Wednesday, October 21, 2015
discipline is a blessing
As the Israelites enter their long journey through the desert to the Promised Land, they encounter many challenges including lack of drinking water and shortage of food. We witness God meeting all their grumbles and needs through various miracles. The Israelites, upon receiving what they complained about, become happy quickly and eagerly reach out their hands to receive, receive, receive from the Lord. More. More. More. But nobody was as enthusiastic about getting Ten Commandments that would serve as rules to guide and discipline the People of God. How about us today? Are we happy when our bellies and lives are filled with the desires of our hearts but unhappy when God tells us how to live our lives? Do we reject His discipline and commands but gladly gobble up all the blessings He showers us as long as they are the things we hoped for? The Bible says God disciplines those He loves, as a father disciplines the son he loves. Teaching our minds to view discipline positively will help us become mature men and women of God. Our society and media teach us today that when you love someone, you give them what they want: sex, marriage, children, extravagant gifts, lavish dates, fancy vacations, all your free time and energy, money, and heart. The Bible, however, speaks the truth when it says you would be wise to choose whatever God thinks is best for someone you love, even if that means hurting their feelings by challenging them to never settle for anything less than the best of whom God intended them to be. Let us not be neglectful towards enforcing and heeding Godly discipline in our lives.
Friday, October 9, 2015
Outrageous!
But because the midwives feared God, they refused to obey the king's orders. They allowed the boys to live too.
Exodus 1:18
Watching the videotapes which exposed Planned Parenthood's atrocities, harvesting baby parts for a price, was initially shocking. Watching the images of callous Planned Parenthood executives eat their lunch, while they negotiate a deal with some prospective buyers of baby parts, was quite appalling. It absolutely incensed me that our very own tax dollars actually fund these nefarious activities. Moreover, I was further enraged when I learned that despite the public's outcry to defund Planned Parenthood, our very own U.S. Congress succumbed and buckled under the pressure of lobbyists, who support such programs. As a result, they miserably failed deliver the wishes of the people. What an outrage!
Hence, when I read in Exodus how these two midwives spared the lives of the Hebrew children even though they were commanded by the king not to spare Hebrew baby boys' lives, I discovered a newfound respect for these women. How refreshing to know that in spite of the possible fatal repercussions of their faithful decision, they still went through with it. How courageous and admirable they were! They unselfishly risked their own lives to save these young babies' lives. They heeded God's laws over man's so that they can live with their own conscience.
As a result, God blessed these midwives. But this in no way meant that God condoned their lies and their deception of the king. God blessed these women because they obeyed His laws, which forbid the senseless killing of innocent lives.
On the other hand, it makes me wonder what God will do to the lawmakers who voted against defunding Planned Parenthood?
Exodus 1:18
Watching the videotapes which exposed Planned Parenthood's atrocities, harvesting baby parts for a price, was initially shocking. Watching the images of callous Planned Parenthood executives eat their lunch, while they negotiate a deal with some prospective buyers of baby parts, was quite appalling. It absolutely incensed me that our very own tax dollars actually fund these nefarious activities. Moreover, I was further enraged when I learned that despite the public's outcry to defund Planned Parenthood, our very own U.S. Congress succumbed and buckled under the pressure of lobbyists, who support such programs. As a result, they miserably failed deliver the wishes of the people. What an outrage!
Hence, when I read in Exodus how these two midwives spared the lives of the Hebrew children even though they were commanded by the king not to spare Hebrew baby boys' lives, I discovered a newfound respect for these women. How refreshing to know that in spite of the possible fatal repercussions of their faithful decision, they still went through with it. How courageous and admirable they were! They unselfishly risked their own lives to save these young babies' lives. They heeded God's laws over man's so that they can live with their own conscience.
As a result, God blessed these midwives. But this in no way meant that God condoned their lies and their deception of the king. God blessed these women because they obeyed His laws, which forbid the senseless killing of innocent lives.
On the other hand, it makes me wonder what God will do to the lawmakers who voted against defunding Planned Parenthood?
miracle after miracle (Exodus 10-11)
As frightening as the ten plagues sound, if you think about it, the magnitude of these miracles reflect God's love for His people. God was and still is willing to go to the extremes for reasons that are beyond us. In this case, it was for His glory. That sounds a bit narcissistic. Why would God hurt an entire nation just to prove His own glory? He's the Creator of the universe. He doesn't need anyone to approve Him or believe in Him. He is "I AM WHO I AM."
I think perhaps God was sending the plagues as a form of serving justice to the Egyptians for how they treated the people of Israel. Sometimes, why God allows extreme circumstances to happen is difficult for us to accept or understand without us passing judgment on what the Lord of this universe decided to do (that's quite bold). But one thing is for sure: God is faithful to those He loves. He is willing to raise up unlikeliest leaders and perform many miracles to help us and answer our prayers. Miracle after miracle, our God never stops displaying His fierce and powerful love for His children. Next time we feel dubious about God coming through for us in our plight, remember that He's the one who performed miracle after miracle to save His people from misery. He has His own grandiose escape plan that will make your jaw drop.
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
remembering God's greatness
And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.
- Exodus 14:31
Seeing a body water divide and walking on a dry land under the seawater should be such an phenomenal experience, I would think the people of Israel be convinced of God's might once and for all. But we all know the story of how the people forget the faithfulness of God's love for them and turn away from living according to His Word. No matter how awesome God works in our lives, it's so easy to forget how He came through because we are distracted by the new troubles that presently plague our minds. From the example of the Israelites, we can glean a basic human nature: we doubt constantly, and we need to witness a miraculous power of God in order to be convinced. That display of His great power can be manifested in various ways--healing, turning of hearts, transformation in relationships, dreams being accomplished, and more. Whatever it is that has convinced God is for us and not against us, we must hold onto it and remind ourselves constantly when we struggle: the Lord is good and trustworthy.
- Exodus 14:31
Seeing a body water divide and walking on a dry land under the seawater should be such an phenomenal experience, I would think the people of Israel be convinced of God's might once and for all. But we all know the story of how the people forget the faithfulness of God's love for them and turn away from living according to His Word. No matter how awesome God works in our lives, it's so easy to forget how He came through because we are distracted by the new troubles that presently plague our minds. From the example of the Israelites, we can glean a basic human nature: we doubt constantly, and we need to witness a miraculous power of God in order to be convinced. That display of His great power can be manifested in various ways--healing, turning of hearts, transformation in relationships, dreams being accomplished, and more. Whatever it is that has convinced God is for us and not against us, we must hold onto it and remind ourselves constantly when we struggle: the Lord is good and trustworthy.