WHAT FAITH KNOWS

When I look at some of the men and women in the Bible, at a quick glance they seem
to be so confident, so certain of everything. Next to such seemingly unwavering faith,
we can start to feel a little unsure of our own faith.

Perhaps that’s because we’re seeing the miracles they experienced through the
perspective of hindsight. But try to put yourself in their shoes. Consider how
impossible the situation must have seemed for them at the time when they couldn’t
see the outcome.

For example, look at the three Hebrew men who were about to be thrown into the
fiery furnace for not bowing down and worshipping the golden image that
Nebuchadnezzar had set up. It might look like they were glowing with confidence in
front of the head of the largest empire of their day, certain that nothing could happen
to them in that fiery furnace. But could it be that they also battled fear and the
uncertainty of what would happen?

It’s true that their friend Daniel held a great deal of power and influence, and he might
have been able to stand up for them and rescue them from their fate, but he is not
mentioned in regard to this event and may have been away on a trip to another part
of the empire. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were on their own, standing up for
what they knew was right; and there they were before a king who saw himself as
God, surrounded by the king’s jealous counselors who may have seen these
Hebrews as a threat to their power. Those angry counselors had probably been
instrumental in whipping up the king’s fury against the three Hebrew men.

Despite the bold declaration of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that they would
trust in God no matter what happened, they were human and prone to the same fears
that any one of us facing such a horrifying fate would experience.

Faith isn’t the absence of fear; faith is what overcomes fear. My guess is that they
dreaded what was about to happen with everything in them, but they still knew what
they had to do. Their faith didn’t seem to be based on any assumption that their
bodies would miraculously be impervious to the heat and fire. At least, that’s not what
their words in the Bible indicate.

They said, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to
deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does
not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship
the image of gold you have set up.”

They didn’t know what would happen, but they had faith that God was in control.
Their faith was in the fact that no matter what, they knew God had a plan, and they
trusted Him to take care of them as He saw fit. They weren’t setting conditions
according to what seemed best to them. They didn’t tell the king that their bodies
couldn’t be burned. Of course they knew that God could do anything, but they weren’t
basing their faith on God keeping them from burning up in the furnace. Their faith was
in God’s love and power, not in the results they thought would be best.

We know that God will ultimately make things right in the next life, but that knowledge
doesn’t lessen the struggles of possibly facing very painful experiences or death. At
this moment in time, it’s not the next life that we have to deal with, it’s the present.

You may feel afraid of what you’re facing. You may not see anything you can do to fix
the situation you’re in. But God’s intervention in your life isn’t based on your self-
confidence. It’s based on your belief in Him and your trust in His unlimited power,
goodness, and love. You don’t have to believe that what you want to happen will
always happen. You just have to believe that God can bring about what is best in His
time and His way, because you trust Him.

Faith knows what is most important to know: God will never leave you nor forsake
you.

None of us knows what lies ahead. We often can’t know if that setback we’re facing
or the things we’re suffering will be gone in a minute or a month, or if they will last a
lifetime. Our faith can’t be built on expected results that make sense to us. What faith
knows is that Jesus will not leave us comfortless; He’ll be there walking with us
through the fire, as He was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

LIKE A DOG WITH TWO TAILS

There she was at the door, jumping up and down for joy, barking and wagging her
tail, as if to say: “He’s back!” After a long and tiring day, I received the most wonderful
welcome from our black Labrador retriever.

It made me feel good. I smiled and gave her the attention she wanted. After all, a dog
is man’s best friend.

But then a funny thought struck me: Am I just as excited when I meet with Jesus?
I’ll be honest: I have a way to go.

I treasure prayer, and I enjoy studying my Bible, but compared to my dog’s sincere
outburst of joy, I realize my enthusiasm could be greater.

Why is my dog so happy to see me? I suppose the answer is as simple as it is deep.
It’s because she treasures being with me. She isn’t only happy because she knows I
feed her and take her on long walks through the fields. She’s happy because she
wants to be with me.

When I read about the heroes of faith, I notice they had the same attitude.
These men and women of God liked to pray. They liked to read God’s Word. They
looked forward to the moment they could spend time with their Lord. They loved being
with Him early in the morning, late at night … and almost constantly throughout the
day.

Is that enthusiasm reserved for the great heroes of faith? What about average people
like me?

For a while, I thought I had that excitement in my relationship with God, but after
seeing my dog today, I’m looking at it a bit differently.

Sometimes my time with God feels flat, because I’ve got my priorities wrong. I’m not
seeking God because I like to be with Him, but because I have selfish reasons of my
own. I’m sad, or lonely, or sick, or struggling to pay the bills, or all of these things. In
short, I need something from Him.

