Pain As God’s Megaphone

 

C.S. Lewis once said, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” Megaphone has an important use during military training. The drill instructor holding a megaphone can powerfully command the entire battalion of new recruits to move as he wishes.  Megaphone can also make a siren sound to call everyone to move out during an emergency situation. When I was a trainee, I hated awaken each morning by an instructor holding a megaphone calling for reveille and road run. Megaphone is an ideal equipment to magnify one’s voice to stress and relay a message to people with deaf ears.

In the course of journey with the Lord, there were times in our lives that we felt numb and insensitive to the nudging of God. We have been bombarded everyday by the influence of this world through the people we interacted; the social media and newspapers we read and the radio broadcasts we heard. There was an ongoing tug of war between seeking and putting either God first or the world. The time when the worldly appetites became evident, we felt not discerning with what we were going through. In this situation, God intervened by sending pains and troubles as a reminder for us to go back to His throne once again.

It seemed that everybody has been facing difficulties, pains and troubles nowadays. Why God allowed suffering to happen to His people? The word of God mentioned regarding the life of Paul who suffered a lot for the sake of the gospel. He even requested God three(3) times to remove the pain he called the thorn of the flesh but God answered, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”. Even, Jesus in the Garden Gethsemani prayed hard for God, the Father, to remove the cup of suffering but his prayer was not answered -His Father’s will finally prevailed.

Prophet Habakuk said, “Though the fig tree will not bud and there are no grapes in the vine, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls. Yet, I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my savior”. God allowed Habakuk to see a different perspective of joy and rejoicing amidst the calamity. He realized that God is sovereign and in full control amidst the prolong dry spell.

For almost two(2) months, we have been experiencing unusual climate of no rain and abnormal temperature. This situation made our farms dry and in bad shape. If the dry spell will extend for the next six (6) months, it will cause severe problem because we are an agriculture company. The job security of all employees will be put at stake and threatened as company will be forced to let people go. With this condition, I woke-up one morning at 3am and desperately prayed to God for the rain and then went back to sleep peacefully. When I woke up, I noticed that the ground was wet and then I learned that at the time when I prayed at 3am, God already answered my prayer. As a result, my little faith increased and thanked God for His faithfulness.

God sent pains and troubles as a reminder for us to go back to His throne of Grace. God knows that when everything goes smoothly, we tend to forget Him. Maybe, God allowed troubles in many forms to prompt us to go back on our knees not on our expertise, resources and effort. Indeed, “God is too wise to be mistaken. God is too good to be unkind. So when you don’t understand. When you don’t see His plan, when you can’t trace His hand, trust His heart”.

 

 

Make Me a Blessing

What does it mean to be a blessing? According to Free Online dictionary a person who is a blessing is someone who promotes or contributes happiness, well-being, or prosperity. In the Christian context, he is somebody who ministers, serves or helps those people in dire need of encouragement and inspiration. He is someone who is light to be with and somebody who provides comfort to everyone. The blessing’s barometer test is the feedback of our co-workers, friends and colleagues if we are not around. When people are rejoicing if we are absent, I think there is something wrong with us.

A blessing means being a bridge or a hinge, a conduit of God’s blessing. I like the hinge since it is small and hidden but made the door opens and closes with ease. Can you imagine a door without a hinge? Hinge is likened to those lowly people who made themselves available to raise spiritual giants. Did you know who introduce Jesus to the spiritual giants like Billy Graham and Charles Spurgeon? For me, I have no idea but this people anonymous as they are made a big impact by multiplying themselves thousand times.

In the Bible, Paul addressed the Corinthians believers amidst trials, pains and troubles to praise God who is the Father of compassion and comfort. The God who comforts them in all their troubles, so that they can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort they received from God. He stressed the importance of acknowledging the real source of all power, strength and comfort. Apart from God, indeed we can do nothing. Then, he explained the purpose of trials that is to strengthen and deepen our faith and to equip and prepare us for the big task ahead. Can you imagine a seafarer who doesn’t know how to swim? Given a situation of an abandon ship, he will surely sink and die. Swimming is part of the preparation to be a seafarer. Paul also encouraged believers to welcome pains, trials and troubles as part of the equipping process. It will develop perseverance and character needed to mature as God’s servants. Since the main reason is to make us a blessing as we fulfill our mission in reaching the lost for Christ.

