From November 01 onwards for a month, I will feature devotional notes on Proverbs for a month every day. I hope that this will be helpful to you. Continue to grow in God when you read His words and get close to Him each day.
Lynda
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
My Heart's Desire
“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4
“May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.” Psalm 20:4
I ask my heart one day, “What is your desire? What do you want?” My heart, pumping slowly and steadily and gives out a soft whisper, “This is what I desire…”
“First, I desire to see my family growing to love God. My teenage children have grown and are facing many struggles in life. I know their struggles. I can feel their hurts and their urge to fly. I was painful seeing them facing life situations but it was necessary that they have to go through such pain in order to grow. So my heart cries to God each day for His guidance in their lives. I don’t desire to see them ‘successful in life’ but I pray that they will be humble and submissive to God, their Maker!”
“As a wife, my desire is to love my husband more and more. There are times when my heart wrenched to see him carrying out his ministries with his whole heart, yet was not appreciated by some who being ungrateful trying to destroy his reputation. My heart will sigh at this moment for the many moments when he has to deal with issues that he wished will never have to happen in the church, for his only heart desire is to share the gospel. Just as my desire as well, we only want to see many people come to know our God. Our hearts have come together many times, comforting one another in moments of hurts and sorrows but most of all we savour moments when we share sweet memories, leading those who trusted us all these years.”
“The thought of those in the church today caused my heart to leap with exuberant joy! My heart began to pump quicker with excitement and love for the days that are to come. I do not know what the church will be like but I do know that my heart yearns for peace and reconciliation. With the unknown, my heart is full of faith in God in WHOM I trust!”
“Lastly,” my heart quiets for a moment as though in deep thoughts, pumping gently and smoothly and continues, “is that I may dwell in the presence of the Lord forever. I do not know what to do without Him.” My heart was soft and gentle, pondering the past and expecting the future. “God, what can I do without You. You are the anchor in my life. You have taught me to love and to forgive. I remember those times when I wanted to hate but You who have live in my heart, have gently guide me through the storms and lead me into quiet water. You have put a godly fear in my heart and I shall abide in this fear: so that I will not sin against You, my God!”
“Though my heart is still licking its wound but You are ever beside me and comfort me. My heart surrenders under His love!”
Now my heart’s desire is “that I may dwell in His PEACE AND LOVE forever! The heart’s desire is to be close to Him!” Amen!
“May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.” Psalm 20:4
I ask my heart one day, “What is your desire? What do you want?” My heart, pumping slowly and steadily and gives out a soft whisper, “This is what I desire…”
“First, I desire to see my family growing to love God. My teenage children have grown and are facing many struggles in life. I know their struggles. I can feel their hurts and their urge to fly. I was painful seeing them facing life situations but it was necessary that they have to go through such pain in order to grow. So my heart cries to God each day for His guidance in their lives. I don’t desire to see them ‘successful in life’ but I pray that they will be humble and submissive to God, their Maker!”
“As a wife, my desire is to love my husband more and more. There are times when my heart wrenched to see him carrying out his ministries with his whole heart, yet was not appreciated by some who being ungrateful trying to destroy his reputation. My heart will sigh at this moment for the many moments when he has to deal with issues that he wished will never have to happen in the church, for his only heart desire is to share the gospel. Just as my desire as well, we only want to see many people come to know our God. Our hearts have come together many times, comforting one another in moments of hurts and sorrows but most of all we savour moments when we share sweet memories, leading those who trusted us all these years.”
“The thought of those in the church today caused my heart to leap with exuberant joy! My heart began to pump quicker with excitement and love for the days that are to come. I do not know what the church will be like but I do know that my heart yearns for peace and reconciliation. With the unknown, my heart is full of faith in God in WHOM I trust!”
“Lastly,” my heart quiets for a moment as though in deep thoughts, pumping gently and smoothly and continues, “is that I may dwell in the presence of the Lord forever. I do not know what to do without Him.” My heart was soft and gentle, pondering the past and expecting the future. “God, what can I do without You. You are the anchor in my life. You have taught me to love and to forgive. I remember those times when I wanted to hate but You who have live in my heart, have gently guide me through the storms and lead me into quiet water. You have put a godly fear in my heart and I shall abide in this fear: so that I will not sin against You, my God!”
“Though my heart is still licking its wound but You are ever beside me and comfort me. My heart surrenders under His love!”
Now my heart’s desire is “that I may dwell in His PEACE AND LOVE forever! The heart’s desire is to be close to Him!” Amen!
Oct 09, 2nd Week... Appreciated!
"You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody.
You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts."
(2 Corinthians 3:2,3)
09 Oct 09, Friday
Today is the last day the mission team from China is in our church. After a week with them, I began to appreciate the mission work in China even more and I was so full of gratitude for those who had gone into China much earlier to spread the gospel even before the cultural-revolution. Seeing them today is like seeing the fruit of their hard labour.
