Devotional 161210

Dear brothers and sisters,
Good morning. Thanks for your prayer and support for my study. I have just submitted the first draft of my dissertation. It means that if nothing drastic happens, I will GRADUATE in April. I cannot believe I could have finished my Doctor of Missiology program this year. Praise the Lord!!! I really want you to share this joy with me. I will send out my newsletter tomorrow to give you a little bit more reflection on what God has done in me this year. I am sure you know about them if you have been visiting my blog frequently. Once again, thank you for your support – it really makes a difference to have intercessors prayed for me. I agree with the psalmist’s prayer that we should be approaching God with a servant’s attitude and expectation in pursuing different goals of our lives each day.

I look to you, heaven-dwelling God, look up to you for help. Like servants, alert to their master’s commands. Like a maiden attending her lady. We are watching and waiting, holding our breath, awaiting your word of mercy (Psalm 122:1-2 The Message).

Christian faith is not neurotic dependency but childlike trust. We do not have a God who forever indulges our whims but a God whom we trust with our destinies. The Christian is not a naïve, innocent infant who has no identity apart from a feeling of being comforted and protected and catered to but a person who has discovered an identity that is given by God which can be enjoyed best and fully in a voluntary trust in God. We do not cling to God desperately out of fear and the panic of insecurity; we come to him freely in faith and love.

A community of faith flourishes when we view each other with this expectancy, wondering what God will do today in this one, in that one. When we are in a community with those Christ loves and redeems, we are constantly finding out new things about them. “They are new persons each morning, endless in their possibilities. We explore the fascinating depths of their friendship, share the secrets of their quest. It is impossible to be bored in such a community, impossible to feel alienated among such people.

How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore (Psalm 133).

God does not want us to go through our journey of life as a lone ranger. There is no island in the community of the cross. We may need our caves to recharge sometimes. But as soon as we are blessed by our Immanuel God in solitude, we are eager to share with others those blessings, and minister to one another with His love. We can preach about love all day. But unless we practice it in the community of faith, we have not really love yet. Love is risky but excited. Love is endless exploration about the unique creation of God in mankind. We are all created differently and beautifully. God expects His children to enjoy His beauty through our fellowship with one another. Give yourself to God and share with one another whatever blessings that He has bestowed upon you. If you are thankful for whatever you have in life, share with others in loving manner. By doing so, we can really experience what the psalmist said, and can rewrite our version of psalm 133 today.

With His love in process,
Lawrence