Bishan church

Reflections from a recent loss

May 14th, 2005

Joanne’s reflections from her recent loss…….

Isa 49:2b - … in the shadow of His hand He has hidden me, and made Me a
polished shaft; In his quiver, He has hidden me.

God prepares us in secret, in the shadow of His hand, away from public gaze.
God prepared Moses for a long period in the desert.

David was a fugitive for 14 years before he ascended the throne. Paul’s sojourn in the desert of Arabia prepared him for the ministry.

Very often, it is in the shadows of obscurity that God shapes our lives. The “shadow” may be in the shadow of pain, bereavement or failure(all bad
in the eyes of worldly humans). But it is precisely there, in the dark place- like the sword in the scabbard or an arrow in the quiver, that the weapon is kept rust-free and sharp.

Jas 1:2- Think it pure joy when in various trials.

How to be joyful in the midst of trial? We have a choice, think it or feel
it. The verse says to think it but most of the time we choose to feel it
and that’s where all the bitterness and resentments set in. It does not
mean that this is delusional- people who can do it are out of mind, it is
possible; possible with God’s help, possible if we think like Him.

Do we remember that during our darkest moment when we can’t find any reason to thank Him, there’s always our salvation that we can thank Him for? Most of the time, during our difficult times, when we need Him most, we choose to desert Him. We forgot that when we cry, He cries with us. He suffered to give us life, to free us from sin. Shouldn’t we reciprocate?

Questions to ponder:
How willing are we to wait patiently and accept God’s
timing in our affairs? Suffering with Him = glorification (Rom 8:17)
Are we willing to suffer with Him?

Do remember that time is not lost when we wait for God’s purposes to be
unfolded. After all, trials are blessings from God. They are purification
processes which helps us to shine at the end of it.

Agape, Jo

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