Was very tired today, after rushing my part for the Christmas MM. Tired, spiritually hungry - only went through today's verse for the F&P for Christmas outreach. Didn't feel like reading the Bible - tried to, but couldn't focus. Fell asleep while reading the Bible.

Then woke up and went down at midnight to the Senior Citizen's void deck to spend some quiet time - prompted by the verse: "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."

Jesus is so sweet. :)

Had a really wonderful quiet time, just being still, admiring the beauty of the night, and the fresh breeze that comes just before it's going to rain. Meditated on today's F&P verse. Think God spoke a lot to me through that time of meditation - I had some fresh new insights and somehow, I felt my heart aligning back to Jesus' heart - His heart of compassion.

I've been praying for myself to grow in care and consideration for others - this is a weakness of my character. Thank God for my dear, dear shep who has been faithfully and consistently pointing out this area of my life to me, and encouraging me to pray for myself in this area.

I don't know how, but the more I spent that time with Jesus, I felt my heart being increasingly stirred to have compassion for the poor and needy. I think something very much that Jesus wants to see me grow, specifically for me, is to grow in compassion for the PHYSICAL needs of others.

I think a lot of us Christians, especially in the more developed countries, tend to focus a lot more on the spiritual needs of people. While that is true and important - I mean, this is going to affect the ETERNITIES of people, the Bible also stresses equal emphasis on meeting the PHYSICAL needs of people, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. James wrote that it's no use wishing a poor Christian to be warm and well-fed if we don't do anything. And likewise, Jesus went around doing good and healing people and feeding the hungry multitudes.

This is in contrast to the dualistic (Greek/Gnostic) notion of the soul being more important than the body. Such a view runs counter to the Judeo-Christian perspective of the sacredness of the human body -

1 Cor 6:19-20
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."

Think, then, this is not so much of which one is more important - physical or spiritual. Actually, it seems that both are equally precious in His eyes - in fact Jesus says that if we fed a hungry brother or gave him water or visited him when he was sick in this lifetime, we did it for JESUS HIMSELF, and He'll never ever forget what we've done in this lifetime for all eternity.

Matthew 25
31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

So what practical application point for me then?

I think one way that I can grow in compassion for others is to practise being more sensitive to the physical conditions of others. Like how Jesus noticed that His disciples needed rest after being so busy in preaching that they did not even have time to eat. That is something I'm really weak in, but my God is mighty to change me. :)

I NEED to get off my butt - I've finished my studies. What does Jesus want me to do now? I'm still wondering - but one thing for sure - I really want to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and He'll meet all my needs, both physical and spiritual, in His perfect timing. :)