I will not fear, I will not stumble for I know "My Father is with me".
They that wait upon the Lord,
shall renew their strength.
They shall rise up on wings of eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall run and not faint.
Teach me Lord,
teach me Lord to wait.
Blessed be the name of the Lord, who's name is worthy of all praises!
For me, I took a random visit to Williamstown and snapped some pictures, fleeing away from all the hustle and bustle of life. (to be exact, student life)
Away from all the congested knowledge of science.
Thank God for a relaxing time.
I love this picture the most, it gave me a sense of peace.
By, the time i reached williamstown, the sky was getting darker, so I didn't get much time to explore. But these are the pictures from the pier.
And they had this beauty tied up near the pier.
A couple of random shops.
Blessed week everyone.
Amazingly, just a few days ago, I read through the very same scripture again, and this time to a deeper understanding of the word.
Today, Pastor Tim shared about the desperation to immerse ourselves in the word of God. To dare to step out and dare to say I'd rather die than to be in captivity in my sins, dare to die to self and flesh but alive in the Lord, partaking in His death and resurrection.
For me to live is Christ and to die is gain, for it's no longer I but Christ that lives in me. For this life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the son of God, who loves me and He gave His life for me, that I may be free. The very words that Paul said, when he came to a point that understands, believe and experience, in the knowledge to truly say that, "Lord, to me to live is Christ and to die is gain"
I was reminded and encouraged to immerse myself deeply in the word of God, knowing that in the silence, is when He speaks.
1 Samuel 1
1Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:
2And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there.
4And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:
5But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb.
6And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.
7And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.
8Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?
9So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.
10And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.
11And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
12And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth.
13Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.
14And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.
15And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.
16Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.
17Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.
18And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.
Elkanah was a man of two wifes, of which one (Peninnah) gave him children, and the other (Hannah) that the Lord had shut up her womb. During those times, a woman would have been put to shame because she bareth not a child. People would say that the woman is cursed by God, and everyone would have said so. Even, reading the scriptures, we are told that the Lord shut up Hannah's womb. Owh, how shameful she must have felt.
Likewise we may or may not, or someone we know of that may have faced, or is facing situations where God allows things to happen. We know that the Lord tempt not, but the Lord allows us to go through it. And these are those, that causes your spirit man to be sorrowful and fret.
Before this, we weren't told much about Hannah and neither do we know what she did. But, I see a woman of unspoken faith one that is willing to lay it all and trust in Him.
Year by year, whenever Elkanah would go up to the temple of God to give the offering, she would be sorrowful about it, knowing that the Lord hath shut up her womb. Even so, Elkanah would give Hannah a worthy portion. He did not despise his wife and thought of it as a shame, but instead he loved Hannah much to give her a worthy portion.
As the rest ate and got drunk, Hannah rose up to the temple of the Lord, having eaten not, nor drinketh any strong drink or getting drunk.
Verse 10 shows that she was in bitterness, and it was then out of desperation, she prayed unto the Lord and wept in sore. She was bitter and had a broken spirit. Her petition unto the Lord, was so that she be given a man child as the Lord remembers her. And, she would offer up this child to the Lord in return, so that the child will be set apart for the Lord and be called of the Lord.
This is when, you see the desperation in her heart, OWH LORD may you remember me, and give me a manchild. If so, this child shall be yours and called for your purpose, if so my very flesh and blood be offered to you, my Lord. The intensity of her prayer as she cried out from her heart, as if the word she could have prayed, out of desperation, out of sorrow, out from a sore and bitter heart, she COULD NOT describe anything using her mouth.
Lord, why have you shut my womb? I wonder what she prayed....
Sometimes, we say things or pray about somethings we don't mean of those words, sincerely. People would love to qoute this, "PRAY for the SAKE of praying"
But the question here is this, how desperate are you until you are willing to pour out all your heart before the Lord. How desperate will you get until you cry out to the Lord and entrust Him in all the things.
ARE YOU CONTENT with the gifts, the portion, or are you desperate enough, to want to have a living relationship with our Father and bare this manchild within you, that is the life of Christ.
