"But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot has held fast to His steps;
I have kept His way and not turned aside." //Job 23:10 (NKJV Version) At the end of the book of Job, I thought this was the most touching thing that I read. That in the midst of all his pain and suffering, where he cried out to God but was not heard, he said from his heart, though I do not see God when I go to the different ends of the earth, God knows the way that I take and when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold in His eyes. Job is a difficult book to grapple with. It is not easy to answer the question of why there is senseless human tragedy and even harder, to come to terms with the reasons why God does not always show us the full picture. But there is one important takeaway for me; that there are no simple answers to life's complex questions. And sometimes, asking God to give us a simple answer is to ask the ridiculous. Even before He gives us an answer, he would ask us for our qualifications and we would not meet even one of his standards. But more importantly, I think the last few chapters of Job where God answers him from the storm is God telling us not to argue with Him but to trust in Him instead. To show us that we are His, not the other way around. To show us that a life lived by faith in His goodness is the only life worth living. To remind us that in all things, He works for the good of those who love him. And I think this is something that I need to hear right now. To recognise again that my God is for me, He knows me even when I do not see Him, even when I do not understand what He is bringing me through. All I ask is that I will have the same grace as Job under fire, that I can say, when you have tested me, I will come forth as gold.
"Dry bones, dance; dry bones, sing; dry bones, stand up and get up and live; Dry bones, run; dry bones, rise; Dry bones, stand up and come back to life." //Dry Bones; New Life Worship
From Ezekiel 37, the prophet Ezekiel tells of this story: "Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord."" Yes Lord, awaken the dry bones in these areas of my life and take me back to the fullness of who you are.
"Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Fear the Lord, you his saints! For those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing." //Psalm 34:9-10 (NIV Version) This week, I have tasted the goodness and sweetness of my Lord, the one who provides. Indeed, those who take refuge in him and seek him lack no good thing. Beyond my imaginations, he has caused things to fall into place and I am deeply touched that he remembers everything he promised to me. That even when I was doubting, even when I feared, he was strong on my behalf. Everything in this world can change. But only one thing is constant, that is that my God is good. His mercies are new every single morning. He will never leave or forsake me. If you're in doubt about his character today, do not doubt any longer. For he is El Shaddai, Jehovah Jireh, Lord Almighty, God my provider. So hold my hand until we come to that bridge of meeting.
"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do." //James 1:5-7 (NIV Version)
One of the things that has been on my mind is the part about preparing a room that we talked about in camp. In that segment, Ps. Gardener talked about doing something in the physical realm that is a declaration of faith for things that have not yet come to pass. Basically, you prepare a room for something in your life now, that you believe will come to pass in the future. He gave us some time to think about it and write it down on a piece of paper to remind ourselves. And when I heard that and I opened my notebook, one area of my life immediately came to my mind. One area that I had not really thought about deeply for a while. And I asked God, well what do you want to tell me about this? And amazingly, I received a really detailed and specific image and words for that area of my life. At first, I didn't know what to do it with it. I've asked and prayed about this before but there has been no direct answer. Until this, until now. I've prayed about it after camp and asked for confirmation. And now, I believe that I will receive my confirmations this week. And this is my act of obedience, putting it here as an act of courage and faith. I'm hopeful, excited and nervous all at the same time. But I also know without a doubt, that my God is good and that I've tasted of his sweetness for the past 23 years of my life. He will not let me down. All I ask is that he steady my heart, keep me focused on Him as I walk this chapter of my life with Him.
"I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end." //Ecclesiastes 3:10-11
The days leading up to the camp were really tough. There were just so many things to settle, so many last minute issues cropping up and with all the part b assignments being due at the same time, there were times when I thought I really couldn't make it through the entire camp and that I just wanted it to be over and done with. But it was only when the camp started proper, that I understood the magnitude of your grace and love towards us. Right from the get-go, the worship was different and I felt it. The first time that I saw all the uni area people stand together and worship without abandon, opening up their hearts and allowing themselves to be heard. I've heard many testimonies of how this camp has been a turning point, a moment of awakening for many people and I'm so glad that God has done this great work in their lives. I've learnt many important things in this camp and I've had words and visions spoken over me for my life and ministry as well. At this juncture, I'm just filled with excitement about all the amazing things that have been done, expectation for the things that are yet to come and a great desire to see myself and the people around me grow. How can I not sing, freedom came to earth to rescue me. How can I not sing, glory came to earth to set me free. So I sing, you're worthy. Worthy of all praise.
