounded my with fellowship. He's continued to mold me through circumstances. He's given me friends of whom continually encourage me to keep pursuing God and praising Him in all moments. And most of all, even through my shortcomings, He hasn't given up on me. Thank you God. Thank you so much.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
2nd Samuel 2:1-7
With the death of Saul, it only seemed natural that David would become king, just as God had promised. However, in verse one, it says that David "in the course of time, inquired of the Lord" whether he should go back to Judah. Conventional wisdom would say that David should have just moved back to Judah and assumed his role as king immediately because "the timing was right". David's response shows that he did not rely on earthly wisdom but rather that of God. God alone is wise. As it says in 1st Corinthians, even God's "foolishness" is wiser than any human wisdom. Even when the course of action seems natural, turn to God and seek His direction alone.
With the death of Saul, it only seemed natural that David would become king, just as God had promised. However, in verse one, it says that David "in the course of time, inquired of the Lord" whether he should go back to Judah. Conventional wisdom would say that David should have just moved back to Judah and assumed his role as king immediately because "the timing was right". David's response shows that he did not rely on earthly wisdom but rather that of God. God alone is wise. As it says in 1st Corinthians, even God's "foolishness" is wiser than any human wisdom. Even when the course of action seems natural, turn to God and seek His direction alone.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Seeking God has honestly become a chore. Keeping our eyes on God is no easy task. I'm going into a rough week of school (aka there's an organic chemistry exam this week) and I feel like there's a weight on my shoulders at the moment. No matter how much I pray, this burden doesn't go away. No matter how many times I try and set my heart straight, it ends up fixated upon a performance based measurement of success. Each day that I read God's word, I do so more out of duty than desire. My attitude is poor and I feel like even when I blog, I'm going through the motions. Here's the awesome part though. Even though my attitude is poor and my heart is else where, God works through that. The presence of the Holy Spirit is not deterred by my shortcomings. God is still God and He is still willing to speak to me even in my present condition. I cannot give up meeting with Him even when I feel like it. When my heart is out of this state that it's in, it won't be because of my efforts or anything that I did. It will be by God's grace alone.
Psalm 18
This is probably one of the longer Pslams that I've read. I find it a bit redundant at some points but the message is very clear. Right from the beginning, David says the following things about God:
1) Rock
2) Fortress
3) Deliverer
4) Shield
5) Horn of salvation
6) Stronghold
Talk about protection! David then talks about how He called upon the Lord for help in times of trouble. In his description of God's response, we get the image of this majestic divine power, one that shook the earth and parted the heavens. No wonder why David felt so secure with God. So often we forget who our God is in times of trouble. The very God that created the universe is the same God that desires a relationship with us and unconditionally loves us. Our God can do anything. Do our prayer reflect that? Do we pray boldly with faith or do we just pray the small prayers in fear that He can't answer the bigger ones? David was so helpless in his situation and He prayed to God with faith and God delivered him. Simply put, without God, we can do nothing.
Psalm 18
This is probably one of the longer Pslams that I've read. I find it a bit redundant at some points but the message is very clear. Right from the beginning, David says the following things about God:
1) Rock
2) Fortress
3) Deliverer
4) Shield
5) Horn of salvation
6) Stronghold
Talk about protection! David then talks about how He called upon the Lord for help in times of trouble. In his description of God's response, we get the image of this majestic divine power, one that shook the earth and parted the heavens. No wonder why David felt so secure with God. So often we forget who our God is in times of trouble. The very God that created the universe is the same God that desires a relationship with us and unconditionally loves us. Our God can do anything. Do our prayer reflect that? Do we pray boldly with faith or do we just pray the small prayers in fear that He can't answer the bigger ones? David was so helpless in his situation and He prayed to God with faith and God delivered him. Simply put, without God, we can do nothing.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
1st Corinthians 1:19 "For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."