It’s not wrong to pray for needs. Jesus wants us to do that. But in our relationship with
God, we should want to be with Him because we like it. Oswald Chambers said: “The
goal of prayer is that we get closer to God. It’s not that our prayers are answered.”
I’m going to take that lesson to heart.

Funny that I had to learn it from my dog.

MOUNTAIN MOVERS

I’ve always wondered what Jesus meant when He said, “If you had faith even as
small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’
and it would move.” I’ve never heard of mountains moving—and I’ve certainly never
moved a mountain—so why did He choose that analogy?

Over time, I’ve come to realize that while my faith hasn’t moved any literal mountains,
even a little bit of faith—faith the size of a tiny mustard seed—can overcome
mountainous obstacles in our lives.

The difficulty with this is that the outcome is often not as obvious as a mountain
moving and falling into the sea. Christian author Kent Crockett put it this way: “Faith is
the ability to look past adverse circumstances and see God’s hand at work.” That
ability can be hard to gauge, and that’s why we often wonder if our faith is real.

In Hebrews 11, Paul lists characters from the Old Testament who lived their entire
lives in faith, but never got to see the final fulfillment of what they were hoping for—
the kingdom of God on earth. Yet their faith was not wasted: among other things
along the way, “these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received
what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of
fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to
strength.”

Announcement

Chinese New Year Lunch
Date: 4th March 2018
Time: 12:30pm
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Date: 15-17 June 2018 (Fri-Sun)
Venue: La Pari-Pari Langkawi
Cost: RM300 - 16 April
Closing date: RM600 - 14 May
Details: Please contact Capt. Andrew/Capt Fiona

GOD NEVER LETS GO

We all sometimes face tough decisions where we wrestle to find the right path. We all
know how scary it can be to face the risks or consequences of making a wrong
move.

Quite a few years ago, when I had barely begun my journey as a volunteer
missionary, I was faced with a big decision. I was fretting and fearful and ended up
struggling for days with this decision. God eventually answered by giving me a simple
illustration.

It was a picture of a little girl who was holding her father’s hand as they walked. All
the while, this girl was fearfully begging her father to hold on to her and not let go!
“Daddy, please don’t let go of my hand!” On and on she went, until finally her father
stopped, knelt down, and looked straight into her eyes. With a firm but loving voice,
he told her that he would never let go of her, that as long as she wanted to stay close
to him, he would always lead her and walk beside her.

I got the point and made my decision. Since then, I have encountered many times
when I struggled with fear of the outcome, of making a mistake, or of going astray.
But whenever I’m faced with an important decision, this illustration always comes
back to me. It has comforted me a number of times over the years. As much as we
desire to make the best decisions we can, we all find ourselves looking back to those
times when we obviously didn’t. But even then, we can be encouraged by Jesus’
promise that He will never leave us or forsake us.

I think we sometimes have a false idea of what being on the right track or in God’s will
is. Life is naturally full of wrong turns and missteps, and sometimes we zig when we
should zag, but we can always return to His side and find our way again.

On the lonely and rugged mountain trails, He is our companion. On the trek through
the desert, when we thirst and feel the dryness of life and wonder when (and if) we’ll
find the oasis, He is bringing us closer with each step. When we push through the
crowds and confusion of day-to-day life and struggle against endless questions,
weariness, and discouragement, He walks beside us and tells us, “I’m here. Talk to
Me. Tell Me all about it.”

Sometimes the more dangerous territory for us can actually be when things seem to
be going just fine and we have found our stride. When things are looking up, we tend
to not have that same desperation for His presence.

And say we do fall, we blow it, and mess up—like so many of His followers that have
slipped, tripped, and fallen on their way through life’s journey. Does He ever give up
on us?

Of course not. The thought would never even cross His loving and forgiving mind.
Then why do we worry and fret? No matter what decisions I’ve faced or how daunting
they might have seemed, I can sincerely say that I have never regretted holding on to
His hand!

THE RIGHT CHOICE

The summer when I was twelve, my father surprised my younger sister and me by
announcing that he had a different plan for our summer holiday. Instead of planning
our vacation, he gave us the money that he had set aside and let us decide what to
do with it. We could save it, spend it as we pleased, or use it for a five-day vacation at
the lake. After some discussion and prayer, my sister and I told Dad that we wanted
to go on the lakeside vacation.

