Eirene

What are the characteristics of a righteous person in the book of Job, in situations prosperity? (Part 1 of 2)

The book of Job begins by telling us who Job was. He was described as a man of “righteousness” — he was “blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil” (1:1, NIV). Even prophet Ezekiel described Job as a wise and godly man (Ezekiel 14:14, 20).

The concept of righteousness in the book of Job is introduced in the prologue (1:1-2:13) and once again in the epilogue — the final chapter of the book (42:7-17). In the prologue, Job was ‘blameless and upright’ who loved the Lord and feared the Lord.

In the epilogue, when God had spoken to him, he humbled himself before God and worshipped Him, confessing that he had sinned against God. And in the chapters in between, Job demonstrated faith in God despite not understanding why he was inflicted with such sufferings.

Job lived in the land of Uz. He was not an Israelite and therefore, his faith in God was purely based on his human faith, and not bounded by God’s covenantal relationship with the Israelites. God was so confident in Job’s righteous character that He boasted to the Accuser that there was no one as righteous as he (Job 1:8). The Accuser challenged God that perhaps his righteousness was because God had been blessing him. If family and wealth were removed from him, would Job still remain righteous? (Job 1:9-11). “Is Job righteous because he is blessed or is he blessed because he is righteous?” the Accuser asked. To prove that He was right, God allowed Job to be tested, including taking away from him all the things that the Accuser thought characterised his righteousness: his wealth, his family and his health.

Righteousness in the Old Testament

Righteousness is being in a right relationship with God

In the Old Testament, righteousness has a relational concept. God was the One who initiate this love relationship with mankind when He created Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:4-3:24). When they disobeyed God, God provided a way: He said an offspring from the woman would crush the head of the evil one (Genesis 3:15), that was, referring to Jesus Christ. In the New Testament, we have a clearer picture of God establishing a relationship with us through the salvation offered by His Son, Jesus Christ.

A righteous man is in a right relationship with God. A righteous person would know what are the things that displeased God and avoid doing them, for example, the righteous person would love holiness, help those in need and hate corruption, abuse and injustice.

Righteousness are actions that pleases God

Both the Old and New Testaments describe a righteous person as one who trusts in God (Psalm 31:17-19; 33:18; Micah 7:7-9), humbles himself in the presence of God and His judgement (Psalm 143:1,2), repents of his sins and asks God for forgiveness as well as expecting deliverance (Psalm 32; 103:10-13; 118:18-21). A righteous person acts in accordance to what he says.

Some Old Testament passages which connect righteous behaviour with actions:

Deuteronomy 6:25, “and if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.”
Ezekiel 3:20 connects a righteous person with righteous actions.
Isaiah 64:5 says that the righteous are those who “gladly do right”.
Habakkuk says that “the righteous person will live by his faithfulness” (Habakkuk 2:4).

In short, righteousness is actions that pleases God and living by faith (Romans 1:17).

Righteousness as communal

In the prophetic and psalmic literature, righteousness and justice are often paired together. It is a communal thing. It involves the community. Righteousness involves ethical relations between an individual and the community (e.g. Isaiah 1:21). The righteous person shows loyalty to the community.

Job was the greatest man among all the people of the East (Job 1:3b). Yet, he kept himself morally pure. He kept himself pure from the effects of power, wealth and fame. Job lived with a clean conscience before God and before others in his community. He blessed others with loving deeds and is blessed in return with the respect and honour in the community from the young to the old.

1. Righteous

A righteous person does not mean he is without sins. Rather, righteousness means that a person’s heart is honest and his intentions are pure. Job, although he was a righteous man, admitted to sinning (Job 6:24; 10:14, 7:20,21; 14:4; 14:16,17; 21:16). He knew it would be impossible not to sin before God (Job 14:4) but he was righteous because he confessed his sins and repented before the Lord.

2. Righteousness in the family

Job functioned as a priest for his family which was a typical role in the patriarchal days. Not only did he embody righteousness, his whole household too, were moving in the same direction towards righteousness. Job had rituals to purify his 10 children, lest they had inadvertently sinned and cursed God in their hearts (Job 1:5).

He was righteous not only in the society, but also in his family as well. We can be busy with the things in the community and in the workplace but let us not forget to teach our children and lead them to the path of righteousness.

3. A heart of Thankfulness

With the abundance of wealth and all that he had, and then they were suddenly gone, Job still acknowledged that these blessings came from God. They were God’s goodness and grace in his life. Job said of God, “You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit” (Job 10:12). This is something remarkable for someone to say in the midst of utmost suffering and pain.

4. Communal

Despite having his abundance, Job lived righteously in the society and the community commended him for his righteous living.

“11 When the ear heard, it commended me, and when the eye saw, it approved; 12 because I delivered the poor who cried, and the orphan who had no helper. 13 The blessing of the wretched came upon me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. 14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a turban. 15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame. 16 I was a father to the needy, and I championed the cause of the stranger” (Job 29:11-16, NRSV)

In his wealth, he remained humble. He had compassion for the weak in the society and extended his helping hand to them.

Job lived in a right way with other people and it was not because he was required to follow certain laws or keep certain commandments in the Torah. He lived in a patriarchal age[2], which was a long time before Moses receiving the 10 Commandments from God at Mount Sinai. Job must not have been taught the Torah.

Righteousness and justice were so important to Job that he clothed himself with them. Job’s righteous can be seen in his behaviour towards those who were oppressed in the society. He fought against social injustice. He came to the help of the poor who were crying for help, extended his hand to the orphans, blessed the widows, cared for those in need and defended the weak. Job did not close his eyes to the needy or shut his heart to the cries of the oppressed. Rather, he reaches out to the underprivileged and strived to improve the quality of their lives and livelihood. He defended the weak. He despised and wrestled with unrighteousness, He said of himself, “I broke the fangs of the unrighteous, and made them drop their prey from their teeth.” (Job 29:17, NRSV).