What this Earth sees as wisdom, God sees as foolishness. Sometimes what God desires flies in the face of conventional wisdom and logical thinking but God is no fool. Later on in the passage, it talks about how God's 'foolishness' is greater than mans wisdom and His 'weakness' is greater than man's strength. Here we are, sitting in our comfortable lives thinking that we know everything and elaborately plan for the future based upon what we think to be 'wise'. Relying on our wisdom will lead to nothing but a life filled with foolishness. Living for God, while seemingly foolish, has so much more in store than superficial 'foolishness'.
It's going to be a busy week this week. I feel like I need to study and do well on all of my exams. But I realize that more than anything, I need God. Instead of digging deep into my organic chemistry book, I need to spend time reading His word, seeking His face, and listening for His voice. When trials come and life gets hectic, it is not time to turn rely on human wisdom but rather to turn to God for His wisdom and guidance. In my current situation, I found myself looking for people to talk to. Fortunately, my AIM stopped working and I felt the need to turn to God instead.
What this Earth sees as wisdom, God sees as foolishness. Sometimes what God desires flies in the face of conventional wisdom and logical thinking but God is no fool. Later on in the passage, it talks about how God's 'foolishness' is greater than mans wisdom and His 'weakness' is greater than man's strength. Here we are, sitting in our comfortable lives thinking that we know everything and elaborately plan for the future based upon what we think to be 'wise'. Relying on our wisdom will lead to nothing but a life filled with foolishness. Living for God, while seemingly foolish, has so much more in store than superficial 'foolishness'.
It's going to be a busy week this week. I feel like I need to study and do well on all of my exams. But I realize that more than anything, I need God. Instead of digging deep into my organic chemistry book, I need to spend time reading His word, seeking His face, and listening for His voice. When trials come and life gets hectic, it is not time to turn rely on human wisdom but rather to turn to God for His wisdom and guidance. In my current situation, I found myself looking for people to talk to. Fortunately, my AIM stopped working and I felt the need to turn to God instead.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
2 Samuel 1
Back in high school, my bible study went over the book of 1st Samuel. It's been years since then but the lessons that I learned in that still hold strongly in my life to this day. I figured that I would start reading 2nd Samuel as it is a natural continuation of 1st Samuel. I must say, I am actually quite confused about a bunch of things that happened in the first half of chapter 1.
In the beginning of 2nd Samuel, David finally becomes the king of Israel. He knew that this day would come but he waited upon the Lord to work in His own timing. David went through many struggles and even had the opportunity to kill Saul with this own hands and take the throne, and yet David patiently waited. It's amazing how much David trusted God. David had the chance to seize what was the throne by his own might and yet he waited for God. God held true to His promise and David's patience paid off. So many times, we see an opportunity before us and say "Wow, I HAVE to take this opportunity because it might now come again!" and we blindly charge forward. Just because the opportunity presents itself doesn't mean that God necessarily wants you to take it. Be patient and seek HIS answer and HIS desires first and foremost.
What confuses me the most is David's reaction to the news of Saul's death at the hands of a man from Saul's camp. David wept. He mourned not only for the death of his dear friend, Saul's son Jonathan, but also for Saul, his enemy. I understand that David was distraught by the death of his friend but why did he mourn for Saul? Saul had wronged him in so many ways. The way that I see this is almost as if the Jews were to mourn the death of Hitler at the end of World War II. I'm no history buff but such a thing probably did not happen. So why then would David mourn for Saul?
I think it ultimately boils down to David's character. As we read farther into 2 Samuel 1, we realize a few things. David acknowledges that Saul was appointed by God to be king. Being a man of faith, that means David accepted the fact and realized that it was part of the Lord's plan. David was trusting in the Lord and knew that Saul had been in place for a reason. From verse 17 on is a lament for Saul and Jonathan. Rather than talk about all the times that Saul tried to kill him, David notes the good in Saul. It would have been easy for David to celebrate in Saul's death but that would not have honored God. As a man after God's heart, David honored God by loving Saul, his enemy, even after all that Saul had done. David desired to follow God's commands and that is evident.