But immediately after making the decision, I felt a cloud of doubt descend. Suppose I
had not made the best choice? Perhaps the money would have been better spent on
something else? Then a series of severe typhoons and family emergencies forced us
to delay our vacation until the next summer, which added fuel to my worries. Maybe
this was all too much hassle?

When I voiced my feelings to Dad, he assured me that while I was free to change my
mind, fears and doubts were a natural part of making decisions. “Just because you
feel uncertain doesn’t mean you’ve made the wrong choice,” he said. Encouraged by
his words, I decided to wait and trust God to work everything out in His time. Sure
enough, a year later we were enjoying the time of our lives at the lake!

But I brought home more than happy memories and mementos; the experience
taught me important lessons that have since helped me many times when I faced
bigger and more important decisions with higher stakes.

I learned that hardly any decision can be made without taking a risk; yet being willing
to take that risk is crucial to arriving at a wise choice. Having difficulty reaching a
decision—and feeling worried or uncertain about it afterwards—is natural, and a wild
storm of emotions is not an indication that I should not have made the voyage or that
my boat will sink. God is both my anchor and my compass. I can trust Him to not only
steady me but to also guide me to His perfect destination, as His Word promises: “In
all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

LIGHTEN UP

The ministry of John the Baptist mostly preceded that of Jesus. John’s message was
one of repentance; he proclaimed the coming of the Savior. Although some of his
followers went on to become disciples of Jesus, others evidently stayed at John’s
side.

John is traditionally recognized as having been a zealous teacher. Perhaps his
strictness could be partly attributed to being a Nazarite from birth, which meant he
was not permitted to drink alcohol or cut his hair, and also had to abide by other
restrictions. Evidently he also expected quite a bit from his followers, as on one
occasion, some of them asked Jesus: “Why is it that we and the Pharisees rigorously
discipline body and spirit by fasting, but your followers don’t?”

Perhaps they were puzzled—and a little envious—of the more relaxed lifestyle of
Jesus’ disciples. Maybe there was even a bit of self-righteous chiding in this question,
implying that it was high time for Jesus to make His followers shape up. In any case,
Jesus replied: “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is
with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from
them, and then they will fast.” It sounds like He was saying, “Lighten up. Troubles will
come soon enough, so enjoy these moments of peace while you have them.”

We all sometimes make our lives harder than they need to be, by taking on more than
God expects of us. We convolute what could be straightforward. After all, the main
thing He wants is love. The prophet Micah put it this way: “He’s already made it plain
how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple:
Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love,
and don’t take yourself too seriously.”

Sure, there are occasions when our path is rough or there are life-changing decisions
to be made. But when we’re not in the midst of such critical times, maybe we should
avoid getting tied up in knots trying to figure out minor details of life. Otherwise, we
could end up missing out on the fullness of joy and peace that comes with God’s
presence.

Life is not always complicated, and decisions are not always major. Let’s remember
that, and when appropriate, let’s lighten up.

42 KILOMETERS OF LIFE

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of
faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily
trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this
by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.

I started walking away from what I knew God was calling me to a few months ago. I
think I just grew tired of striving.

Come to think of it, I didn’t walk away so much as stop walking. In any race, to stop is
to fall behind. I asked myself subconsciously why I had ever chosen to run in the first
place. I forgot the thrill of the chase, and all I could think of was how hot the asphalt
was.

All I did was stop to catch my breath, and now the pack is gone, far into the distance.
It feels like I am so far behind. But I feel a force beside me. It is the voice of my
Trainer, ever close, urging me on in spite of my weak character. Why does He still
care? Can’t He tell that I’m a loser and a quitter? Not only that, but I made empty
promises to Him and others—the other runners, sponsors, fans, friends, family, as
well as to myself.

He tells me that none of that matters; all He is asking me to do is to forget the past,
the grueling last few kilometers, and get up and run again. I tell Him I can’t do it; I
can’t finish this race. Here I am maybe 15 or 20 kilometers in, and I’m already sitting
down! What makes Him think I can do it?

He tells me that He will give me the strength. He gives me a cup of cool water to
drink. It tastes wonderful, and I realize that I had stopped drinking this refreshing
water. I had figured I didn’t have time.

He tells me that He will set the pace to ensure I make it to the end. “But,” I argue, “I
won’t win if I don’t push harder.”

He reminds me that I am running for more than a trophy. I’m not running to beat the
other runners. I’m running for a cause—to carry my flag over the line. I didn’t start this
race to give up.

The cup is empty now, my thirst is quenched, and it’s time to get back on the road.
I’m aware of the time I’ve lost by sitting under the tree, but a part of me is still
screaming to sit back down. It’s a full five degrees hotter on the road! But is that
enough to keep me down? I was born to run!I tell myself. But I still can’t bring myself
to start. I can’t let Him down! I try to convince myself, but still the shade holds me
fast.