How long will you wait until, you need to cry out so badly that the priest thinks that you're drunk? or until you say, "Lord, I offer up the things of which you give" if it even means my own flesh and blood. How desperate will you get until you pour your soul to the Lord
One thing I admire about Hannah, is that, even through the trail, she could say in the confidence of our Lord, I AM NOT AN UNGODLY PERSON and have done no wickedness. I say this because, more often than so, it is through all the tough times that we fall short of His glory, and instead of speaking words of life, we often speak of poison, as though the smell of death lingers about in our mouth. But instead she could find grace in the presence of the Lord.
She poured out from the heart, an unspoken prayer.
Weeping and crying before the Lord, her mouth moved, but she uttered not.
The last part of this scripture, was a drastic change noticed through Hannah. After she poured out her heart to the Lord, He ate and was no more sad.
As much as we serve the Lord in many ways, have we left our first love? The Lord spoke to one of the church in the book of Revelation, saying, you have cast out evil in my name, and know between good and evil, but I am somewhat against thee, for you have left your first love.
when will we wake up to know that we should never be contended about having our lifes just the way it is, with all our worthy portions? Will we ever come to a point of discontentment, knowing there's much more to what has been set? Will we come to pour our hearts to the Lord. And say and unpoken prayer, a prayer from the heart?
"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search me with all your heart" Jeremiah 29:13
And after so, will we have the faith to partake of the food and fret no more, as the Lord says, cast thy worries upon me.
I learned of her unshakened faith in the Lord, as written in the book of Mark, pray and believe that you have recieved it, and it shall be done unto you. Many times, the human nature doubts in the possibility of the Lord answering your prayers, you resolve in plan A, plan B... right after you say that prayer. Where is that unshakened faith? if it means years and years of waiting. The bible did not tell us, how long did Hannah wait for a child, but in that period, she did not fret. She believed!
An unspoken prayer, an unshakable faith.
Surely time makes us take just a glimpse at moments in time, but even more, a lifetime of experience.
Week two passed by in a blink of the eye, *gasp*, much to do, much to learn...
Lord, grant me grace to overcome all these things.
I remembered quite awhile ago, I felt deeply touched by this poem "footprints". I guess most of us are pretty familiar with this trendy poem sending around; but to me, whenever things get a little lonely and rough at times, I truly see myself walking with the Lord at the beach, talking to Him and really needing things to slow down, and freeze at that moment. And at that time, to be in a living relationship with Him again.
I remembered how my beloved sister in Christ use to share with me about the revelation she got while she saw the waves coming towards the shores. When it comes you still can escape and not get hit by it. But when you're hit by it, it's rather hard to stand up again before another wave strikes again, because it's likely that you're being drawn back by the strong waves. It's like how sin is like, before you can stand up again, it hits you once more, and you find it hard to stand up, because it constantly draws us away from God. In Romans 6 it says that sin is emnity against God.
Yet, we tend to dwell in the sinful nature of the flesh. Unknowingly separating us from this living relationship with the Holy God. The bible also tells us that, "without holiness no man shall see the Lord" or enter into the Holy place.
I pray that through this time, I can hold on steadfastly in faith to the Lord through every situation. Believing and hoping in His grace upon my life to go through everyday, Remembering the goodness of our Lord and Saviour. Not conforming to the ways of the flesh but being renewed in mind as a new creation in Christ.
Amen.
Footprint
One night I had a dream -
I dreamed I was walking along the Beach with Lord
And across the sky flshed scenes from my life.
For each scene I noticed two set of footprints in the sand
One belonged to me and the other to the Lord
When the last scene in my life flashed before me.
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that many times along the path of my life,
there was only one set of footprints.
I also noticed that it happened at the
very lowest and saddest times in my life.
This really bothered me and
I questioned the Lord about it
"Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,
you would walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during
the most troublesome time in my life
There is only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why in times when I
needed you most, you should leave me"
The Lord replied, "My precious, precious child,
I love you and I would never, never
leave you during the times of trial and suffering.
When you saw only one set of footprints,
It was then that I carried you."
wonderful isn't it? to be love by the Lord and to entrust your life to Him. But remember that we are called into this living relationship with Him, to love Him with all our heart, our strength, our mind and soul. And this is the greatest commandment for us. For if we get caught in the waves, only the Lord can save us before we drown in it, through His blood that He shed for the cleansing of our hearts.
Blessed week.
