Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Life Verse
I first heard about the concept of a life verse around a year and a half ago. When I heard of it, I began looking for favorite verses from the Bible which has special meaning to me.
The passages above hold a special meaning for me. Not only did those verses save my life, but they are a source of comfort in the frequent wilderness experiences I have had recently.
In those verses are promises. Promises that, for me, adresses all my needs.
The promise of Provision("… prosper you..") - God is Jehovah-Jireh, the God-Who provides. He always provides, adequately when the time comes. I used to struggle with this: will God only provide what I need, or will He also provide my wants?
I have observed parents who, trying to maximize value, will tend to buy cheap things for their kids. Yet the same parents would also from time to time buy something beyond their budget. That is also true for me. There are times when I take the least expensive route but from time to time I splurge. In both instances, one thing holds true: my spending is not dependent on how good or bad the recepient is, but is dependent on how much I want to bless the person.
From this point of view, would God also provide my wants? Definitely!
The promise of Protection("…not to harm you…") - My viewpoint of a Christian life is that of a battle. Although most of the fighting is done in the heart and in the mind, it’s a worthy battle nonetheless.
Another aspect of the battle is the spiritual battle. In the natural, everything seems ok, but in the spiritual, things are not. The enemy has a lot of weapons being used against us. Let me deal with two weapons: calamities and disease.
Whenever calamity strikes, people say "it's God's will". I disagree. Man-made calamities are what it is: man-made. Violate nature's laws, there are consequences.
Whenever sickness strikes, people say "it's a blessing in disguise". Again, I disagree. Take your health for granted, you get sick. Suppress anger, you get sick. Harbor resentments and guilt, you get sick. When did disease become a blessing? Sickness is a curse, always been one.
God's will is for us to move forward beyond these calamities; healing is the blessing. God allows for these things to happen to turn it into greater good. When calamities and sickness happens, God sends the grace for us to withstand, to overcome.
The promise of Encouragement ("…to give you hope…") - One of the most difficult things a person has to endure is when he has lost hope. Life begins to lose its meaning. Over the years I realized that a person does not become hopeless all of a sudden. Hopelessness seeps in gradually, tearing life apart like acid, and then you find that you have fallen rock bottom. God is also Elohay Mauzi-God Of My Strength, the God Who will strengthen you even when you have lost all hope. He will renew your strength, if you let Him.
The promise of Something ahead ("…and a future…") - Why would we have hope? Because God also promises a future for us! A future that is way better than a future we can ever dream of. I used to be like this: "God, this is what I want to do. Bless this." I made plans for God and expected Him to bless my plans. Now, knowing that His plans for me are way better, I am trying to be like:"God, show me the Grand Plan so that I may be able to plan my life according to Your will." Is it easy? No! But it becomes less difficult as I grow in faith.
The promise of having Someone ("…and I will listen to you…") - There is something about loneliness that drains life out of a person's heart. Being alone in a deserted island is one thing, but how about feeling alone in a big city? How about being rejected by family? Or abandoned by loved ones? Is no one listening? No matter what the world throws at you, no matter what other people do to you, there will always be Someone. God is Elohim Mikarov, the God Who Is Near.
Feeling low, angry and hopeless? Bring it to God! God is big enough.
The promise of a Relationship ("…and find me when you seek me with all your heart.") - I used to find it difficult to accept that God wants a relationship with me. How can someone as big as God wants to have a relationship with me? It would be like me wanting to have a relationship with an atom. But it's true. One of the most liberating realizations I had was that God is concerned not only of my spiritual life but also with all other aspects like career, finances, health, relationships, etc. Nothing is too small for God.
Yet this relationship comes with a cost: "…all of your heart." It means that there will be no other person, thing or ideology that takes the #1 spot. Not spouses, children, parents, nor friends. Not career, money, nor earthly possessions. Not religion, superstition, nor any philosophy.
What does God offer? A love that knows no bounds, grace that overflows and eternal life.
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