That’s when I hear it, carried on the gentle wind that swirls all around me! From just
around the next bend, they beckon me—those champions from races past. No, not
the vacationers sipping cocktails just behind the fence; these voices are much higher
up in the bleachers, in seats reserved for those who have gone before, who deserve
the honor and recognition accorded to those who have paid the price and run the
race to the finish line already.

They are calling me—no, they are yelling my name. “Run with the wind!” they tell me.
Now’s the time! My heart races but I hesitate yet again. Will I make it?“Yes,” my
Trainer promises, “Because I am here with you, and I will guide you all the way. Don’t
focus on the effort; focus on the goal. And most of all, don’t get down on yourself,
because in the end, what matters is to not quit.”

The first step is the hardest, as always, but somehow I manage. I believe this is what
He meant by “running with endurance.” Each step somehow feels lighter than the
last, now that I’ve started running again. I think I can do this. No, I think wecan do this
together.

Someday you will look back on your life and realize that everything worthwhile you’ve
ever accomplished initially challenged you. And that is as it should be, because big
challenges often prepare ordinary people for extraordinary success.

Every struggle arises for a reason—either for experience or as a lesson. A great
journey is never easy, and no dose of adversity along the way is ever a waste of time
if you learn and grow from it.—Angel Chernoff

SET SAIL!

My friend Jack lived in a large house in a pleasant, leafy suburb. It was a great place
to raise his family of five, but his children have long since married and moved on.

Around 15 years ago, Jack’s business failed, and although it would have made
financial and practical sense for Jack and his wife to downsize, they loved their home
and always put off the tough decision. They ended up keeping the home by default,
probably hoping things would improve. Instead, as the years passed, their debts
mounted until they absolutely had to sell. Unfortunately, by this time the housing
market had collapsed, and the proceeds of the sale no longer even covered their
debts.

Not making a decision is a decision. Like Jack, I have plenty of my own stories in this
regard, finding it quite difficult to “sign on the dotted line.” I think there are a few
reasons why we sometimes delay our decision-making as long as possible.

Perhaps we hesitate to face an unknown future. After all, as much as we try to
anticipate the results of our choices, there are many factors beyond our insight and
control. We cannot know for sure what will follow.

Future fears didn’t hold back Abraham. He said “yes” to God and left his home in
Haran, not knowing where he was going. Moses showed similar faith, leading the
Hebrew slaves out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and onwards to the Promised
Land. Jesus’ disciples left their livelihoods to follow Him, which took another kind of
faith.

Who knows whether Abraham foresaw the difficulties he would face—famine, family
troubles, and battles, amongst others. Could Moses possibly have anticipated the
troubled wilderness journey ahead? Jesus’ disciples didn’t always have an easy time
of things either. Yet events showed that all these people made the right decisions,
helping create the foundation for our faith.

Few of us face such dramatic circumstances as these Bible heroes, but we all face
choices, big and small. May God help us to make well-considered decisions.

TIME TO LAUNCH

Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the
shore.
—André Gide (1869–1951)

Decision is the spark that ignites action. Until a decision is made, nothing happens.
Decision is the courageous facing of issues, knowing that if they are not faced,
problems will remain forever unanswered.
—Wilferd Peterson (1900–1995)

O Lord, may I be directed what to do and what to leave undone.
—Elizabeth Fry (1780–1845)

God always gives his very best to those who leave the choice with him.
—James Hudson Taylor (1832–1905)

Don’t ask God to guide your footsteps unless you are willing to move your feet.
—Author unknown

Men are free to decide their own moral choices, but they are also under the necessity
to account to God for those choices.
—Aiden Tozer (1897–1963)

We make our decisions, and then our decisions turn around and make us.
—Frank Boreham (1871–1959)

“Sir, what is the secret of your success?” a reporter asked a bank president.
“Two words.”
“And, sir, what are they?”
“Good decisions.”
“And how do you make good decisions?”
“One word.”
“And sir, what is that?”
“Experience.”
“And how do you get experience?”
“Two words.”
“And, sir, what are they?”
“Bad decisions.”
—Author unknown

The deeper we go down into the valley of decision the higher we must rise … into the
mount of prayer.
—Peter Taylor Forsyth (1848–1921)

Never make a permanent decision based on a temporary storm. No matter how
raging the billows are today, remind yourself, “This too shall pass.”
—T. D. Jakes (b. 1957)