5. Respectable

Job was a respectable man. He kept his eyes pure, and made a covenant with his eyes not to lust after a young woman (31:1). He was faithful in marriage and guarded his heart so that he would not be enticed by another woman (31:9). He knew God was watching his every step so he was careful not to do wrong (31:2-4).

His heart too, was pure towards God. He did not practice falsehood or deceit (31:5), nor did he commit crimes or corruption or practise bribery (31:7).

His hands too, were pure towards God. He treated his servants well, knowing that they were created by the same Creator (31:13, 15). Job shared his food with the poor (31:16-17), helped the needy (31:18) and clothed the poor (31:19).

He put his trust in God, and not in his wealth, knowing that his wealth was from God, not just from his work (Job 31:24). He did not worship other idols but his heart was set on God (31:26-28). He walked in humility by not allowing himself to rejoice over his enemy’s misfortune or let his mouth sin (31:29-30).

God noticed how rare this righteous person was and said to the Accuser, “There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil.” (Job 1:8).

Job showed us the example of living a life of righteousness during times of prosperity. Let us not forget God when we are enjoying good times.

John Wesley and Physical Health

Recently, I was reading articles and exchanging thoughts on John Wesley’s theology with a fellow pastor. Then I came across an interesting article online which talked about John Wesley’s teachings on physical health. As someone desperately wanting to be in a better physical shape, this article was indeed useful. You can read more at https://www.resourceumc.org/en/content/wesley-and-physical-health-practicing-what-he-preached

Apparently, John Wesley was not just passionate about preaching God’s Word and to see people accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour. He was also passionate about teaching others to be in good physical condition.

In Wesley’s home, he had a chair with several cushions stacked on top of each other. It was an exercise equipment used in the 1700s. By sitting on the cushions, one would bounce up and down to mimic the movements of riding on a horse. As a frequent horse rider who travelled long distance, John Wesley used this exercise equipment to stay in shape. May be that was why he was still very much an active circuit traveller in his 80s.

In a letter to his niece, Sarah Wesley, John Wesley wrote that she should take as much exercise every day as she could. He even advised her to use this exercise chair for half an hour at least daily.

There was also another equipment, an electrical machine, in his house that was made of wood, glass and metal. Turning the handle would create a low-level electric current that could aid in healing benefits.

Wesley was also believed to have given tips for healthy living as follows:

“Water is the wholesomest of all drinks; quickens the appetite, and strengthens the digestion most.”
“A due degree of exercise is indispensably necessary to health and long life.”
“Those who read or write much should learn to do it standing; otherwise it will impair their health.”

Wesley believed that our spiritual health and physical health go hand in hand. Let us be mindful of our physical health and take care of it just as we put in effort on our spiritual health.

For now, I shall start with daily exercise of 30 minutes to an hour of brisk walking, or playing sports that I enjoy in. It is a baby step, but I am sure one that will reap benefits that will last for a long time.

How are you taking care of your physical health?

Feeling Stuck Creatively

I enjoy writing in this blog. Unfortunately, ideas do not come easily. There were days when I had no idea what to write about.

Time with God

Spending time with God not because I want to be creative but just being in His presence gives me peace, joy and a sense of calmness. Time with God makes me think about life in general. God is a creative God. He has blessed each one of us with creativity. Each of us are creative individuals. We are wonderfully made by God (Psalm 139:14). You got creativity in you. Why not unleash it?

Exercise

Exercise is more than just helping us to lose weight or to have stronger bodies. There are studies that show when we exercise regularly, it will boost our creativity. Strap your shoes and let’s go!

Being in the outdoors

Get enough sunlight. It wakes our bodies up and give us Vitamin D which is important to us.

Change the environment

Changing our physical environment can give us new perspectives. I enjoy bringing my work to the coffee shop. Perhaps it is the coffee. Perhaps it is the environment or the music in the background that get my creative juices flowing. A new environment sparks new insights in us.

Music

“Music and rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul.”
Plato

Play an instrument or listen to music. When I am feeling stuck creatively, I listen to my favourite singer. Her music lights us my life and get me dancing.

Be still

Sometimes, the best ideas can come to us when we do nothing and just sit down quietly. Let us not get so busy that our brains are working all the time.

Talk to a friend

Talk to a friend will offer new and fresh insights.

Find Inspiration

We have it easier in this century because we have access to everything at our fingertips. I enjoy looking at others’ masterpieces on Instagram: scenery pictures, pictures of animals, buildings, families. They offer glimpses of this amazingly beautiful world. Our inspiration can come from anywhere, we just need to look around us.

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, The more you have!”
Maya Angelou

I hope this is an encouragement to you when you are feeling stuck creatively!

Desire God

When bad things happen to bad people, most of us think they deserve it. It is their punishment for what they have done. But what if punishment happened to the righteous people who did not deserve it?

The book of Job begins by telling us who Job was. Job was depicted as embodying “righteousness” — he was “blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil” (1:1, NIV). Even Ezekiel described him (Ezekiel 14:14, 20) as a wise and godly man. This showed that Job was well known at that time for his righteousness and for his wisdom.

Job adored God and trembled with awe at His holiness. He did not participate or commit evil things. He lived a respectable life and was honoured by the old and the young within his community. He provided care to the needy and helped the poor.

Job lived in the land of Uz. He was not an Israelite so he was not bounded by the covenantal relationship the Israelites had with God. Job had 7 sons, 7 being the perfect number and 3 daughters. A total of 10 children. In Hebrew, the number 10 means wholeness. God had blessed Job with a good family. His children were in good relationships with one another. Whenever the sons had birthday parties, they would invite their sisters to join them. The family lived in harmony.

Apart from enjoying a wonderful family, Job had great wealth. He owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. That meant a lot of money. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East (Job 1:2–3).

The land of Uz was known for its wisdom. Referring to Job as the greatest man may not only include his great wealth, this might also portray him as having great wisdom. He could be the wisest man in the East.

