It's Already Written

Christmas is just around the corner. And this month of December had been great :) I experienced a huge breakthrough in my struggle this month, got to share about God's love to many, have more rest, experience financial providence, greater fellowship in LG and family and with others, more exercising towards a healthy body etc and also to seek God personally. 

However, just last night I stumbled in my struggle and even dwell in it until I came to God personally today. There was a sense of emptiness, dryness, tiredness and perhaps even sadness. It came about because, my sin is a broken cistern that cannot hold water. As it is said:

Be appalled at this, you heavens,

    and shudder with great horror,”
declares the Lord. 

“My people have committed two sins:

They have forsaken me,
    the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
    broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

-Jeremiah 2:12-13

 However, God is the spring of living water that truly satisfies my soul. Jesus says that whoever drinks of the water he gives will never thirst. So I came bowing down in prayer to lay down the flesh and pride, for a broken and contrite heart pleases God; and it is then that His grace can abound and bring about restoration. 

And indeed, God reminded me of His grace in full! His grace through His son Jesus

It just happened that after praying and going to my daily reading, I realized that the New Testament is just around the corner(Left with the end of Zechariah, and Malachi) just as Christmas happened to be too :) What a joy to know that I'll be reading of the birth of Jesus on Christmas day!

The highlighted verses speaks prophetically of the betrayal of Judas to Jesus and of the grace and supplication poured out on the Day of the Lord, and the remembrance of Jesus crucifixion with mourning just as one for his only child and firstborn son.

Jesus, what a beautiful savior. He came to Earth in Calvary, God’s only begotten Son. The one foretold by the prophets, the Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counselor, the Lord of all. He was born to die, so that we can be reborn into life! He overcame E-v-i-l with L-i-v-e. So that we can have this grace to be reconciled with God and have life to the fullest! Merry CHRISTmas :)

Even though I stumbled, God again reminded me through Christmas that He is watching over me and always loving me. That it is about Jesus who came for me rather than me.

I continued in a time of worship, as being in the presence of God brings such sweetness to the soul. Then I went to the Kitchen to make dinner. My mum just came home and she told me about how a crisis she was facing in her Biz was just resolved, and said the verse that was shared in the Christmas Musical this weekend "With man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible". While it is referring to the receiving of salvation, it also holds true to many of the things we go through.

I watched the sermon "It's Already Written" during dinner, and it is really encouraging! It talks about the distinction between report and news. News is the thing that happened, report is the perception of it. And a quote was shared that "We experience what we perceive". And this is very true. Many times, before we even get a bad news or do something, we have preconceived notions about it.

The sermon talks about the 12 spies that Moses sent to investigate the Promised Land. And 10 of the spies, came back reporting about how the men there were stronger than them. Even when the land was indeed flowing with milk and honey, the 10 purposely spread a bad report to the rest of the Israelites. Only Caleb and Joshua focused on the fruitfulness of the land, and the 170 over times that God said that it is "the land I have given you" even though they have not got it.

God asked them to size up the land, but not themselves. However the 10 sized up the men and the cities there to themselves and say that the men there were stronger. They evaluated the land with perceptions of themselves, and it became a reality for them. 40 years later, the 10 and the others who did not believe passed away, then Caleb, Joshua and the rest went to inherit the Promised Land.

When we face our circumstances, we do not dismiss the reality and facts, but we should not perceive the circumstances through our imperfect lenses, but instead magnify God and perceive our circumstances through Him, through His Word and grace.

It's about a 10 to 2 ratio, of the no. of thoughts that tell us we can't and the no. of thoughts that tell us we can. It is written in Ephesians that God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ, but our thoughts are the spies that determine whether or not we take the step.

I realized that before I stumbled yesterday, I started dwelling more on the flesh gradually. It can be through simply checking out all the social sites, and phone games before spending my QT with God when I wake up, or watching more and more anime such that I delay watching a sermon. These aren't inherently bad, but it took my focus off of the one who is truly important and off the things of the Spirit. Maybe that's how I eventually stumbled, even though I started my day immediately with God yesterday. As it is said that "We experience what we perceive", the flesh/the Spirit.

Just before entering the Promised Land, Joshua sent spies to investigate the land again. And this time he only sent 2. And perhaps we only need 2 as well. In Psalm 23, when David talks about the Lord being his shepherd, and even about walking through the darkest valley with Him, he said "Surely your goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever". Regardless of what you are facing, you only need an awareness of 2 things, that Surely, His Goodness and Mercy will follow me All the days of your life!

Your story is Already Written! Your hope is secured, you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, you are Conquerors and His dear children! The News is not as important as the Issues we make out of it. Let us continue to focus on the Good News, on His goodness and mercy, and take hold of His promises and walk with the Holy Spirit. Then we can experience fruitfulness, the power of the Holy Spirit and life to the fullest, even as we eagerly await for Christ to return :)