It caused me to rethink of my ministry – sometimes when I felt discouraged and felt like telling God "enough is enough". I don’t even have a good reason to continue because I don’t even want to find one. And yet seeing the fruit of those missionaries and pastors who have gone before in China, their fruit bears testimony to their hard labour, testifying of their fervent enthusiasm in the midst of persecution – and yet they were not here to see it for themselves. Have they also complaint in the midst of hardship? Have they ever thinking of giving up? Seeing their fruit, I guess they didn’t.
So thank you Jesus, because these are the cloud of witnesses before us, testifying to us that we could go on IN LOVE!
11 Oct 09, Sunday
Sunday service today is Children’s day and Teachers’ appreciation day. The teachers and children have come up with a number of wonderful and cheerful programs to help us to see the importance of the children ministries.
Sometimes, those who labour quietly in the Sunday School may not be seen but today we deeply appreciate their hard work and their dedication to help the children to grow spiritually. Seeing the children doing ministry warmed my heart… Xu Bin’s scripture reading is so convincing and he is so confident and so impressive. It was not just reading of scripture but it was reading with full conviction. You know, that he has indeed prepared to do it… not just taking the bible out and read but he must have done it a couple of times before he went up to do the reading.
Then Sue Anne, though she was trembling initially but she did such a marvelous job in the worship leading, don’t you think so? Both are 12 yrs old and I can see such potential in their young lives. These are our future leaders and thank you teachers who have dedicated your lives to nurture them to be who they are today.
The service ends with a surprise for me – "Pastor’s appreciation Day!" I didn’t even know that such a day existed until Sis Lee Leang and the sisters took the cake out and announced that the 2nd week in October is proclaimed as “Pastor’s Appreciation Day.” Can you imagine after more than 20 yrs in the ministry, I was not even aware of such a day. But it was such a pleasant surprise that I was totally overwhelmed.
Thanks to all of you who have learned to appreciate the pastor. I have to say this, “Today I felt that for all that I have done in the church (I may not be perfect in my words and deeds) but my giving was affirmed and you have made it special for me. Though times could be difficult but times like this will stay as sweet memory forever."
Thanks to all those who have made this day special – for me… love you all in Peace Charis!!!
You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts."
(2 Corinthians 3:2,3)
09 Oct 09, Friday
Today is the last day the mission team from China is in our church. After a week with them, I began to appreciate the mission work in China even more and I was so full of gratitude for those who had gone into China much earlier to spread the gospel even before the cultural-revolution. Seeing them today is like seeing the fruit of their hard labour.
It caused me to rethink of my ministry – sometimes when I felt discouraged and felt like telling God "enough is enough". I don’t even have a good reason to continue because I don’t even want to find one. And yet seeing the fruit of those missionaries and pastors who have gone before in China, their fruit bears testimony to their hard labour, testifying of their fervent enthusiasm in the midst of persecution – and yet they were not here to see it for themselves. Have they also complaint in the midst of hardship? Have they ever thinking of giving up? Seeing their fruit, I guess they didn’t.
So thank you Jesus, because these are the cloud of witnesses before us, testifying to us that we could go on IN LOVE!
11 Oct 09, Sunday
Sunday service today is Children’s day and Teachers’ appreciation day. The teachers and children have come up with a number of wonderful and cheerful programs to help us to see the importance of the children ministries.
Sometimes, those who labour quietly in the Sunday School may not be seen but today we deeply appreciate their hard work and their dedication to help the children to grow spiritually. Seeing the children doing ministry warmed my heart… Xu Bin’s scripture reading is so convincing and he is so confident and so impressive. It was not just reading of scripture but it was reading with full conviction. You know, that he has indeed prepared to do it… not just taking the bible out and read but he must have done it a couple of times before he went up to do the reading.
Then Sue Anne, though she was trembling initially but she did such a marvelous job in the worship leading, don’t you think so? Both are 12 yrs old and I can see such potential in their young lives. These are our future leaders and thank you teachers who have dedicated your lives to nurture them to be who they are today.
The service ends with a surprise for me – "Pastor’s appreciation Day!" I didn’t even know that such a day existed until Sis Lee Leang and the sisters took the cake out and announced that the 2nd week in October is proclaimed as “Pastor’s Appreciation Day.” Can you imagine after more than 20 yrs in the ministry, I was not even aware of such a day. But it was such a pleasant surprise that I was totally overwhelmed.
Thanks to all of you who have learned to appreciate the pastor. I have to say this, “Today I felt that for all that I have done in the church (I may not be perfect in my words and deeds) but my giving was affirmed and you have made it special for me. Though times could be difficult but times like this will stay as sweet memory forever."
Thanks to all those who have made this day special – for me… love you all in Peace Charis!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)