Job, being an upright and blameless man, found favour with God. God was so confident of Job’s righteous character that He boasted to the Accuser that there was no one on earth as righteous as he (Job 1:8). The Accuser then said to God: perhaps he was righteous because God had been blessing him; if family and wealth were removed from him, would he still remain righteous? (Job 1:9-11).

To prove that He was right, God allowed Job to be tested, including taking away from him his wealth and his family.

Then, it happened. His wealth was taken from him. But he did not sin against God by cursing God. Next, all of his 10 children were killed at a birthday party. Again, Job did not sin against God. He remained righteous and blameless before God.

Reverent awe before God

Instead, he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised” (Job 1:21). As the greatest man in the East, Job understood one thing —everything that he had came from God alone. His wisdom came from God. His wealth came from God. His children came from God. These were blessings from God. Therefore, Job believed that God had every right to remove them from him as He saw fit.

Job also understood that he could not take his riches with him when he died. We came into this world with nothing, and when we leave this earth, we can not take anything physical with us. The thing that we can live behind is the memories others have of us and the legacy we leave behind.

What legacy are we leaving behind? Let us leave an example for them by showing our children what it means to be disciples of Christ in this world. May your example give them the courage to persevere in their faith journey with Jesus.

For Job, the most important Person was God. He was the greatest man in the East for his wealth and for his wisdom. Yet, he did not put his hope in his wisdom. He did not put his trust in his wealth.

God was so pleased with Job that He boasted to the Accuser that Job “still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason” (Job 2:3). In his great loss, Job maintained his reverent awe before God.

He was confident in who God was—that God was faithful and righteous in all His ways. Can we say the same when we are facing struggles in our lives. Will we still trust God if we experience great loss?

God is still a faithful God. Ask God for eyes of faith to trust Him even when we are in difficult circumstances. The pandemic take things away from us: freedom to travel, freedom to see our family and friends, and it also strike us economically. We have been hit economically, emotionally and mentally. Let us not let it take away our faith in God.

Job remained faithful to God despite losing his wealth and children. God then allowed the Accuser to afflict Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. They were so painful, that he had to scrap them with a piece of broken pottery. His skin split open because of the boils. Maggots were crawling around his wounds. Pus and blood oozed out from his wounds. He was so afflicted that he couldn’t eat, he couldn’t sleep well and his breath stunk.

Yet, he did not curse God. He maintained his reverence for God. He rebuked his wife, “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” (Job 2:10). Job “did not sin in what he said” (Job 2:10).

In his affliction, Job maintained a thankful attitude towards God. He remembered that everything he had were God’s providence to him. He said of God, “You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit” (Job 10:12). He remembered God was the one who gave him his life, showed him kindness and provided for him.

For us today, it is easy to succumb to the temptation that we do not need God—we can manage our lives. Well, isn’t it the human condition since Adam and Eve?

But Job showed us what it meant to put our trust in God. Even when all that he had was gone, he could still praise God. If all that we have is gone, and all that we consider as precious, such as our children, are gone, can we still say that God is good? Can we still worship God and say He is good?

There are things in our lives that we will never understand why they happened. Job never did understand why these calamities happened to him.

Job’s lament

Job lamented. He lamented that God had shattered their relationship by tormenting him. He wondered if God loved him anymore. He felt as if God was waging a battle against him (Job 3:23), gnashing his teeth at him (Job 16:9). He said God has turned him over to the ungodly and thrown him into the clutches of the wicked (Job 16:11). God had crushed him (Job 16:12). He felt God was like an archer who was using him as target practice; or a warrior that has slashed open Job’s kidneys and spilt his gall on the ground (Job 16:12-13).

Job lamented over the loss of relationships. His relatives and closest friends had forsaken him (19:14). His guests and servants considered him as a foreigner (19:15). His own family too, turned away from him: his wife found him repulsive, his family loathed him and young children despised him (19:17-18). Those he loved had turned from him (19:19).

Desire God

Yes, Job was lamenting but in his lament he had faith in God. He said, “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God” (19:25-26). He knew that things on this earth are fleeting, but Someone remained unchanging, that is, God.

In his great loss and suffering, he yearned for God. He said, “I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” (Job 19:27).

He did not understand God’s plan for him yet he held on to God. He yearned for his relationship with God to be restored. He yearned that God would remember him (Job 14:3), “If only you would hide me in the grave, and conceal me till your anger has passed! If only you would set me a time and then remember me!”

Imagine that. In the midst of his great loss and deep suffering, as the greatest man in the East, he did not ask for everything to be restored to him. He did not ask for his wealth to be restored. He did not threaten God to bring back his 10 children to him or to give him another 10 children. All he really wanted was that God would remember him. Job wanted God Himself. That was the only greatest desire of his heart. He knew that his wealth, his servants, his children, would not match with what God meant to him. He wanted more than anything to be in a restored relationship with God once again. In his pain and suffering, he never gave up on God.

This is such an important lesson for us today. Will we really acknowledge that God is our all?

Yes, we all need to work for food on our table. We need to feed our family. We need pay for our children’s education or to think about our retirement. Especially in this pandemic, there may be more expenses for gadgets, and internet connection and so on. But let us not forget God.

Thomas Merton, a Catholic writer, once told a story. A person was climbing on the ladder of success, each rung brought him closer to the top but once he reached the top, he realised the ladder has been leaning against the wrong wall. He had been climbing on the wrong ladder.

“People may spend their whole lives climbing the ladder of success only to find, once they reach the top, that the ladder is leaning against the wrong wall.”
Thomas Merton

May the ladder that we are climbing be the ladder that brings us closer to God.

God’s Purpose

God finally spoke to Job but in the whirlwind. When God questioned Job and showed him His sovereignty, Job realised that he had a narrow view of God. In the past, Job thought God functioned in a way that He rewarded the righteous and punished the wicked. But when God showed Job His Creation, Job finally understood that God’s purposes for this world (and even universe) are far bigger than just punishing the wicked and blessing the righteous. God as the sovereign Creator had a purpose for all of His created beings which we human beings are incapable of understanding (Job 39).