Allow me to share my faith journey recently regarding my health condition. While waiting at the doctor’s clinic, I noticed a man who seemed to be restless and worried. He put and tied a big handkerchief on his neck and he looked like a bank robber suspect. I was curious what’s hidden on his neck and learned that he has a swelling neck caused by a thyroid condition. God impressed in my heart that this person needs to be ministered and prayed for. I asked God for an opportunity to open but I failed because he was restlessly moving from one chair to another. My name was called by the secretary and when I came out, I saw him sitting in a corner alone. I had opportunity to tap him on his shoulder and told him that it was already his turn. We had a short talk telling him that we were in a similar condition. It was a brief encounter but I know provided comfort when he said, thank you with a smile when I left. I left the hospital with deep sigh and relief ministered to a man who was a stranger to me. I saw that need to be a comfort to others because God allowed me to undergo similar pains and troubles. I can relate with empathy and understanding of lowly people facing impossible difficulties and sufferings that I went through. God allowed me to see beyond the tangibles and the externals as what Jesus did. As Bible recorded when Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

How are we as followers of Christ? Did our friends and co-workers miss us when we are not around? It is my prayer that God will make us a blessing to others especially for the weary and sad. “Let us carry the sunshine and make the sorrowing glad, be to the helpless a helper indeed and unto our mission be faithful and true”. Let our light shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. Amen!

Putting God First

Time flies so fast. The first quarter of the year 2016 is about to end. Looking back, I can vividly recall valuable lessons I’ve learned while doing God’s work.

• We prayed without ceasing or totally depend upon God
• We stick to the basics – Love of Christ ( 1Corinthians 13:4-7)
• We remained powerless like Jesus.
• We started small through person by person approach.
• We built relationships.
• We have grown slowly and gradually like a bamboo.

I arranged the above lessons in order of priority in relation to pursuing and doing the basic fundamental of Christian faith. Our God the Father wanted us to seek Him first during our devotional time  through reading His word, worship and prayer. As a result, we will surely know and love Him more. More than our activities, God wanted us to have an intimate and loving relationship with Him.

Jesus himself modeled this principle in the book of Mark where it was recorded how our Lord started his day. Jesus went to an isolated place to pray and seek the guidance from God the Father (Mark 1:37). At that time, His disciples desperately searched him and when they found him,  he was informed that the people was looking for him. But after seeking guidance from HIs Father, he decided to go to another place. Instead of rushing to attend the waiting crowd, He went to another place. Jesus knows his priority that is to seek the will of His Abba Father.

In John chapter 15, Jesus said “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5). The secret of bearing much fruit is the need to be attached and connected to the vine. God wanted us to remain faithful and obedient to His will.

In order to stress further my point, allow me to share an illustration using the pitcher full of water, a cup place on a saucer and a plate.  The cup represents our life, the saucer as immediate sphere of influence like our family and workplace and the plate is the community where we live and our church. While the pitcher full of water represents the word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. When we were still sinners without an intimate relationship with our Lord Jesus, we were likened to an empty cup. The time when we received Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we were sealed by the Holy Spirit and He consequently dwelt in our hearts. After spending time with God by reading His word,  worship and prayer, we will be filled by the Holy Spirit. As what the word of says in Philippians 2:13:

“For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose”

In this situation, our cup will overflow and impact our immediate sphere of influence- our family and workplace. Supposing it will continually flow, it will impact our church and the community. The secret in life for it to be abundant, happy and blessed is to remain in Him. As what the chorus of the song, Trust and Obey, says.

“Trust and obey, for there’s no other way. To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey”

How are you today? Are you too busy to pray? When we was the last time you had a meaningful quiet time with God? Let us go back to the basic fundamental of putting God first everyday. The word of God says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33).” Amen!