"All the folly of the past, though I know it is undone; I still feel the guilty one, still trying to make it right; So I whisper soft your name, let it roll around my tongue; Knowing you're the only one who knows me. You know me."
//Brooke Fraser; Faithful
I think it's easier when you don't have any expectations, any preconceptions of how things are going to be. Mostly so that you won't be surprised by how things turn out, or disappointed when they don't follow the order you think it should. Still, people are mysterious. You never know the things that sometimes go on in their lives, the people that they are close to, the things running through their heads, the decisions they are about to make. So take this slow, one week at a time, till everything turns up in the same place and then, let's see where this goes.
"To the drunks, the addicts, the perverts, the victims, the porn stars, the prostitutes, the adulterers, thieves, the obese gluttons, the murderers, the losers, the freaks, the geeks, the red necks, the guys who own action figures, the chain smokers, the men who live with their mothers, the democrats, the republicans, the mormons, the witches, the pot heads, the crack heads, the dead heads and the meth heads, the people who don’t recycle, the rainbow-loving tree-hugging hippies, the religious, the broken, the hurting and the lost..
I have good news for you: Jesus loves you. And though you may be stereotyped now, though you may fall now, you will only be branded once more in your life. If you take the hand of Christ, [He will give you His label. A label that he sacrificed everything for, that he paid the ultimate price for, so that you might have freedom]. The label reads ‘Forgiven.’" //the-hope-movement
For those who find it hard to love themselves, all that they are. For those who sometimes think they are not enough, who wish they had what others had. For those who need a reminder, that they are fearfully and wonderfully made, perfect in every single way - princess of the King and the Restorer.
"But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot has held fast to His steps;
I have kept His way and not turned aside." //Job 23:10 (NKJV Version) At the end of the book of Job, I thought this was the most touching thing that I read. That in the midst of all his pain and suffering, where he cried out to God but was not heard, he said from his heart, though I do not see God when I go to the different ends of the earth, God knows the way that I take and when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold in His eyes. Job is a difficult book to grapple with. It is not easy to answer the question of why there is senseless human tragedy and even harder, to come to terms with the reasons why God does not always show us the full picture. But there is one important takeaway for me; that there are no simple answers to life's complex questions. And sometimes, asking God to give us a simple answer is to ask the ridiculous. Even before He gives us an answer, he would ask us for our qualifications and we would not meet even one of his standards. But more importantly, I think the last few chapters of Job where God answers him from the storm is God telling us not to argue with Him but to trust in Him instead. To show us that we are His, not the other way around. To show us that a life lived by faith in His goodness is the only life worth living. To remind us that in all things, He works for the good of those who love him. And I think this is something that I need to hear right now. To recognise again that my God is for me, He knows me even when I do not see Him, even when I do not understand what He is bringing me through. All I ask is that I will have the same grace as Job under fire, that I can say, when you have tested me, I will come forth as gold.
"Dry bones, dance; dry bones, sing; dry bones, stand up and get up and live; Dry bones, run; dry bones, rise; Dry bones, stand up and come back to life." //Dry Bones; New Life Worship
From Ezekiel 37, the prophet Ezekiel tells of this story: "Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord."" Yes Lord, awaken the dry bones in these areas of my life and take me back to the fullness of who you are.
"Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Fear the Lord, you his saints! For those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing." //Psalm 34:9-10 (NIV Version) This week, I have tasted the goodness and sweetness of my Lord, the one who provides. Indeed, those who take refuge in him and seek him lack no good thing. Beyond my imaginations, he has caused things to fall into place and I am deeply touched that he remembers everything he promised to me. That even when I was doubting, even when I feared, he was strong on my behalf. Everything in this world can change. But only one thing is constant, that is that my God is good. His mercies are new every single morning. He will never leave or forsake me. If you're in doubt about his character today, do not doubt any longer. For he is El Shaddai, Jehovah Jireh, Lord Almighty, God my provider. So hold my hand until we come to that bridge of meeting.