The book of Job is not about suffering. It is about God—His character, sovereignty, justice, faithfulness, goodness and love. Our lives are not solely about us. God’s plan is for the humanity and the universe.

We see the pains and the sufferings of this world. We are helpless when natural disasters strike or we feel hopeless with the choice of the world leaders. We think that we would do a better job at running the world than God. God’s ways are higher than our ways. There will always be issues that we will not fully understand from the limited perspective that we have.

Let us learn from Job. Instead of demanding answers from God for his pain, he humbled himself before God (Job 28), acknowledging that there was so much that he did not know and understand. “The fear of the Lord — that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding” (Job 28:28).

Job never got answers for his suffering. But from his suffering, he experienced God in a fresh way and re-established the Creator-created relationship. Suffering does not necessarily mean punishment from God. One thing for certain that God is with us every day. He is the Creator, and He is love. The world is God’s — it is His property and it is in His hands .

The book of Job ended with God restoring all that Job had lost. He had 10 more children, his daughters were the most beautiful in the land and he received double the wealth than before.

Job never let God go. Let us not be so carried away with ourselves that we forget the sovereignty of God. He had a wonderful plan for us. He sent His One and only begotten Son Jesus Christ to die for us.

Charles Spurgeon said, “Nothing puts life into men like a dying Savior.”

We have a new life and new meaning to life because of Jesus Christ.

We live a reasonably comfortable life. Do we desire God? Do we yearn for Him? May our hearts not get so crowded that it crowd God from the centre of our lives.

Job never got the answer to why he suffered. He did not know the contest between God and the evil one. But what was more important to him was that his relationship with God was restored. He got a clearer sense of who God is.

Job humbled himself before God and worshipped him.

There are so many things in this life that we will not understand. There are questions in our head that will not be answered. Job persisted to live a meaningful life, because God is the Creator. Let us remain steadfast in our faith, trust and love to our God like Job did.

What to give up for Lent?

Lent a period of 40 days. It does not include Sunday. It begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday.

The forty days of Lent represents the 40 days and night Jesus spent in the wilderness. During these 40 days, the devil came to tempt Him but Jesus defeated these temptations. Jesus also spent time fasting and praying to prepare Himself for His ministry.

What was Jesus’ ministry? His ministry was to preach about the Kingdom of God. His teachings were on turning away from sins, or also known as repentance, and living our lives in faith and obedience to God.

Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. Let us use this time to reflect on the love of Jesus Christ for us. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came into this world for us. He suffered and died for us. He who was without sin carried all our sins upon Himself. He rose from the grave and ascended into Heaven. He is in Heaven now, preparing a place for us—those who believe in Him.

If we have been struggling to read and study God’s Word, this is the time for us to do so. If we have been too busy to pray, the season of Lent is a good time for us to refocus on Him.

Sometimes, when life gets too overwhelming , we can’t hear God talking to us. We may be carrying too many unnecessary baggage. Now is the time to slow down our pace and receive healing from God. Now is the time to bask in God’s friendship and enjoy His love.

What to give up for Lent?

Unnecessary spending

We may not need a lot of the things which we had purchased. Now that we are in the pandemic, we may not shop as often as we like, but let us learn not to spend unnecessarily and to find contentment in what I have. After all, godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Timothy 6:6).

This can also be time where we look through at our possession and donate items we no longer need to people who really need them.

Entertainment

Let us be more intentional in focusing on God and reflecting on His love. Instead of watching TV or Netflix, we can use this time for meditation or read the Bible. This is also the time to minister to a friend who needs a listening ear, visit a friend, keep in touch with a friend, get to know someone or do something nice for someone.

Junk food

I love junk food! I love bubble tea. I love ice cream. I love fried stuff. All these are yummy but they are not good for my body. This is the season that we give up on food that do not nourish us. After all, we need to take care of our health, which is one of the most precious gift from God.

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” Corinthians 6:19-20

Late nights

Lent is a time for us to rest in God and to find peace in Him. After all, God is in control of the universe, not us. Let us rest in Him.

What are you giving up for Lent? May you experience God afresh as you draw close to God. May His love and presence surround you and your family.

Day of Repentance

Today is Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent. Ash Wednesday reminds us of 2 things:

(1) our sinfulness before God

(2) our human mortality

In the beginning, God formed human beings out of the dust of the earth (Genesis 2:7). After they had sinned against God, God gave them their punishment and told them, “you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19 NRSV).

John the Baptist and Jesus Christ also preached the message, “Repent, and believe the Gospel” (Mark 1:15).

Let us intentionally spend time today to reflect on our lives—we are frail creatures. Let us be mindful that we are sinful creatures and confess our sins before the holy yet merciful God. May God teach us to number our days so that we will live wisely for God’s glory.

Passion fruit: the fruit of passion

Text: 2 Samuel 11:1-3, Psalm 51:1-12

King David was a heroic figure. In his youth, he defeated the national enemy, Goliath with just a sling and a stone. He was a warrior. He was a “superstar” whom the Israelites sang the praises. From boyhood, he understood God’s love, presence, mercy and grace and he wrote songs on them which we can read from the book of Psalms today. God even called him “a man after God’s own heart”.

From a humble beginning as a shepherd boy, God had chosen him to be the king of Israel. David had everything: military success— he reigned over a vast kingdom. His empire was from the edge of Egypt to the Euphrates River in modern-day Iraq. He had material success— he lived in a palace. He too was spiritually connected to God Whom he worshipped, adored and wrote many songs about. He was physically strong too as he was a mighty warrior. King David had success in all areas of his life. Unfortunately, his desire for a woman had caused his downfall. And ever since she had appeared in his life, his life was never the same again.