Men must be decided on what they will not do, and then they are able to act with vigor
in what they ought to do.
—Mencius (c. 372–289 BC)

Man is man because he is free to operate within the framework of his destiny. He is
free to deliberate, to make decisions, and to choose between alternatives.
—Martin Luther King Jr. (1929–1968)

Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We only have today. Let us begin.
—Mother Teresa (1910–1997)

Grant me, O Lord, to know what is worth knowing,
To love what is worth loving,
To praise what delights you most,
To value what is precious in your sight,
To hate what is offensive to you.
Do not let me judge by what I see,
Nor pass sentence according to what I hear,
But to judge rightly between things that differ,
And above all to search out and do what pleases you,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
—Thomas à Kempis (1380–1471)

FREE AGENTS

Have you ever been faced with important decisions and needed explicit direction,
only to feel as if God was in silent mode?—Right when you would most like Him to
give a precise answer? I know I have, and during those times, it’s been a spiritual
struggle. Once, while struggling with a decision, I so much wanted God to make the
path clear, but He, in His wisdom, chose not to give a direct answer. Instead, I
needed to forge ahead to do the pick-and-shovel work of investigating options,
seeking godly counsel, weighing the open doors of opportunity before me, praying
desperately, and most of all, committing my ways to Him. I had to trust that He would
direct my path in the manner of His choosing.

As Christians who want to glorify God through our lives, we want to learn to make
decisions and choices based on godly principles. Considering options, weighing
advantages and disadvantages, using our God-given wisdom, and measuring
situations by God’s Word are all part of loving God with all our minds, hearts, and
souls, in obedience to the first and greatest commandment.

Part of the stress and turmoil we often face in times of decision-making is the fear of
failure, the fear of missing God’s will, or the fear of making a decision that will
unforeseeably have a negative impact on ourselves or others. When it comes to
those important decisions that will define the course of our future, or at least our
immediate future, we learn through experience that sometimes, despite our best
intentions and desires, our decisions lead to unexpected negative outcomes and
consequences that we have to live with.

Because God has designed us as agents with free will, we have the capability of
making independent choices, and by the same token, we are personally responsible
for our decisions and their outcomes, and we must take responsibility for how things
play out, even if there are negative repercussions. We also have to trust that God has
promised to work everything together for the good of those who love Him, no matter
how things seem to turn out initially. He can even take our mistakes and the times
when we seem to have messed up our decision-making coordinates, and redirect our
course in ways that will be beneficial and lead us to His ultimate destination.

Unexpected bends in the road and unintended outcomes are part of life, no matter
how wise our decisions. We see throughout the Bible how often things turned out
differently than people expected or planned. When Moses set out for the Promised
Land, he probably didn’t foresee wandering in the desert for 40 years. And yet, he
didn’t waver or lose sight of the final destination; he kept pressing forward despite the
obstacles.

Even when we make right decisions, there is no guarantee of smooth sailing for the
duration of the journey. We will often continue to face pitfalls or setbacks along the
way, and these are part of the human experience and often serve to strengthen our
faith walk. As our heavenly Father, God knows that learning to make decisions and
take responsibility for their outcome—and all the lessons we learn on that journey—
are part of our spiritual growth and development.

As we commit our ways to Him and seek to please Him and do those things that are
pleasing in His sight, we can have confidence in our relationship with Him; we can
know that He will be present with us through all the decisions, small and great, that
face us throughout our lives.

“May the God of peace … equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he
produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing
to him.”

THE BROAD-LEAFED CACTUS

Walking along a narrow path in the tropical forest we often visit for a Sunday walk,
under the radiant early-morning African sun, I notice a magnificent cactus and stop to
take a closer look. The dark-green rubbery leaves are fat and oval and interspersed
with large pointed thorns. In contrast to the feisty exterior, tender blooms emerge
from the tips of some leaves. Shades of yellow and an intricate design make these
lovely flowers dazzle. How like Jesus’ presence after a thorny stretch of life’s journey.

Just like a flower appearing in the most unexpected circumstances, He reassures me
of His love and care.

Rounding the bend, we saw a flame tree stretching its leafy arms high above. Each
branch is crowned with a flaming orange-red flower, and the backdrop of the sky’s
cooling azure blue softens their flaming red. When the fierceness of danger,
sickness, or strife shoots flaming arrows my way, God, like the eternal cool blue sky,
calms each fear. Feelings of distress disappear as His presence shields me.

Then my favorite stretch of the trail passes under the shadow of regal bamboo plants.
Their broad stalks reach far above, forming a green arch over the trail, which
provides shelter from sun and rain. Jesus is my protector and shield, and when I find
myself in a tunnel, He is the light at the end of it.