The prayer of my heart is that I can be a more loving person. David loved the very man that almost speared him while he was playing the harp. In no way, shape, or form has anyone ever thrown a spear at me and yet I still find it hard to love people.
Back in high school, my bible study went over the book of 1st Samuel. It's been years since then but the lessons that I learned in that still hold strongly in my life to this day. I figured that I would start reading 2nd Samuel as it is a natural continuation of 1st Samuel. I must say, I am actually quite confused about a bunch of things that happened in the first half of chapter 1.
In the beginning of 2nd Samuel, David finally becomes the king of Israel. He knew that this day would come but he waited upon the Lord to work in His own timing. David went through many struggles and even had the opportunity to kill Saul with this own hands and take the throne, and yet David patiently waited. It's amazing how much David trusted God. David had the chance to seize what was the throne by his own might and yet he waited for God. God held true to His promise and David's patience paid off. So many times, we see an opportunity before us and say "Wow, I HAVE to take this opportunity because it might now come again!" and we blindly charge forward. Just because the opportunity presents itself doesn't mean that God necessarily wants you to take it. Be patient and seek HIS answer and HIS desires first and foremost.
What confuses me the most is David's reaction to the news of Saul's death at the hands of a man from Saul's camp. David wept. He mourned not only for the death of his dear friend, Saul's son Jonathan, but also for Saul, his enemy. I understand that David was distraught by the death of his friend but why did he mourn for Saul? Saul had wronged him in so many ways. The way that I see this is almost as if the Jews were to mourn the death of Hitler at the end of World War II. I'm no history buff but such a thing probably did not happen. So why then would David mourn for Saul?
I think it ultimately boils down to David's character. As we read farther into 2 Samuel 1, we realize a few things. David acknowledges that Saul was appointed by God to be king. Being a man of faith, that means David accepted the fact and realized that it was part of the Lord's plan. David was trusting in the Lord and knew that Saul had been in place for a reason. From verse 17 on is a lament for Saul and Jonathan. Rather than talk about all the times that Saul tried to kill him, David notes the good in Saul. It would have been easy for David to celebrate in Saul's death but that would not have honored God. As a man after God's heart, David honored God by loving Saul, his enemy, even after all that Saul had done. David desired to follow God's commands and that is evident.
The prayer of my heart is that I can be a more loving person. David loved the very man that almost speared him while he was playing the harp. In no way, shape, or form has anyone ever thrown a spear at me and yet I still find it hard to love people.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Psalm 104
Psalm 104
1 Praise the LORD, O my soul.
O LORD my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.
2 He wraps himself in light as with a garment;
he stretches out the heavens like a tent
3 and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
and rides on the wings of the wind.
4 He makes winds his messengers, [a]
flames of fire his servants.
5 He set the earth on its foundations;
it can never be moved.
6 You covered it with the deep as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
7 But at your rebuke the waters fled,
at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;
8 they flowed over the mountains,
they went down into the valleys,
to the place you assigned for them.
9 You set a boundary they cannot cross;
never again will they cover the earth.
10 He makes springs pour water into the ravines;
it flows between the mountains.
11 They give water to all the beasts of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 The birds of the air nest by the waters;
they sing among the branches.
13 He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;
the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work.
14 He makes grass grow for the cattle,
and plants for man to cultivate—
bringing forth food from the earth:
15 wine that gladdens the heart of man,
oil to make his face shine,
and bread that sustains his heart.
16 The trees of the LORD are well watered,
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
17 There the birds make their nests;
the stork has its home in the pine trees.
18 The high mountains belong to the wild goats;
the crags are a refuge for the coneys. [b]
19 The moon marks off the seasons,
and the sun knows when to go down.
20 You bring darkness, it becomes night,
and all the beasts of the forest prowl.
21 The lions roar for their prey
and seek their food from God.