There are many love stories in the Bible and one of them was the story of King David and Bathsheba. It all started when it was spring. It was a time where the kings would lead their armies to war. David sent the Israelites army to fight against their enemies. However, King David stayed back in his palace in Jerusalem. He was lingering about his palace, and not with his army as he should have been. If we were not alert and be where we are supposed to be, and do what we are supposed to do, we would be putting ourselves in danger too. It is important to stay prudent and to be faithful in doing whatever we have to do. Let’s encourage each other to be watchful and stay on guard. Idling around will open us up to unnecessary temptations.

One evening up on his roof, he looked down and saw a very beautiful woman bathing in the river. It is interesting how the NIV describes her as “very beautiful”, implying that “beautiful” is not enough. Her appearance attracted David’s attention. The first glance must have been an accident. It would have not been a sin if he looked away, but he looked again and again. He then desired to have her and asked to find more about her. She was not just merely bathing, but she was undergoing a ritual bath to cleanse herself 7 days after menstruation. It was a common Near East practice. You can read more about this purification bath in Leviticus 15.

Unfortunately, knowing that she belonged to someone else did not stop him from feeding his desire. He already had wives and concubines but yet, he desired for Bathsheba. It seemed that the forbidden fruit tasted much sweeter. He asked for her to be brought to him and he slept with her. Then as in the culture of the day, women did not have much say, they were treated like objects. After sleeping with her, he sent her away. May be David hope that this was the end. But it was not.

What was her reaction when the king, not just an ordinary king, but a king honoured, respected and loved by the people, asked to sleep with her? Was she frightened? Did she love him? I am curious to know.

We human beings are creatures of passion. We are made for love. When God first made Adam and Eve, God made them just for each other. God had taken a rib bone from Adam and made Eve from it. When Adam first saw Eve, he cried out, ““At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’” (Genesis 2:23, NLT).

Passionate love is a gift given to a man and a woman. Passionate love is the fuse the inspiration for great art, poetry, songs, literature and so on.

Quotes of passionate love are:

You know you’re in love when you don’t want to fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams. (Theodor Seuss Geisel)

I would rather share one lifetime with you than face all the ages of this world alone. (R. R. Tolkien)

Passionate love between a man and a woman is a beautiful thing. We are made to love and be loved. This love is beautiful and wonderful because it is self-giving and God-glorifying.

David loved Bathsheba with a passionate love but it got out of his control. His passion fanned into lust and it turned into a disaster.

A few months later, Bathsheba sent news that she was pregnant. “I am with child”, she said. In those days, the consequence for adultery was to be stoned to death, but Bathsheba put responsibility to David by letting him know that he was the father.

Now, Uriah was at the battlefield. It would be obvious that he was not the father of her child. David then had a plan and asked for Uriah to leave the battle and go home to his wife and to sleep with his wife so that the child would be “his”. But Uriah would not. The soldiers on battleground would not leave the battleground to go home to their wives. It was an expected loyalty to the country and to the king. So David invited Uriah to eat and drink with him and David made Uriah drunk. Even when he was drunk, Uriah remained faithful to the king and to the country. He would not go home to his wife but would stay on the battlefield.

Uriah was not an Israelite. He was a Hittite (2 Sam 11:3) a foreigner, yet, he was so faithful to God, to David and the country. When David’s plan had failed, he devised another plan. He sent a letter to Joab, the commander of his army. In the letter, David ordered that Uriah to be put in the most dangerous place in the battle—the spot where the battle would be the fiercest. David specifically told Joab to put him there and withdraw from him so he would die.

The worse thing was that Uriah, did not know what would be coming upon him, was carrying the letter that would orchestrate his own death. In the battle, Joab had the city under siege and put Uriah at a place where there would be the strongest defenders.

Uriah died in the battle. Some of David’s best soldiers were killed too. It could have been avoidable but because the king wanted Uriah dead. It is scary to think how far David would go to have Bathsheba by his side. It is a reflection for us too: the higher our position, the more we have to be careful because we do have the power to make powerful decisions that would affect the lives of others.

When David received the news from Joab, he would normally be very angry if precious lives were taken and if the deaths of his soldiers could have been avoided. But not this time. He would not care if other good soldiers of him died together with Uriah. All that he cared about was making sure that Uriah was dead. With him out of the way, he could finally have Bathsheba.

Bathsheba mourned for her husband. After that, King David took her to be his wife. And she gave birth to a son.

When King David first saw her, he desired to have her. He must made her his. He arranged for her husband to be killed so that he could have her.

King David, a bright shiny star, the glory of the nation of Israel had fallen. His passion to have Bathsheba led to unexpected consequences. I wonder how many times when David was lying in the bed at night regretted his decision. If only he could turn back time, would he repeat his action again?

His action did not please God. The child that they had would be taken away from them.

We make mistakes but as always, God is always there. He will forgive anyone who repents. Because God loves David, He sent His prophet, Nathan to him.

Nathan told him a story: there was a rich man who had a very large number of sheep and cattle and a poor man who only had an ewe. A traveller came to the rich man and he wanted to prepare a meal for the traveller. Instead of taking one of his own sheep for the meal, this rich man went to the poor man and took his ewe lamb, which was his pride and joy and prepared it as a meal for the traveller.

David was furious at the rich man. He was shocked when Nathan said he was the rich man in the story. He had everything. Yet, he despised God and took the only wife of his faithful soldier and killed him.

David broke 5 of the 10 commandments. He coveted his soldier’s wife, he committed adultery, he bear false witness, he murdered and he stole his soldier’s wife.

Because David had despised God, this child must die. This consequence was upon David and Bathsheba. But that was not the end of the story. David did not cast Bathsheba in the harem and forget her. No. Instead, they had 3 more children together. In the later years, as David grew old and weak, his son, Adonijah had claimed the throne. Bathsheba came to remind David that he had made a promise that their Solomon would be the next king. Whether or not he actually promised her this, we did not know. But David listened and trusted her. David then made Solomon the king.