The winding path now leads down a slope toward a brook. Since there is no bridge,
local farmers have placed two logs over the stream. As we balance along the trunks,
I am reminded that Jesus has provided stepping stones in His Word.

A steep incline leads to the road. Breathless and sweaty, we reach the top. To help
me over the last boulder, my friend reaches down, grabs hold of my hand, and pulls
me up. Jesus is at the other end of each prayer and lends a helping hand through a
friend, a spouse, or even a stranger.

At the top of the hill, a refreshing cool breeze fans our sweaty brows, which energizes
us instantly. A breathtaking view unfolds in front of us, with a range of blue mountains
in the distance. Jesus is a cool breeze that brings respite after each challenge, giving
new hope and strength to carry on.

Jesus is my rock—strong, dependable, unmovable, unchangeable, and eternal.

GOD’S GPS

Technological developments can help us understand a bit more about God and how
He manages His affairs. For example, prayer can be illustrated by the cell phone,
used to immediately communicate with someone on the other side of the world.

Computers are capable of storing and processing every bit of a company’s
information. This helps us understand how God knows us so well that the Bible says
that even our very hairs are numbered.

One of the miracles in the Bible that has always caught my attention is the one where
Jesus tells Peter to catch a fish and take out of its mouth a coin needed to pay a tax.
A similar miracle occurs when He tells His disciples to go to a neighboring town to
find the donkey that He would ride on His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. How did
Jesus know where and when His disciples would find the right fish and donkey?

I have often seen God’s GPS at work in my life. He’s often guided me to something
that I’d lost, or to meet a certain person, or to find a place. And many times it’s not
only the right place, but also the precise moment.

My wife and I recently prayed to find a mechanic who was qualified to do some
specialized work on our motor home. We were traveling through little coastal towns,
and we’d been told that we needed to have our engine checked, but that it had to be
done by a mechanic certified in that particular model. In one village, I unexpectedly
felt an impulse to drive down a certain street. Nothing caught our attention along the
way, so we followed the street to the end, when suddenly a man came out to meet us
and said, “You came here because of the GPS pin, right?” Taken aback, we asked
him what he meant.

He explained that he was a mechanic who specialized in motor homes. Recently a
man who is traveling round the world had some work done there and ended up so
satisfied that he dedicated a blog entry to the incident … and included the GPS
coordinates so that anyone traveling in a similar motor home would be able to find the
place.

We don’t use GPS, but we had been led to the exact location. “Your ears shall hear a
word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it.’”

HIS DESIRE, HIS PLAN, OUR HAPPINESS

We all need to make decisions as we navigate through life. Depending on our nature,
we might love figuring it all out or it might scare us. For most of us, it’s probably a bit
of both.

Personally, I don’t like making decisions. Twice in my adult life I’ve broken down and
cried in a food court because there were just too many choices of what to eat for
lunch. How sad is that?! If my husband and kids would go along with me, I’d eat the
same thing every day simply to avoid having to decide what to prepare. And this says
nothing for the bigger choices in life, like where to live, what career choices to make,
how to spend my money, and many other things.

At the end of the day, my life will be a collection of my choices and the resultant
consequences, good and bad. For me, this realization highlights two things:
1. I really need God’s help.

2. I also need a plan.

The beauty in all of this is that God is eager to be an active participant if I will allow
Him to. If I acknowledge Him, He will direct my path. If His Word is in my heart, none
of my steps will slide. If I hold up His Word, it will be a light to my path and show me
the way to go. God’s got His part squared away, so what about mine?

A good place to start is to study God’s Word and the standard He’s given us to live
by. God’s Word is like reflectors on a dark road. The reflectors show you the divide
between the lanes, so you don’t veer into oncoming traffic, and they show you the
edge of the road, so you don’t drop off into a ravine. Knowing God’s Word gives you a
set of boundaries and provides guidance to help keep you on course.

Sometimes it’s really simple: I know God’s Word tells me to be loving and kind, so
asking a question like “What’s the loving thing to do?” can reveal the obvious best
choice. But sometimes it’s more complicated, like when all options fall within God’s
will, or when I have a strong personal feeling about a situation which affects my
decision-making process. It can be difficult to come to a decision that we can be at
peace with. But remember that the Bible says He will direct our paths if we
acknowledge Him, so we can expectHis help and guidance if we ask for it.

Have you heard the saying, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll probably
end up somewhere else”? God’s Word assumes we’ve made plans: “May he grant
you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans.”

