I'll Listen

I guess it has been quite a while since I last updated this blog. I'm thinking of making another blog, specially for Christian music. I've been listening to quite a lot of new songs. I'm trying to get at least one new song every day in my tiny brain. There are just too much new songs, and little time to know all of them.

Anyways, I'm sure most of you know the song, "Let My Words Be Few" by Matt Redman. For Melbournians, we know that people like to talk a lot. Not one second of time wasted in silence. We just have to speak at every moment the other people are not speaking at.

Well, in this talkative place, I devoted on one thing that surprised me. I just realized that prayer was about listening. Of course, it's talking too. But more often than not, all of us would spend that five minutes just to talk and talk and talk to God. That's great! I mean, it does boost our relationship with God, right?

Not exactly...

You see, the Word of God said (in Matthew if I'm right) that God knows more than we do already, and prayers shouldn't be long-winded. If you are praying that way, I guess what you are doing is reminding of things God already know.

But if we think of it the other way around, we know so little about God. The knowledge we have about Him is much much much smaller than His. Philip Yancey described prayer as an act to see reality from God's point of view. And I couldn't agree more.

Prayer is a way to look at what we are through God's eyes - in other words, from God's perspective, from how He thinks of us. That's why when we pray, we must get ready for God to tell us what He thinks of us. However, most of the time, we try to connect with God, letting His Spirit fill us, when we are not letting go off what we have. For example, you are thinking that you are faithful because you are praying, while you are praying. And therefore, you think that you are worthy to be filled with God's Spirit, because you are faithful. But that is wrong.

When you are praying, you have to let go off every thought you have - except for the thought of God. You cannot think that you are faithful. That is self-praising, self-judgment. You are telling who you are through your perspectives, not God.

Instead of listening to the voices of your own thoughts, achieve to listen to God's voice.

I was really amazed when I was reading about Moses and Aaron, about how they can hear God's voice when they just come as they are. When the Israelites were in the wilderness, they were thirsty, and so, they complained to Moses, about why God brought them to the wilderness to thirst to death. Moses did not fight against the Israelites. Instead, he went into the Tabernacle with Aaron, and they immediately fall face flat in front of the altar (correct me if I'm wrong). Then the next verse, without Moses speaking, God spoke to them. Ahh! How I wish to hear God's voice that easily!

Praying is like that. You can be silent. Totally silent. Just coming as who you are. Laying down everything. Then, waiting and expecting God to speak to you.

My heart is opened. My ears are wide. But let my words be few.

Thanksgiving

I shared this quite a few weeks ago at my cell, but I think I forgot to put this up on my blog. Anyways, this is about thanksgiving.

I read in a book somewhere that the statistics of thanksgiving to God as a ratio to the complaining to God is 1 : 4. That is a lot of complains!

Ephesians 5:20 told us that living in God's Spirit will definitely mark a change in us: thanksgiving in everything everytime. This is one way we can realize whether we are growing in God or not.

This is why I like Gospel music so much, because their music is joyous and full of thanksgiving. It's basically celebrating everything - the good things mostly, but also the bad things, because they know that God is with them through all these bad things.

I have a testimonial regarding what thanksgiving can really do. When I was receiving the marks for my third mid-semester test, Rachel told me I got only 9/19. It was supposed to be out of 20, but one of the question was wrongly set. So, I failed that one. Truthfully, I was not disappointed at all. I praised the Lord immediately after I got my marks. It was an awesome feeling! But yeah, I failed... ...or so I thought.

The next day, there is an announcement over the TopClass (online platform for medical students) saying that there's a mistake in another question. So, the result was out of 18, not 19. And when I checked my result to confirm, it was 9/18. Yes - a pass!

It was amazing how God can turn something around. I wonder sometime what will happen if I sulk over the fail. One day of studies because of my mood can be affected. Worst of all, my relationship with God will be affected. (I really don't like failing...)

I don't know what is my semester result going to be now, but I am not going to let the wait for the result affect me at all. I am just thankful that God is giving me (or God is giving the university in giving me) a holiday. I just want to rest and built my relationship with God in the 3 months of compensated spiritual journey through med school. I read 3 chapters of the Bible this morning, and it felt really nice.

Today, I also got to watch an episode of Scrubs, called, "My New God". It's about...well...God. But this is a (comical) debate about worshiping God (or which God). At one time, Perry (a cocky doctor) has his sister, Paige, coming to the hospital because his son was going to be baptized. Perry was not a big fan of Christ. But unlike Perry, Paige was a church person. Perry was having one patient who was not surviving well, and was kept alive barely by a steroid. Perry said that there was nothing else he could do, but Paige offered the help of God. The patient's family ended up praying with Paige, and the patient survived the night with conditions going back to normal. At this one scene at Perry's house just before the baptism, Perry said that medicine saved the patient's life, and asked Paige to thank medicine for its existence. Paige ended up saying, "Thank God for creating medicine."

Well, Paige's behavior is what Ephesians 5:20 is all about: to thank God in everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is true that Paige did not thank Jesus for medicine, but it is close enough to God, as she has declared her God to be Jesus Christ in the first place.

Still, in my cell group, I shared that we should not be afraid or ashamed in declaring who our Lord is. Say, "Thank Jesus" whenever possible.

Thank You with a grateful heart.

Updating

This blog is almost non-existent already, and yet the numbers are increasing quite rapidly.

So, I thought of updating both blogs (blogger.com and friendster) at the same time. I want to really spread the Word of God and the message of salvation that Lord Jesus has brought us all.

Both blogs will have the same materials. So, read only one (Or both if you want to read it again. It's really up to you.) =P

REALLY hope to see you guys comment on the devotions. Please do not hesitate on commenting. =)

God bless ya!!!

Jesus, lead me on