In her older years, some traditions said that Bathsheba recited Proverbs 31 to Solomon on the day of his marriage, “charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeing; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised”. Everything in the world will fade away some day: power will not last forever, beauty certainly does not. Even as the greatest king of Israel, David too had to step down and coronate the new king of Israel. But our relationship with God lasts forever.

God loves you and I too. When you and I make mistakes, we will have to bear with the consequences but God will always forgive us. We will be made clean.

After realising his sin, David prayed, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me” (Psalm 51:10-12, NIV).

Psalm 51 is a beautiful psalm of repentance that David sang after his adultery with Bathsheba.

He asked for a pure heart and a joyful heart to obey God’s commands. He too, pleaded with God, not to leave him or take His Holy Spirit or from him. He desired for God. He yearned for God and to delight himself in the Lord again.

God will discipline us because we are precious in His sight. He did not want us to continue in the wrong path. He wants to wake us up to the right path. When God speaks, we have to listen. He did not condemn us but bring us back to the path of salvation.

The genealogy of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew highlighted the fact that Bathsheba was Uriah’s wife. It said, “David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife” (Matthew 1:6b). Although Jesus, the Saviour of the World, is perfect and holy, he did not come from perfect ancestry. We are not perfect, yet, in our own imperfections, we experienced God’s mercy and forgiveness. None of us can say we have never sinned. But we all can say we have tasted and see God’s love and mercy. How great and deep His love us for us.

What is the love story of your life? May it be a sweet passion fruit that blesses you and your beloved. And that your passion fruit is an example to others, one that brings great rejoicing among friends and relatives, and one that glorifies God.

The Type of Fasting God is Looking for

Bible text: Isaiah 58:6-12

February marks the beginning of the season of Lent. What is Lent? Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. Lent is a season of 40 days, not including Sundays. It begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday (the day before Easter Sunday). Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word “lencten”, which means “lengthen” and it refers to the lengthening days of spring.

There are 40 days in Lent to represents the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness, in which Jesus was spending time in prayer in preparation for His ministry. It was when the devil tempted Him 3 times, and Jesus defeated him (Matthew 4:1-11).

Lent is a time of repentance and fasting. Fasting does not necessarily mean we abstain from food. It can be refraining from activities that distract us from spending time in prayers. Fasting helps us to draw closer to God by remembering that we do not live on bread or food alone but on God’s Word. Fasting helps us to attack the sin that is within us. What sins are you struggling with? Fasting helps us to lean upon God and with God’s help, break away from the sins that entangled us. Fasting gives us freedom from sins that grip us.

The Israelites described in this passage were fasting. However, their fasting was not acceptable to God. One of the problems was that although they were fasting, they were using it as an opportunity to oppress the weaker people. The employer would use fasting as an excuse to avoid work for that period of time, and it meant that the workers would have no income during the fast. This provoked God’s anger.

The people were fasting, yes, but at the same time, they had their own selfish agendas behind it. From the outward appearance, it seemed they were fasting, but God saw their hearts, and their hearts were far from God.

What is the type of fast God is looking for?

What is the type of fasting which God is looking for?

It is mentioned in Isaiah 58: 6-12:

• to loose the chains of injustice

• to untie the cords of the yoke

• to set the oppressed free and break every yoke

• to share your food with the hungry

• to provide the poor wanderer with shelter

• to clothe the naked

• and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood.

And then in verses 9-10:

• if you do away with the yoke of oppression

• stop the pointing of the finger

• stop the malicious talk

• spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry

• satisfy the needs of the oppressed

In short, God wants to see these things in His children:

1. Lift the Burdens of Others

• to loose the chains of injustice

• to untie the cords of the yoke

• to set the oppressed free and break every yoke

• To satisfy the needs of the oppressed

Words such as: “chains, cords of the yoke, oppressed…”. God wants us to help lift the burdens of others. Not to increase it.

May we help those in need, and not to be bystanders to watch or to add to their hardship.

2. Share your food with the hungry

In school, we had to do Moral Education. We were given a picture and say what we should do in a scenario. In school, it is easy to say we should do this and that but now we are adults living in a real world. Sharing food with the hungry is not as straight forward as writing Moral essays in class. How can you share with food with the hungry? We are called to feed the hungry. What are some ways that we can feed the hungry? It may not need to be like a pot-bless or a party or something extravagant. It can be a small little act that we do. God will use your small acts of kindness to bless someone in need.

3. Provide the poor wanderer with shelter

God calls us to provide shelter to others. It can refer to being hospitable to others, especially the foreigners, the migrants in our land. How can we show hospitality to others?

4. Provide clothing for the naked

This includes clothing others with dignity. Remember that we all came from the dust of the ground as God has made the first man out of the earth. Uphold each other with dignity.

The verse says, don’t point fingers at others. Be sympathetic.

5. Respect others

In fasting, we are to respect others. And not to turn away from our own flesh and blood.

13 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. 3 Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. (Hebrews 13:1-3, NIV)

Remember those who were in difficult circumstances as if we too are in it.

6. Satisfied the needs of the oppressed

Help those who are oppressed. Be their friend. Passionless giving or donation without much thoughts are not what God wanted.

If you do these things, then see how you will experience God’s mercy and grace:

-Your light will break forth like the dawn

You will enjoy the blessings of the Lord. People will know that you belong to God by the way you live.

-There will be strengthening in you

-Your righteousness will go before you

-Glory of the Lord will be your rear guard

-The Lord will surround you

-The Lord will answer when you call

-The Lord will satisfy your needs

-The Lord will strengthen your frame

-You will be like a well-watered garden and like an ever-flowing spring

God blesses those who bless others. God will never short-change His children. When you give of yourselves to help others, God will satisfy you. You who feed others, God will feed you. You who clothed others in need, you will be clothed by God. You will not be in want but will be like a well-watered garden, a spring that will not run dry. God will strengthen you and bless you.

