Endurance

Just read Sijia's latest blog entry, and it touched me very much. Gosh, it does read like a devotional! ;)

Attitude Clinic

I want to scale the utmost height,
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I'll pray, till heaven I've found,
Lord, lead me on to higher ground!
- J.R.M

During my last cello lesson, my teacher made the lesson a thought-provoking one, making me realise how far I am from 'the best'. In one of the pieces - 'Allegro' (means: fast), 130 beats in a minute is the requirement. In fact, i never reached that tempo since few months ago. My teacher showed me mercy and said that it was alright to be slower. But unknowingly, I compromised on other aspects beyond the tempo. Dwelling in the comfort zone especially when I am physically tired, what I can do I did not persist on, what I cannot do I did not overcome. Zero-articulation was the result.... Forgot about every single note has a way to play it well. Forgot to remember it always and do my best to play every note. It was an attitude lesson to learn in all aspects of my life - Attitude of being excellent.

Sometimes, we are not living to our best. When we see the steepness of the slope, impossibilities arise and fears overwhelmed. We linger at the lowlands and the misty valley. What we lose in our self-indulgence, we do not know. What blessings await if only we courageously persevered on to the uplands of God.

"It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
He enables me to stand on the heights"
- Psa 18:32-33

It has been a difficult time for other people too. Today, while the House of Prayer team was praying and interceding, one of the brothers suddenly began interceding for none other than himself. He prayed a desperate prayer of help to God, and the rest of the team listened in silence as he described his sense of helplessness, confusion and struggle to God.

Then Peter prayed a prayer for this dear bro. He thanked God for this bro's humility to pray for himself, and two others also prayed for him there and then. Just felt the presence of God strongly as He bound us together, a spirit of unity... I think the Spirit was interceding for everyone there and then.

Then after service, I bumped into Yanjie. Yanjie asked me about my week. So shared with him that my work has been fun, but tiring and there's been some other things too. That I'd been feeling spiritually dry too. Then this dear brother shared with me that there are seasons of drought, seasons of plenty. When it rains, we should grow as much as we can, to make the most of the rain that falls from above. And where does the rain come from? Not from ourselves, but from God above. And when there are periods of drought, we use what we have gained and built up from the good times to help carry us through the droughts.

It has been so wonderful, knowing how Father loves me so much. Today, while reading through my email, I read through a Bible study newsletter on endurance. And Yanjie's sharing, and Sijia's sharing, and so on and so forth. I sense a pattern here... hee hee... Psalm 119 as well. Surely the Lord was in this place, and I knew it not!

Dear friends, just really want to encourage you, if you are feeling down and depressed too, take heart! For it is in the valley that the Psalmist wrote that the Lord is with him. It is in the deepest night that men talk not about God; they talk with God.

[link]
Did you ever talk to God above
Tell Him that you need a friend to love?
Pray in Jesus' name
Believing that God answers prayer?

Have you told Him all your cares and woes
Ev'ry tiny little prayer He knows
You can know He'll always hear
And that God answers prayer

And so let us endure with joy! Let us keep serving God joyfully, seeking Him with all our heart even when we are very dry, like the dry bones of Ezeki. Let us follow Barnabas' and Paul's example, who went around "strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. 'We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,' they said." (Acts 14:22)

Remember, the night will pass away, but the new morning will come, and you will be a newer and stronger child of God! Great is His faithfulness, great is His love, even unto us!

Psalm 30:4-5
Sing to the LORD, you saints of his;
praise his holy name.

For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may remain for a night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.