Naturally, just because we have a plan—and even if it aligns with God’s plan—
doesn’t mean that it will materialize instantaneously, or without struggle or challenge.
If your path is anything like mine, it’s not a straight shot. However, having a general
plan, goal, or destination helps me as I make daily choices along my path.

When I come to a fork in the road, my plan helps me know which path to take. When I
feel alone in my journey, it helps me remember that I chose this path because of
where it would take me. When other paths seem easier, or for some other reason
entice me, I remember that this destination is the desire of my heart.

God has a unique plan for each of our lives. Since God created us in His image with
free will to make decisions, we get to be active participants in determining and
pursuing that plan. If you already know where you’re going, stay close to God’s Word
and let it guide you along the path. If you aren’t sure where you’re going, focus on
living as God’s Word teaches us to, and God will put His plan in your heart. Once His
plan, His desire, is in your heart, you will know what to do.

LOST IN MY HOMETOWN

I thought the move was going to be a simple change of scenery, possibly requiring some minor adjustments at most. After all, I was returning to my home country, already knowing the language, people, and customs. If I had managed to get used to the scorching heat, spicy food, rickshaws, and monsoons of India and Nepal, where I had spent eight years as a volunteer, surely this move in the opposite direction wouldn’t be too difficult.

I was in for a surprise!

From the moment I landed back in Italy, on what was supposed to be familiar ground, the challenges began: a sense of awkwardness, like I no longer belonged there, needing to catch up with changes in society, along with some serious health problems and concerns about the future. I got dizzy entering a superstore and dreaded traveling on fast highways. A friend reassured me, saying I was probably experiencing culture shock. It helped to put a handle on this very confusing mental and physical state.

At one point, I found myself in the hospital preparing to undergo a delicate operation. I had lost all confidence in the strong person I’d felt myself to be, and I was scared.

Thankfully, it was during those lonely hours lying on my hospital bed, weak and hurting, that I was able to reconnect with heaven. I had a small New Testament with me and another devotional book that I started reading with desperation, as if my whole life depended on those words.

It brought me back to life spiritually and to new beginnings. Every word in my little books was jumping out of the pages, filling my soul with a newfound sense of clarity and direction.

By the time I left the hospital, my body was still aching, but my heart and spirit weren’t the same.

I slowly gained strength, a little more each day, and eventually went on to another fulfilling phase in my life.

Every time I look back at that very trying and debilitating period, I’m thankful I “got lost” for a while, as it renewed my passion and prepared me for my next job.

OUR CONSTANT

Ask anyone, and they’ll agree that today’s world is very different from the one our parents and grandparents knew. The funny thing is that the feeling is not new by any means. “The cause of the … increase in nervous disease is increased demand made by the conditions of modern life,” affirmed an article published at the end of the 19th century! “The dreamy quiet old days are over,” lamented William Smith nearly 130 years ago. “The hurry and bustle of modern life … lacks the quiet and repose of the period when our forefathers … took their ease.”

Besides the world constantly changing, our lives also go through seasons that bring different sets of challenges and opportunities. We cope with stresses and make decisions to the best of our abilities, but we can’t know what the future holds, and past performance is no guarantee of future success. We might often feel, somewhat like the authors above, that we’d be better off if we could slow down the clock.

When everything in life seems to be changing, making us feel anxious, lost, or as though life is a terrifying journey through uncharted territory, we can rely on our unchanging God. He is constant. He is the same today as He was when He walked the earth, and He will be the same tomorrow. “The Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken.”

Even though we don’t know what the future holds for us, come what may, it is impossible for God to leave us alone or to fail us when we needHim.“ The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer … my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

A CHILD’S CHOICE

It was 1996, and our family had just moved from the safety of Italy to a somewhat still troubled and unstable post-war Croatia, settling in a large apartment on the outskirts of Rijeka.

Our neighbors—a mix of refugees, widows, and elderly relatives caring for children whose parents had died or left to find work—had all gone through traumatic experiences as a result of the tragic conflicts that had only recently ended.

Ivan lived on the floor below ours. He wore a patch over one eye, he couldn’t hear well, and he also suffered from extremely strong headaches due to a piece of shrapnel in his brain that the doctors couldn’t operate on.

Ivan had a wife and two daughters, but it was easy to see that he was finding it challenging to adjust to family life. He was no longer the strong man beaming in the photos in his living room, but a broken soldier suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), who spent most of his time caring for his kids or looking pensively at the horizon.

My youngest son, Jeff, who was five at the time, was a bit scared of our neighbor—and I wasn’t sure what to think myself. I realized that I never really spoke to Ivan, due to my limited knowledge of Croatian at the time, but also because I didn’t know how to face such obvious suffering.