These are the blessings we will receive when we fast the right way to seek His face. We have to be very careful here. God is not a genie whose arms we can twist in order to get blessings. Every blessing we receive is grace from God, not that we have earn it with our own efforts or strength.

It is a right time to think about these questions:

Why am I doing what I am doing?

Why am I fasting?

Am I praying and fasting because I want to draw near to God? Or am I doing this with hidden motives or self-centred agenda?

Lent started with Ash Wednesday. The significance of Ash Wednesday is to remind us of our mortality. Let us be mindful that we are just a breath. The weak, the poor and the oppressed are not so different from us. They are also human like us. How would you live differently if you are mindful that our days are on earth are numbered? As Moses prayed, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)

Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. Let us be intentional to set aside time to seek God’s face. Let us think beyond ourselves and see how we can help others during the season of Lent. May we be refreshed by God as we help others.

Prayers change things

2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Colossians 4:2-6, NIV)

One of the spiritual disciplines a Christian should cultivate is prayers. Prayer enables us to build a relationship with our Father in Heaven who loves us.

When Apostle Paul wrote this letter, it was meant for the church at Colossae. It seemed that the Christians at Colossae were on the verge of losing their understanding of the power by which the Christian life is lived. Paul wrote this letter to encourage them as well as to remind them that there is power and joy as Christians.

Paul’s prayer for the Christians is that they might be strengthened according to God’s glorious might. Paul was in the prison when he was writing this. Being in the prison did not discourage him. He was still joyful because he himself had been strengthened by God.

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” (verse 2)

Devote ourselves to prayer means we priority prayers regardless of the circumstances. The situation around us does not dictate our joy. Regardless of whatever the circumstances, there is something that we can be thankful for. Make a commitment to pray because prayer connects us to God, our the source of joy and strength.

(1) Prayers Change Things

One of the comments we often hear is this: why do we pray when God is in control? Why do we still need to pray if God already knows everything?

God is not a robot that will do what He is programmed. God is a compassionate God, Who is slow to anger and abounding in love (Exodus 34:6; Psalm 103:8, Psalm 145:8). In various accounts in the Bible, we see that God will change His mind when His people prayed.

For example, Exodus 32 tells us Moses was up in the mountain to be with the Lord. That was when he received the tablet of the 10 Commandments from the Lord. The Israelites saw that Moses had not return to them so they gathered around Aaron and demanded Aaron to make a golden calf from the gold jewellery they had so they could worship it and said this golden calf brought them out of Egypt. They worshipped it and offered sacrifices to it. God was so angry with them that He wanted to destroy these rebellious people. But Moses found favour with God and so, Moses talked to God and asked for His mercy upon the Israelites. Then, God changed His mind and not destroy the people. Verse 14 of Exodus 32 tells us, “Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.”

Another example is found in Jonah. God sent Jonah to the great city of Nineveh. It was a very large city and the people were wicked. God wanted to destroy the city and so He sent Jonah to warn the people there. The king and the people of Nineveh heard God’s warning and they repented. The people fasted and prayed and repented. “When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.” (Jonah 3:10)

Prayers will change the course of events. God will change His mind when His people come to Him in prayers. Apostle Paul reminds us that we are partners with God.

“For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.” (1 Cor 3:9) We partner with God. He is not a task master that orders us to do His assignments but He is merciful and compassionate.

As God’s co-workers, it is our responsibility to pray. May God have mercy and hear our prayers for our nation.

(2) Prayer transforms us

When we pray, we move closer to the heart of God. We will see clearly what God loves and know what God hates. We will then begin to care about the things He care about, to love the things He loves and to hate the things He hates. It is not about me anymore but we will think about our action and consequences whether they are they pleasing to God.

Prayer is life changing. It changes our lives. Prayer allows God to transform us. James 4:3, we ask but we do not received because we ask with the wrong motives. Prayer is also a way God is shaping us and molding our character to be more like His Son, Jesus and to live a life that is pleasing to Him.

Apostle Paul urged the Christians that there should be transformation in our lives as followers of Christ.

5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Colossians 4:5-6, NIV)

Prayers change our behaviour. We also pray so that we will be wise when we live our lives in the society so that we can give glory to God. Prayer helps us to seize opportunity to be good witnesses for the Lord. Prayer changes the language we use towards others and towards ourselves. We don’t use language or words that accused and condemn others but our conversation will be full of grace, edifying, uplifting and encouraging wherever we are: at home, in school, at the workplace or in the society.

Prayers let us know the heart of God so that we can answer people about the God Whom we love and serve.

(3) Prayer is a journey

My dad loves to watch boxing matches. The boxers did not jump into the ring to fight without training. They did not just train for a day and then compete in the championship. They trained for a long time. Singers do not record music without musical training. They too had been undergoing training for a long time before recording music in the studio.

Same goes with prayer. It is a journey. It is a learning process. We will not be able to pray immediately. We need time to learn to pray. The more we pray, the more we will know how to pray. The more we pray, the more we will know the character of God. Don’t be discouraged if you think you don’t know how to pray yet. Think about your own children. When they first learn how to speak, you don’t get upset because they can not talk to you well yet. You will be overjoyed if they speak the first vowel because they are learning to communicate with you. Because they can’t talk very well yet, that does not mean you love them less. You know it will take time for them to learn words. You know it will take time for them to have a conversation with you which you can understand.

God is our Father in Heaven. He is delighted that you, His beloved child, come to Him in prayer. Prayer is heart to heart conversation with God.

Let us devote ourselves to prayer. Prayer is communion with God. Prayer is to know the heartbeat of God. Prayer changes things. Prayer transforms us. Prayer is a journey. Let us go deeper into prayer and experience more of His grace, love, provision and strength.

Where There Is No Vision, The People Perish

Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. (Proverbs 29:18)

I was in the choir during my seminary days. When I was in Year 2, the choir presented a song for the graduating class during the graduation service, and the song was entitled, “Give us a vision, Lord”.

