I don't know why but the past few days I was feeling quite down. Most of which was because I was looking all around me and people were blessed. I know I am blessed too but sometimes I do feel there is a void inside of me. A void just like how Adam felt when he was alone with God. Yes he loved God but God saw that he was the type of man who needed companionship. A physical companion that could share joy, laughter, pain and just live life together, praising and worshiping God and doing His will. God saw his need and in due season, brought Eve to him.
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| Sending Eve to Adam when he was needed someone to share life with |
Similarly. I do enjoy serving God and seeking Him for his goodness. But there's really a part of me that longs for companionship. Someone whom I can grow old with. Someone whom I can share things with. Right now I do have my friends but surely your friends can't entertain you all the time. There are really many things I sincerely wish I had someone to share with, and someone whom I can enjoy and look forward to her company after a hard day's work....
But it all doesn't seem to be happening for me. I seriously envied my friends who were attached, The status updates and facebook photos of trips and dates really made me quite envious although, I know that the Bible teachers us not to...
So yesterday morning, all the pain and feelings of loneliness somehow woke up at 6am despite me having slept at about 1+am.
I thought to myself, maybe I'll just pray since I'm up so early. I asked God for a verse to speak to my situation and I saw Romans 15:13 on my Bible.
Romans 15:13
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
I didn't think much of the verse as it didn't jump out to me when I was meditating on it. I guess it was because my whole mind was thinking about why God hasn't shown up for me. Yes I've heard many of the promises but I just don't see the fruits! It almost came to a point where I felt like breaking down...
On the way to work, I sort of complained about these things to Guo Wei, who is really a good mentor. He sent me a text to say that it is like eating porridge. You may not feel like eating it now because when you look around, everybody is feasting on delicacies. However, keep waiting, keep praying and one day God is going show up when you least expect it. One day, you are going to feast on a meal fit for kings and there are going to many many, many of such meals because God is not a God that He should lie.
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| Imagining the feast God has prepared for you! |
These words got me uplifted to go through my day at work. I wasn't expecting much during CG as I heard it was going to be a short one. However, I was wrong. The worship brought me back to the knowledge of God's goodness. And then came the moment of prophecy. I'll admit that normally (although not always) I don't listen that attentively to prophecies but rather, just agree in faith but this was one of the times I decided to really listen attentively and was I surprised at the revelations of truth....
Andy told me that somehow God showed him a verse that he didn't know of. It was from James 5:7
"Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand."
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| A farmer sowing the seeds of blessings, patiently waiting for the season of reaping! |
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| The bountiful Harvest! |
Immediately I could sense that it was God who told him to prophecy about this. It spoke directly to my heart and at that moment, I was just so touched by the presence of God. I literally felt that God was saying
'Hey man, I'm here, I'm faithful even when you're faithless. I heard all your prayers, but there is a season for everything, and I would like you to be like the farmer who has planted his seed. When a farmer plants his seed, will he be expecting that the seed will grow? Of course!!! it is based on natural law that the seed will grow. I am bigger, and I will show you my supernatural law that the seed will not only grow, but it will grow so big that your house will not be able to contain it! When you are waiting, I am working and in due season you will reap the harvest of your precious fruit!!!! Have the REST of God."
Just to side track abit, a couple of days before I got a text from another good friend, Yirong, who told me of Ecclesiates 3:1 -8
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
Again I didn't think much of it at that time but only briefly spoke of how God gives us different seasons so we can grow and help others.
Now I know why He planted this verse earlier in the week. It all comes down to this point. In verse 2 it says 'a time to plant and a time to uproot' He didn't say a time to plant and a time to maybe uproot... no! it is certain that after planting , comes the time to uproot or reap the harvest!!!! The harvest for the feast which was to come!! as said by Guo Wei.
Andy kept reminding the CG to keep waiting, waiting and waiting for the Lord for He is Good! He then followed up with another verse which, God-incidently enough, I came across while watching X-factor a few days back but didn't take much notice of it. It was thanksgiving week and a group was saying this to thank God for helping them through life and getting them to where they are now....
It was Philippians 4:6
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
Again, it spoke to my heart that I shouldn't be anxious about what I don't have and whether it will come to pass because God is good and His ways are higher than our ways, He already said that He plans to give us a hope and a future (Jer 29:11) and He said that He is God that cannot lie! (Num 23:19) It is impossible ! (something I learnt in Bible Study on Wednesday as well. Pastor showed us a white paper and said if God says this is black, would you be stunned? of course! that is why it would be impossible for God to lie) Instead of being anxious, why not use that energy to pray and keep praying! to thank and keep thanking! And indeed like the verse Gershon mentioned to me the previous week of Philippians 4:19
"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
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| God Provides!! He is faithful ! |
After Andy, Hui Yun followed up on what he said. Giving the verse of Isaiah 54:1
"Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband," says the LORD.
