Reflections in Muar

As some of you folks know, I went to Muar, a small town in Malaysia, last week for a couple of days with a friend for a short getaway. Why Muar? & not some relaxing place in Bintan or something? Well, the agenda for the trip was to get away from the hussle and bustle of normal city life, I needed a quiet sanctuary to spend some time reflecting on the past few months ever since June, to spend some quality time with God & to test how independent I could be to find my way around without pre-arrangements and help made for us by other people. Heh. Thank God I made it back to S’pore safely, it helped greatly that I was in wonderful company of my traveling kaki, Karen.

One thing that’s for sure, & will be the running thread through this journal entry, that as I reflect upon the past few months, God has been so good to me. And I’m not the only one that says so. From Karen as we talked, I realized that Yes God is someone who is faithful to those who put their trust in Him. As I hear of the goodness of his love for Karen in her life and think about his goodness to me in mine, my heart just sings with gladness that I know him. His grace, mercy, gentleness and love surpass that of any human possibilities. He has been the Light that is guiding my path, the same wondrous light that shines into the darkest areas of my life to rescue me in troubled times, & that leads me in the right direction to take though darkness surrounds me from all sides. Through the uncertainty & seeking of direction these months, I begin to fully understand the meaning of LAUGH. L-iving A-dventurously U-nder G-od’s H-and. It’s like handing God a blank check, and telling him to use it in whatever way that he wants to. Everyday I’m learning.

It is definitely not the easiest thing to do, to give up or called ‘die to myself’. Many would find this somewhat discomforting and perhaps insane to give up your dreams and life and whatever you want to do to God. But that is how much faithfulness and love God has shown to me First, that I can truly give him my all today. But yet, it says in Matthew 6:32 “.. and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.” Need what? Well, them refers to the things that you desire. God is not some wish genie that pops out 10 billion dollars whenever you wish upon him, but what it does mean is that whatever your needs are, and the deepest desires of your heart, he knows. And he will give them to you and bless you, if they are indeed the things that are the desires of his heart for you too.

Then we find the oxymoron of the verse in Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” not so confusing suddenly isn’t it? Many a times in my life, when I choose not to submit to God’s prompting to do certain things, or I choose to go my own way. I find that I’m on the losing end most of the time. But when the tables are flipped and I choose to submit all to the Lord, not in suffering or begrudgingly, but trusting him to take care of me, then I see God’s faithfulness and goodness, even miraculous open doors happen to me, that I can truly say that “Thank you Jesus for you are so good!”

My dear friends, it is not too profound to understand, it is not too far out of your grasp. God’s love is here for me, it is here for you too. Jesus, who knew no sin, bore all our sins on our behalf and cancelled it all away, when he died on the cross for us. All he asks is for faith as small as a mustard seed to believe that he is real, and that this day he wants to tell you that He Loves You. Won’t you open your heart to him today?

If anytime in your life you feel you need someone to cry out to, remember God, that as you cry out to him in whatever circumstance you are in, I am confident that He is not too far away to miss your voice and I know that He will answer your prayer.
If you want to accept Jesus into your heart as your Lord and Saviour, then say this prayer to the Lord with me right now:
“Dear Lord Jesus, I believe that you died on the cross for my sins. I thank you for your love for me. Today, I open up my heart to you, come into my life to be my Lord and Saviour. I confess that I am a sinner, and I acknowledge that because of what you did for me on the cross, I am clean and redeemed by you. From today, I will walk in freedom, in your light and in your truth. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen!”

If you said this prayer, let me know okay? I would love to walk you through this journey together with Him. May God tug at your heart strings as you are reading this. I know he has prompted many of you already. God bless you!

In His Love, Stephie