The lyric of the song was, “Where there is no vision, the people perish. Give us your vision, Lord.” The lyrics were inspired by Proverbs 29:18.

During our choir practice, the conductor told us that she had chosen this song for the choir to sing for the graduating class as they would be moving from the seminary into the world. They needed to be reminded that they were being sent out on God’s mission. They would need vision from the Lord for the tasks in front of them. They would need vision from God for the church they would be going to, they would need vision from God for those who were going back to the marketplaces, or serving in the para-church.

If they moved forward without vision, it would not be good. This verse says, people will perish without vision from God.

Today is the 20^th day into the new year. Usually, at the beginning of each year, we make new year resolutions. New Year resolutions help us to improve ourselves, to achieve our ambitions, what I want to achieve for myself: I want to keep fit, I want to go for missions trip, I want to be more effective at work.

As disciples of Jesus, we want God to be in our new year resolutions. We want to use the gifts He has blessed us with to serve Him and to help others so that God will be glorified and we will live fulfilling lives.

No one on earth has your backgrounds, or the same life experiences as you do. You are uniquely you in the entire history of mankind. You are unique and only you can fulfil the things God wants to do through you. No one else can fulfil what God wants to do through you: not your children, not your grandchildren, not your friends but you.

We are here on this earth, at this time, for such a time as this. God wants to do something through us: through you and me. Let us catch God’s vision for us.

Vision is: able to see in our minds God’s plan and purpose for our lives—both now and the future, partial (may be only a bit) and whole (a more complete picture), individual and corporate and take actions to do what God has told us to.

Our society talks about KPI: what I can do, what I can achieve. As disciples of Christ, our vision always go back to what the Lord has in mind for us. What He can do, what can God do through me, how I can let God use me.

The King James Version says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” (Proverbs 29:18)

For people with vision and they obey God, they are happy people. Some translations say, we are blessed. We are blessed and happy. Other meanings of the word “happy” are: “blessed, joyful, successful, peaceful”. We will be happy and blessed when we submit to God’s plans for us.

This verse also tells us, “where there is no vision, people perish”. Without purpose in life, time will pass by aimlessly. Life will go by aimlessly too. Without vision, we will lost the purpose and the joy of life. Every day is just another day to get through, and not a gift. When we have the attitude of living an average life, we will miss the opportunity to experience God’s presence, power and provision (material provision, or provision in terms of giving us strength, wisdom and so on). When we see God’s plan for us, every day has a purpose.

How do we see God’s plan for us?

S. O. A. R (soar on eagle’s wings)

(1) Seek

The Lord says in Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” The Lord was speaking to His people, the Israelites when they were in captivity in Babylon. God planned a new beginning and a new purpose for them to reassure them that He was with them.

This promise is for us too. When we seek Him, we will find Him.

Intentionally quiet down ourselves to seek God and His direction for us. Make time to hear from God. I go for silent retreats to hear from God every year to listen to what He is saying to me personally, and also to the church. Cultivate the disciplines of solitude to hear clearly from God.

(2) Obedience

“To obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22)

This is only the first of many places in the Bible that talks about “obedience is better than sacrifice” (Ps 40:6-8, 51:16, 17; Proverbs 21:3; Isaiah 1:11-17; Jeremiah 7:21-23; Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:6-8; Matthew 12:7; Mark 12:33; Hebrews 10: 8,9).

Sacrifices in the Old Testament were a ritual that physically demonstrated a relationship between God and a person. Today, if we do “everything” right (we go to church, we are serving in ministries, we are giving to charity), but if our heart is not right with God, everything we do outwardly is meaningless.

We need to obey if we want to embrace God’s vision. We can’t have it my way and God’s way. It is my way, or it is God’s way. We need obedience to respond to God’s vision. In obedience, we will find life.

(3) Adjust

We want God to speak to us and use us to do something. But we don’t want to make adjustments in our life. If we look at the Bible, when God spoke to His men and women to carry out something, they had to adjust to Him. Some had to leave their families and countries behind. Some had to remove their prejudices. Other had to leave behind life goals, dreams and wishes.

For example, Abraham could not stay at home and go where God asked him to (Gen 12:1-8).

Moses could not be a shepherd and yet lead the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 3).

David left his life as a shepherd boy behind to become king (1 Sam 16:1-13).

Jonah left his home and work on his prejudice before he could preach at Nineveh (Jonah 1:1-2, 3:1-2; 4:1-11).

Peter, Andrew, James and John left their fishing business to follow Jesus (Matthew 4:18-22).

Once they had adjusted to God, only then God could use them to carry out His plan and purposes.

Even Jesus Christ has to adjust His life to God’s plan: He forsook His glorious life in Heaven, come down to Earth to save us by dying on the Cross for us. 2 Cor. 8:9 says, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he become poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” (2 Cor. 8:9).

As believers, we have to adjust ourselves to God. We need to adjust our lifestyle accordingly in the ways that pleases the Lord, because He is the Lord, He wants to be your Lord. His purpose for you will always be the best although we may not understand it at that moment.

What are the things you have to adjust to respond to God? How can God use me at home? In the workplace? In the society? How can I use my intellect and gifts to be a blessing to the people around me?

(4)Review

God is a living God. His directions, and plans for us is different from season to season. Think of a plant and its stages of growth: sprout, seedling, vegetative, budding, flowering and ripening. Different amount of water is needed, different amount of fertilizer is used and even different pots, depending on the size of the plant.

Just like us too. As we go through different seasons and different stages in life, we will have different needs. Our needs as a young adult are different from when we were children. It will also be different in our golden years.

Make each day count. Don’t waste our time away. Make every day count for the glory of God. Spend time to seek the vision God has for you.

Our lives here on earth are like a vapour—we don’t know how long we will be on earth. Let us catch the vision God has for us. Remember, you are special. You were wonderfully and fearfully made. Make every day count. May God be glorified in our daily lives.