At the meeting, she only mentioned the first part of the verse which was enough to speak to me. What I needed to do now, was not to worry about getting attached or getting a job, but instead to keep walking in God's ways and singing praises with thanksgiving and joy of God's goodness for He will provide!
Now that I read the whole verse, I really do feel that the verse is speaking to me as it says "more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband," says the LORD." Apart from speaking of this figuratively as a person who has gone through trials receiving a bountiful blessing, I do believe that this is also speaking to me figuratively about marriage and that indeed in due season, blessed will you be for you have waited patiently for this woman.
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| There is a woman praying to God for someone after God's own heart |
More casually, I imagine Jesus saying ' look, there is a woman after my own heart who loves me with her whole heart. She has given her life to put me first and not think about just getting married as an institution that needs to be fulfilled. She is waiting for the right guy to come, someone whom she can follow and grow with. Someone who loves her for who she is and abides by the values of the Bible.A man after God's own heart. Someone who can be there for her and whom together as a family, can fulfill the promises of God!
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| Bride waiting for her groom |
"Daniel, I am raising you up to be that man for her, and the blessings that I promised her will come through you, so be of good courage and wait upon the Lord, (Adapted from Psalm 27:14) for I am good and I want you not to just think of getting attached, but think of how you can raise yourself to really be a blessing to the girl of your dreams. Someone who can be like how Christ is to the Church, ever faithful, ever loving. Someone who can reflect and bring total dependence on God at the centre of your life and hers. "
Isn't it amazing how God works and speaks through people Amazing.
The 3rd prophecy came from Napalie, it was the same verse that I was medietating about in the morning ! This time, after the first 2 prophecies, I knew that I knew that I knew that the verse from Romans 15:13 was a confirmation of everything about the other 2 prophecies.
Romans 15:13
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
God is a God of hope! that's why He created the laws of sowing and reaping, to show us that there is a season of reaping that will bring great JOY and PEACE that it will happen because God is a faithful God. If naturally, seeds will grow 1 to 1, supernaturally it will grow 1:100!
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| Supernatural Harvest |
The God of hope saw my spiritual state of weariness, sent words of encouragement and prophecies ( from Andy , Guo Wei, Yirong, X-factor, Bible study on wed, Huiyun, Napalie, YouVersion ) in order to fill me up again with Joy and Peace that allowed me to again affirm my trust in God. With this trust , I am now, personally, able to again overflow with HOPE because I have found the renewed power of the Holy Spirit amidst all of this , who was with me all this while, supernaturally encouraging me to grow in HOPE upon the Lord.
Yesterday was truly a blessed day and I do hope you have been encouraged and blessed by my testimony. Friends, I would just like to end by saying, this is what cell groups and seeking the Lord is all about. It is a place where God can meet you, speak to you and direct your paths to a bright future of glorification that you would have never thought possible, for the glory of God. It is where you build bonds with fellow Christians who can speak the words of God into your lives, especially when you least expect it. It is a place that God can use you to be a vessel to speak blessings to others!
I would have never been so encouraged and assured of God's promises if it wasn't for cell group and Church. This all would not have happened if I was just an occasional visitor, going to Church or cell only when I feel like it. But this blessing happened because I chose to commit. It's just like what Huiyun said, I chose to keep attending Church and cell, singing and praising God even though I may not feel like it because I know that one day, and truly enough yesterday was the day, God will show up and speak so directly and clearly to my situation, showing His loving presence to my heart, to be a big big encouragement for me! I'm assured that if I keep believing, confessing , testifying, reading, praising and praying, the day will come that I can reap the harvest! (what I wrote on the back of my arise and build envelop)
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| The Church is a spiritual family where we can build each other up and move in the gifts of the Holy Spirit to be a blessing to others! |
Rev 3:16 - A verse reminded to me by Gershon
So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
Let's not be lukewarm Christians, like what Gershon mentioned. If a coke is warm, or a hot milo is warm, is it as delicious as it should be? Certainly not! Why stay at that state when you know you were destined to be at a state where you are a tremendous blessing to others, just like a thirsty man desiring a fresh, cold coke or a shivering man in need of a hot cup of milo.
Let's not just be Christians who live for ourselves, but Christians who live for others and when we serve others, God will serve us even more through his love in order for us to walk in His perfect will for our lives!
Don't belittle cell groups and services, don't belittle how God can use you if you chose to commit to Him and His Church! Where did we first experience God's love wholly, at Church , the place where we will continue to be filled with his presence and where He can speak to us so vividly for our future if we choose to be committed. A place where we will find Him again when we were lost and searching !
Hope you enjoyed the post! I would like to leave you with an inspirational picture and a song by Kari Jobe which speaks of God's faithfulness!
God Bless!
Daniel Foo
If you have any thoughts or have been blessed by this post, feel free to email me @danielfoo85@hotmail.com
Thanks for the sharing. It is indeed a good one. Remind me to keep waiting. Thanks again. ^^
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