"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do." //James 1:5-7 (NIV Version)
One of the things that has been on my mind is the part about preparing a room that we talked about in camp. In that segment, Ps. Gardener talked about doing something in the physical realm that is a declaration of faith for things that have not yet come to pass. Basically, you prepare a room for something in your life now, that you believe will come to pass in the future. He gave us some time to think about it and write it down on a piece of paper to remind ourselves. And when I heard that and I opened my notebook, one area of my life immediately came to my mind. One area that I had not really thought about deeply for a while. And I asked God, well what do you want to tell me about this? And amazingly, I received a really detailed and specific image and words for that area of my life. At first, I didn't know what to do it with it. I've asked and prayed about this before but there has been no direct answer. Until this, until now. I've prayed about it after camp and asked for confirmation. And now, I believe that I will receive my confirmations this week. And this is my act of obedience, putting it here as an act of courage and faith. I'm hopeful, excited and nervous all at the same time. But I also know without a doubt, that my God is good and that I've tasted of his sweetness for the past 23 years of my life. He will not let me down. All I ask is that he steady my heart, keep me focused on Him as I walk this chapter of my life with Him.
"I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end." //Ecclesiastes 3:10-11
The days leading up to the camp were really tough. There were just so many things to settle, so many last minute issues cropping up and with all the part b assignments being due at the same time, there were times when I thought I really couldn't make it through the entire camp and that I just wanted it to be over and done with. But it was only when the camp started proper, that I understood the magnitude of your grace and love towards us. Right from the get-go, the worship was different and I felt it. The first time that I saw all the uni area people stand together and worship without abandon, opening up their hearts and allowing themselves to be heard. I've heard many testimonies of how this camp has been a turning point, a moment of awakening for many people and I'm so glad that God has done this great work in their lives. I've learnt many important things in this camp and I've had words and visions spoken over me for my life and ministry as well. At this juncture, I'm just filled with excitement about all the amazing things that have been done, expectation for the things that are yet to come and a great desire to see myself and the people around me grow. How can I not sing, freedom came to earth to rescue me. How can I not sing, glory came to earth to set me free. So I sing, you're worthy. Worthy of all praise.
"All the folly of the past, though I know it is undone; I still feel the guilty one, still trying to make it right; So I whisper soft your name, let it roll around my tongue; Knowing you're the only one who knows me. You know me."
//Brooke Fraser; Faithful
I think it's easier when you don't have any expectations, any preconceptions of how things are going to be. Mostly so that you won't be surprised by how things turn out, or disappointed when they don't follow the order you think it should. Still, people are mysterious. You never know the things that sometimes go on in their lives, the people that they are close to, the things running through their heads, the decisions they are about to make. So take this slow, one week at a time, till everything turns up in the same place and then, let's see where this goes.
"To the drunks, the addicts, the perverts, the victims, the porn stars, the prostitutes, the adulterers, thieves, the obese gluttons, the murderers, the losers, the freaks, the geeks, the red necks, the guys who own action figures, the chain smokers, the men who live with their mothers, the democrats, the republicans, the mormons, the witches, the pot heads, the crack heads, the dead heads and the meth heads, the people who don’t recycle, the rainbow-loving tree-hugging hippies, the religious, the broken, the hurting and the lost..
I have good news for you: Jesus loves you. And though you may be stereotyped now, though you may fall now, you will only be branded once more in your life. If you take the hand of Christ, [He will give you His label. A label that he sacrificed everything for, that he paid the ultimate price for, so that you might have freedom]. The label reads ‘Forgiven.’" //the-hope-movement
For those who find it hard to love themselves, all that they are. For those who sometimes think they are not enough, who wish they had what others had. For those who need a reminder, that they are fearfully and wonderfully made, perfect in every single way - princess of the King and the Restorer.
