These are some of the question that we ask ourselves, or some will even argue with God, when things don't seem to go our way. Or sometimes, things seems not to be moving to any direction, or sometimes we seems to be stuck at some low point of our lives which make us think when things going to get better.
This is not just a middle-age issue, it wide range of age group, from the golden age, the youth asks about it, even some children. The fact is, there will be time we struggle with it. Sometimes it comes and goes. Sometimes we just ignore it.
For the last few weeks, the Lord has lead me to these questions, and sharing these to a few. Then, today I came across this song by Superchic[k] on K-Live (32kbps|96kbps). I have heard this song across the wave over and over again, but today one part of the lyrics caught my ear.
There is a man who waits for the tests
To see if the cancer has spread yet
And now he asks, "So why did I wait to live till it was time to die?"
If I could have the time back how I'd livean excerpt from We Live - Superchic[k] - Beauty From Pain
We are not alone.
No one want to stay in the period of a trial. I mean, when we are in a trial, will we ask God, "Hey God, can I have this longer ah? I am enjoying it. I am learning so much from all these hardship and adversities. You are building my character. Can I please stay in these suffering, please, please.". No, we don't. When faced with adversity we always ask "Lord, when is this gonna end?". We will pray that He take us out immediately. We may grow impatient, start to doubt, we may even start to hate and curse Him.
No one wants to stay in a fire to be burn ... but precious metal like gold are purified this way.
No one wants to stay being irritated ... but pearl only formed when there is constant irritation.
No one wants to stay under pressure ... but the most brilliant diamond is pressed out from tonnes and tonnes of pressure.
Maybe He wants us to pick up something while we are here in this very situation. Maybe He is using us to reach out to someone. Instead of asking Him to take us away, maybe we should ask him to reveal it to us, why is He putting us here in the first place.
This lead me back to the story of Joseph. Remember that Joseph was betrayed by his brothers and was sold as slave to Egypt, hundreds of kilometers away from his loving parents and family. To be away from them for years. Going through false accusations, jailed and even to the brink of being sentenced to death. Sometime we wonder, "How long more? Can this get any worst?"
In Joseph's case, he was sent to 'suffer' first so that he can in turn save not just the very people that sold him to slavery (his bothers) but also his whole family, his people and his nation! And when facing his brothers for the first time, which by this time, his brothers that was full of remorse and in fear of what their own very brother that they sold to slavery will do to them, this is what Joseph said ...
5And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. 6For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. 7But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
8"So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.
for a more detail account of Joseph's life you can read Genesis 37-50
Man, how many of us can actually say that? But, if we did not persevere, and quit before the Lord have finished with us according to His plan, we would not have witness the fruits.
We are His unfinished article. The perfect article that He wants to mold us for eternity.
Just picture ourselves as a beautiful and graceful butterfly to be. We are now trying to break out of our cocoon. Struggling step by step, gaining from strength to strength. Without this "training" we may not be strong enough. When we finally broke through we find ourselves strengthen and ready for that flight. Equipped. Equipped to bring glory to Him as others will get to witness the wonderful works He had worked on you.
It is always easier said than done, but when faced adversity, we need to learn to put our complete trust in Him. Knowing He loves us more than anyone could love us. He knows us better than anyone and even better than ourselves. He is our source of hope and strength.
They say, when there is hope and a will, there is a way. I am sure that He will review better things to us. We need to hang on in there, stay on course. Sometimes when things get too heavy, we may want to give up or compromise our values, but He will reward us for our perseverance.
Run! Forest, run!
When we stay on course, and finish our race, He will smile at you and say, "Well, done My child.".
As Paul said, ...
24... I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.
7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Hey, when we take a step back to look at the beauty of the Lord's Creation for a while, looking at the blessing God have blessed us, take the focus off ourselves once a while and look at the rest around you. Sometimes when we take the focus off ourselves and begin to look at the rest, hey, we will start to feel compelled to help the rest who are in worst situation than us.
And taking from part of the song again ...
We live we love
We forgive and never give up
Cuz the days we are given are gifts from above
Today we remember to live and to lovean excerpt from We Live - Superchic[k] - Beauty From Pain
It is a gift from above that we are alive to live for another day. Why not make the best use of the day to love as He have commanded in His Words.
30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31...'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
44... Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ...
May we all draw near and find strength in Him.
in Christ,
kuancheen|munich|20050804.2030
Artist: Superchic[k]
Album: Beauty From Pain
Song: We Live
There's a cross on the side of the road
Where a mother lost a son
How could she know that the morning he left
Would be their last time she'd trade with him for a little more time
So she could say she loved him one more time
And hold him tight
But with life we never know
When we're coming up to the end of the road
So what do we do then
With tragedy around the bend?Chorus:
We live we love
We forgive and never give up
Cuz the days we are given are gifts from above
Today we remember to live and to love
We live we love
We forgive and never give up
Cuz the days we are given are gifts from above
Today we remember to live and to love
There is a man who waits for the tests
To see if the cancer has spread yet
And now he asks, "So why did I wait to live till it was time to die?"
If I could have the time back how I'd live
Life is such a gift
So how does the story end?
Well this is your story and it all depends
So don't let it become true
Get out and do what we are meant to do
Chorus
Waking up to another dark morning
People are mourning
The weather in life outside is storming
But what would it take for the clouds to break
For us to realize each day is a gift somehow, someway
So get our heads up out of the darkness
And spark this new mindset and start to live life cuz it ain't gone yet
And tragedy is a reminder to take off the blinders
And wake up and live the life we're supposed to take up
Moving forward with all our heads up cuz life is worth living
Chorus (to fade)
No comments:
Post a Comment