22 The sun rises, and they steal away;
they return and lie down in their dens.
23 Then man goes out to his work,
to his labor until evening.
24 How many are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
25 There is the sea, vast and spacious,
teeming with creatures beyond number—
living things both large and small.
26 There the ships go to and fro,
and the leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.
27 These all look to you
to give them their food at the proper time.
28 When you give it to them,
they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
they are satisfied with good things.
29 When you hide your face,
they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to the dust.
30 When you send your Spirit,
they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
may the LORD rejoice in his works-
32 he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,
who touches the mountains, and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice in the LORD.
35 But may sinners vanish from the earth
and the wicked be no more.
Praise the LORD, O my soul.
Praise the LORD. [c]
What an awesome passage! This psalm paints a picture of God's majesty and glory. When we see creation, we think of it to be aesthetically pleasing. We marvel at the beauty of the sunsets, at the vast expanses of water. The mountains take our breath away. We sit and gaze upon the stars in their beauty. But this psalm reminds us that all those things come from God. The beauty of creation reflects upon God's mighty hand and design, to be able to create something so beautiful. Our God is an awesome God.
Psalm 104
1 Praise the LORD, O my soul.
O LORD my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.
2 He wraps himself in light as with a garment;
he stretches out the heavens like a tent
3 and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
and rides on the wings of the wind.
4 He makes winds his messengers, [a]
flames of fire his servants.
5 He set the earth on its foundations;
it can never be moved.
6 You covered it with the deep as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
7 But at your rebuke the waters fled,
at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;
8 they flowed over the mountains,
they went down into the valleys,
to the place you assigned for them.
9 You set a boundary they cannot cross;
never again will they cover the earth.
10 He makes springs pour water into the ravines;
it flows between the mountains.
11 They give water to all the beasts of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 The birds of the air nest by the waters;
they sing among the branches.
13 He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;
the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work.
14 He makes grass grow for the cattle,
and plants for man to cultivate—
bringing forth food from the earth:
15 wine that gladdens the heart of man,
oil to make his face shine,
and bread that sustains his heart.
16 The trees of the LORD are well watered,
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
17 There the birds make their nests;
the stork has its home in the pine trees.
18 The high mountains belong to the wild goats;
the crags are a refuge for the coneys. [b]
19 The moon marks off the seasons,
and the sun knows when to go down.
20 You bring darkness, it becomes night,
and all the beasts of the forest prowl.
21 The lions roar for their prey
and seek their food from God.
22 The sun rises, and they steal away;
they return and lie down in their dens.
23 Then man goes out to his work,
to his labor until evening.
24 How many are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
25 There is the sea, vast and spacious,
teeming with creatures beyond number—
living things both large and small.
26 There the ships go to and fro,
and the leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.
27 These all look to you
to give them their food at the proper time.
28 When you give it to them,
they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
they are satisfied with good things.
29 When you hide your face,
they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to the dust.
30 When you send your Spirit,
they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
may the LORD rejoice in his works-
32 he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,
who touches the mountains, and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice in the LORD.
35 But may sinners vanish from the earth
and the wicked be no more.
Praise the LORD, O my soul.
Praise the LORD. [c]
What an awesome passage! This psalm paints a picture of God's majesty and glory. When we see creation, we think of it to be aesthetically pleasing. We marvel at the beauty of the sunsets, at the vast expanses of water. The mountains take our breath away. We sit and gaze upon the stars in their beauty. But this psalm reminds us that all those things come from God. The beauty of creation reflects upon God's mighty hand and design, to be able to create something so beautiful. Our God is an awesome God.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Had the opportunity to catch up with a lot of friends this past weekend. It was awesome to hear how God has challenged them over the course of this school year. The general consensus is that sophomore year is a lot harder than freshman year. Everyone looks tired and stressed out like no other. I feel like God has been teaching a lot of us the same lesson: To fully rely on Him and trust Him in all things.
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