How good God is.
A couple of weeks ago, I was chatting with the HK-born cashier at BreadTalk. We have formed quite a rapport, and I like to chat with her in a mix of Cantonese and English when I'm paying for my week's supply of buns.
This time, I enquired how her grandson is doing, as I know she's a very proud grandma.
She answered me completely in Cantonese.
My Cantonese being very limited, I was only able to recognize and translate an odd word or phrase here and there, from which I gathered her grandson had been having fever for several days, the doctor had been unable to determine the cause, and the family was worried.
I decided that I wanted to say something positive and encouraging before I left.
But what?
I sent up a quick prayer for divine assistance - it all happened so fast I can't tell you what happened in sequence. I only know that my brain processed the translation from English (the wish) to Mandarin (my second language) to Cantonese (her language) in record time.
And out of my mouth came a very simple but adequate wish - "Hei mong nei ge xun fai di ho".
Translation: "I hope your grandchild gets well soon."
You should have seen the size of her smile - it just lit up her face.
She thanked me profusely, and two much happier individuals went on with their day.
Praise God for how powerfully and specifically He answers prayers.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Monday, March 04, 2013
What is my Jerusalem?
Today is my first day actually using my pastor's Spiritual Core devotions.
At Alpha last night, Nicky Gumbel challenged us to set aside 15 minutes a day to read God's Word, understand it, and discover how it applies to our lives. That is what I am doing.
My passage for today is a perplexing one:
32 He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ 33 In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!
34 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 35 Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’[a]”
On my first reading, I thought, well, this is about Jesus grieving over Jerusalem, which had a track record of rejecting every messenger sent by God to preach truth, repentance and good news.
Then I thought - am I like Jerusalem too?
Do I also have a habit of rejecting the hard and painful truths that come my way?
Do I pick and choose what I want to hear and reject others?
What is my Jerusalem that I flee from?
I squirm when I think of times when I have lost control emotionally, when I have said more than I should, when I have failed to speak up, when I have stubbornly held to my view...
Thanks be to God that His patience is unfailing and that He is not willing that any should perish.
At Alpha last night, Nicky Gumbel challenged us to set aside 15 minutes a day to read God's Word, understand it, and discover how it applies to our lives. That is what I am doing.
My passage for today is a perplexing one:
Jesus’ Sorrow for Jerusalem
31 At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.”32 He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ 33 In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!
34 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 35 Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’[a]”
On my first reading, I thought, well, this is about Jesus grieving over Jerusalem, which had a track record of rejecting every messenger sent by God to preach truth, repentance and good news.
Then I thought - am I like Jerusalem too?
Do I also have a habit of rejecting the hard and painful truths that come my way?
Do I pick and choose what I want to hear and reject others?
What is my Jerusalem that I flee from?
I squirm when I think of times when I have lost control emotionally, when I have said more than I should, when I have failed to speak up, when I have stubbornly held to my view...
Thanks be to God that His patience is unfailing and that He is not willing that any should perish.
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