Childlike Faith

And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.^”-Matthew 18:3

There is something unique about children and their heart.  What is so special about the heart of children?  I think God has revealed the idea of childlike faith to me through the kindergarten class.

As I think about the event of a girl giving me a rock from the playground, it gives me the insight about the eager heart of children to enter and please others.  The eagerness to please is shown all the more when she said,” I looked around and picked the best one for you.”  This occasion challenges me to enter the kingdom of God with childlike faith that is eager to please the Father, and give my all to Him as a child who trusts and relies on the Father for provision in love.

Lord, thank you for teaching me about faith through children.  Thank you for the blessings that you share through the children.

Trust and Devotion

"Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.  Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.  My Father will honor the one who serves me." -John 12:24-26

"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"-Matthew 7:1

"Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him..."-Psalm 37:4-5

Recently, the Lord continuously speaks to me about wholly trusting and devoting to Him through multiple Bible verses.  These verses remind me of the sufficiency in the Lord, they also challenge me to die to self and to invite Him to direct every part of my life. 

Thank you, Lord, for being the one who loves, who provides, and who is more than sufficient (Matthew 7:11)!  Thank you for loving your children and we can trust that you work for the good and according to your purpose (Romans 8:28)!  Thank you for inviting us to come to you and welcoming us into your presence! 

Father, help me to remember that you are behind all the great and small details at all time.  Let my confidence be in you, for you have all things in control, and your grace is more than sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9).  Therefore, lead me to come and take delight in your presence, to draw close to you and know you deeper (Psalm 37:4).  Grant me the faith and courage to commit my life to you, to let you direct my life, and to be a faithful servant at the place you want me (Psalm 37:5). 

Come and fill me with your presence, fill my heart and my mind with your thoughts.  Thank you for being the one who I can look up to at all time!

Finding life through the cross

“For if we have been united together in the likeness of this death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin...Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more.  Death no longer has dominion over Him.  For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all but the life that He lives, He lives to God.  Likewise, you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”-Romans 6:5-6, 8-11

 

What a wonderful cross!  Jesus, thank you for the crucifixion and resurrection on the cross that lead to victory!  Thank you Lord, for death has lost its sting, and for the eternal life in you!

Thank you Jesus, for the crucifixion on the cross, and nailing my sins there, so I can be freed from being slaves to sins!  Lord, show me anything in my life that I need to bring to you to be nailed on the cross, and grant me the faith as I am continuously learning to surrender to your way throughout the life journey.  Jesus, guide me to live in freedom from sin, as one who is “crucified with [you]; it is no longer I who live, but [you] live in me.” (Galatians 2:20).

Thank you Lord for uniting me with you not only in death, but also in the resurrected life in you (Romans 6:5)!  Thank you for the hope of salvation that is offered to mankind.  Therefore, lead me to live this new life in you with the counsel of the Holy Spirit.  Lord, may your presence replace those aspects of life that I need to let go of, and draw me closer to you.

Lord, teach me to walk in your way continuously, as one who is alive in you.  Thank you for the gift of eternal life!  Help me to make room in life, so I can ‘be filled with all of [you fully]’ (Ephesians 3:19).  Lord, lead me to live with you and let the power of the Holy Spirit fills my life.

Jesus, thank you for the power of the cross! Let you be the centre and the source of my life.  Give me the courage to let go of parts of me that do not align with your way, and to allow you to direct me to follow your path.

 

A Goal that Lasts

"So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it" -2 Corinthians 5:9

Jesus, thank you for preparing a place of heavenly dwelling for us, where we can be with you for eternity.  Thank you for the hope that comes with the promise of being with you forever.  Thank you also for giving us the Holy Spirit as our Wonderful Counsellor to be with us.

Therefore, let the primary goal of my life be seeking you and looking up to you alone.  "let [my] eyes be fixed on you (Jesus), the author and perfector of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2).  Let my life be an offering of "worhip in Spirit and in truth" (John 4:24).  Let you be the centre of my life and the source of motivation to serve you and live for you.  Help me not to become preoccupied with works that I do, but to live a life that is "hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3).

Lord, lead me to "run with perseverance the race marked out for [me]" (Hebrews 12:1).  Let your desires be the desires of my heart (Psalm 37:4).  Guide me to "seek first [your] kingdom and [your] righteousness" (Matthew 6:33).

A Reminder to be Thankful

Recently, I was struggling a little bit with unthankfulness as a felt slightly homesick and missed the presence of Chinese culture that I would get back home.  I found myself doubting about the purpose to serving here in school.  I asked the Lord to change my attitude, and he showed me the reason of teaching through children singing a song that I taught in music class during recess, which brought a smile to my face.  Another event that God used to teach me about thankful and gratitude was a play called Our Town, which was put on by some of the high school students in the Ukarumpa community.  It was about the daily life of a small town called Glover's Corner.  See http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/americancollection/ourtown/synopsis.html for synopsis.  It challenges me to take delight in big and small moments in life and to treasure it. 

Here is a couple of quote from the play Our Town:
Emily Webb (at the grave):"It goes so fast. We don't have time to look at one another....Oh, earth, you're too wonderful for anybody to realize you. Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it? -- every, every minute."
Stage Manager: "No. The saints and poets, maybe – they do some."

The play reminded me of this Bible verse:
"Rejoice always,  pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Tok Pisin Holide Baibel Skul (Tok Pisin VBS)

In early January, I had an opportunity to share songs and Bible stories through puppetry at Tok Pisin VBS.  I had a fun time with other members of the puppet ministry team, and it was a joy to hear laughter from about 500 children who attended.
The theme for this VBS was the armor of God, and it was a great reminder to put on this armor daily in order to stay strong in the Lord.

See these links for more about this VBS: http://issuu.com/thepngexperience/docs/13_01_17_fun_with_a_purpose
www.youtube.com/thepngexperience

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." Ephesians 6:10-18