One day, I explained to Jeff about what our poor neighbor was going through and the reason he wore a patch. I taught him to say, “Molim za vas,” “I’m praying for you” in Croatian, and suggested that he say that to Ivan that next time we saw him.

I won’t forget that moment the next time we met Ivan, when this fierce-looking man bent down to hear what a small five-year-old whispered in his ear. Then he straightened, and I could see tears trickling down his face as he whispered “Thank you.”

From that moment on, Ivan and Jeff became good friends, and we often visited to sing songs, read God’s Word, and simply keep him company.

Ivan passed away not long after. He had been struggling with a lot of physical illnesses and discouragement, but in his final years he found solace and comfort in Jesus.
Jeff is now a grown man and a father himself, but I still fondly remember that day my little boy made the choice to replace fear with love.

THE VIPS

There are times in life when we each feel like an anonymous unknown. It’s a discouraging realization. You’re a statistic—a woman or a man, over forty or under forty, single or married, able-bodied or disabled. Every so often, you put your vote in the ballot box and wonder if it makes a difference. If you didn’t show up to work today, you wonder if anyone (apart from the payroll department) would even notice. Not many achieve the type of fame that would make us stand out in the mass of humanity. And even if we do, fame is lean comfort in difficult times, and usually transitory.

The reality is that few of us feel like Very Important Persons (VIPs), much less are viewed that way by the world at large.

Perhaps this was how Nathanael felt, living in first-century Palestine under the shadow of a brutal military occupation. We’re not told why he was sitting alone under a fig tree—maybe he was reflecting on his powerlessness to change anything; maybe he was in prayer. At any rate, his friend Philip finds him and shares some good news—they have found the Messiah. Nathanael agrees to come and meet Jesus. The conversation bears repeating:

As they approached, Jesus said, “Now here is a genuine son of Israel—a man of complete integrity.”

“How do you know about me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus replied, “I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.”

Nathanael is astonished to find out that God has been watching him. It is the realization that God knows him that inspires him to proclaim that Jesus is the Son of God and become an enthusiastic follower.

Even when nobody else seems to be thinking about us, God certainly is! He’s been watching over us our entire lives, even before we were born, and will continue all the way through. Job reflected on this while in the midst of his troubles: “He keeps a close watch on everything I do.”
God not only thinks about us, He admires us: “There will be recognition for each person from God,” and “God will rejoice because of you.”
We are not unknown to God. He knows you and me by name. Not mere statistics, but valued. You and me—God’s VIPs.

BUNDLES OF LOVE

Our neighbor, Mr. Chen, enthusiastically returned my “Good morning,” adding a heartfelt, “Isn’t the weather great today!” As I watched him walk on with a spring in his step and a beaming smile that eclipsed his graying hair and wrinkles, I couldn’t help but marvel. Until recently, Mr. Chen had barely acknowledged my greetings, and he rarely smiled or talked to anyone. Chronic health struggles had left their mark in the depressed frown, slumped shoulders, and slow gait that seemed to characterize him. What could have brought about this wonderful change?

When I told my sister about this, she replied that his daughter had recently become a mother. “He’s rejoicing over his new grandson!” she said. I shook my head in awe at how much fulfillment, joy, and purpose a helpless, screaming infant had brought to Mr. Chen.

Mr. Chen’s transformation reminded me of what a bundle of joy and inspiration my cousin Katie has been to my grandmother. A year ago, a massive stroke took a severe toll on Grandma’s memory capacity, communication skills, and mobility. Chronic headaches and discomforts, and the resultant discouragement and frustration, left her silent, sullen, and sedentary. She began spending her waking hours dozing in a chair or watching television, and any efforts to talk to her were met with disinterest.

Then Katie was born. Even when Katie was only a few days old, Grandma spent hours leaning over her crib, rocking her, listening to her coo, and playing with her tiny fingers. When she was a year old, Katie would sit on Grandma’s lap and share her toys with her. Now at two years old, she loves to clasp Grandma’s wrinkled hand in her tiny pudgy one and pull her outside for a walk.

Grandma’s physical condition hasn’t improved, but Katie still makes her smile, talk, and even laugh. There is truly something magical about children’s love and innocence and their ability to melt and cheer hearts in ways that grown-ups can’t, just as Mr. Chen’s grandson touched him and Katie touched Grandma.

Baby Blessings
Children’s children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their father.—Proverbs 17:6

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.—Psalm 127:3

The soul is healed by being with children.—English proverb