That First Christmas

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem…to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke 2:4-7

Stark Reality vs. Pretty Picture
A calm and serene Joseph and Mary gazing upon the hushed little Lord Jesus, is the sentimental picture of the holy family often depicted on many Christmas cards and painted in our imagination when we think upon that night that changed the course of history.

However, as we take a closer look at the gospel accounts of the circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus, it is apparent that the situation was far from pretty and cushy. From seemingly every angle, it appeared to be disruption at work.

Just nine months ago, Joseph and Mary were preparing for what was perhaps to be one of the biggest moments of their lives. It would not be surprising that there was anxiety and uncertainty for the both of them leading up to the time when they had to leave the comfort zone of their own families and home to begin a new life with someone that they were betrothed to, but not necessarily familiar with in that time and culture when parents chose their children’s marriage partners, and intimacy between members of the opposite sex before marriage was considered taboo. So when a supernatural being made his appearance to Mary to explain to her what was to come, it was clear that would be an even bigger disruption in addition to the major changes that were already going to take place in her life. What if no one believed her unlikely story that she was pregnant by divine means? Not that anyone would have asked for an explanation in the disdainful whispers that would have travelled fast and far in a tight community. The shame of carrying a baby out of wedlock is painfully obvious and impossible to hide. But these frightening rumours would be the least of worries if Joseph were to call off the engagement and in retaliation to having been made a cuckold, drag her to court to demand her rightful death by stoning. And even if Joseph was gracious enough not to do so, what would her future lie as a single mother in a conservative Jewish community? To feel troubled and fearful is an understatement. Yet young Mary was the first person to accept Jesus on His own terms, regardless of the personal cost.

When Jesus was eventually born against these odds, the world He entered was one of strife and terror under the oppressive Roman government headed locally by a tyrannical Herod well-known for his massacre of the innocents. It was in submission to the heavy tax demands of this regime that Joseph and heavily pregnant Mary made their long journey of about 113 kilometres (or an exhausting ten days on donkey-back) from Nazareth to Bethlehem, only to be rejected at an inn and have Mary deliver the child almost single-handedly in a dank and foul-smelling animal shelter and lay Him in a feed trough. If the divine Christ hungered and thirsted in His humanity as an adult, there is no reason why the baby Jesus did not enter into the world crying to clear His lungs and to ask to be fed as opposed to the famous carol which depicts the little Lord Jesus, "no crying He makes".

A Humble God
If Jesus came to reveal God to us, that first Christmas demonstrated the incomprehensible humility of God that allowed Him to enter the world within the limits of time and space, and in the confines of not just human flesh, but shockingly the flesh of a helpless, dependant child to be brought up and provided for by the very sinful humans that He came to save. Many, if not all, religions depict their gods as awesome, powerful and supreme. The very idea of a humble God is an oxymoron in itself. An obtrusive truth that sets Jesus apart from other gods.

Jesus’ first night as a human child in those stark conditions was the first step of many to come, to demonstrate the extent of His meekness – a meekness and humility consistent with a God who would go on from there to associate with the poor and the powerless, to don on the garb of a servant to wash the feet of His disciples, and eventually to be tortured and humiliated before taking that dreadful cup of death on a criminal’s cross. All this, so that the way humans approach deity would be forever changed from primarily fear to that of a relational love. An unfathomable plan no human mind could ever conjure up, set in motion that first Christmas when God delivered His message of Jesus; when the Word was made flesh.

Why History Matters

Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons; Specially the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.
Deuteronomy 4:9-10

Because It Helps Us Understand the Present
One of the reasons why I chose geography over history as my humanities subject in secondary school was because I found it hard to be interested in what had happened in the past, and memorise all the people, dates, and events that I could not seem to relate to. A couple of years down the road when I moved on to university, I decided to major in political science – what I assumed to be mostly the study of foreign and current affairs. However, it was not long before I realised that I was at a big disadvantage not having studied history before, as it became evident that my lack of understanding of the past limited to a large degree, my understanding of the present.

This is perhaps a similar sentiment for some of us when confronted with facts of church history such as the Reformation which we commemorate today. Martin Luther, John Hus, the Anabaptists, the Diet of Worms – all seem so foreign and long ago…488 years long ago to be exact! Yet history matters. Ancient cultures have devoted much time and effort teaching their children family history, and we can even see this in Jewish holidays such as the Passover where it is a yearly tradition to retell the story of the Jews’ exodus from Egypt and the first Passover, which took place when God ‘passed over’ each Jewish household painted with blood. Church history is no different. It is important in showing us where we came from, and thus in defining where we are to continue to go.

Because It Reminds Us How God Works
God instructed the Israelites to be vigilant and keep their souls diligently, “lest they forget the things which their eyes have seen and lest [these things] depart from their heart all the days of their lives” (v.9). Keeping God’s faithfulness and sovereignty ever before our eyes is key in the preservation and promotion of biblical faith. Being reminded that our God is constantly at work, not just in our personal lives, but also in world events such as the Reformation, helps us be mindful that the God we serve is in control of everything that takes place in the world. He used the Reformation, and men and women of great faith to bring back into perspective the primacy of Scripture as the only sure foundation of truth and belief, and as well as the personal nature of Christianity in knowing and trusting in the person of Christ and allowing ourselves to be transformed by Him.

We believe that all this did not happen by chance, but is unmistakable evidence of the hand of God moving to accomplish His purposes in and through all things. We need to be aware of our tendency to forget as humans, and apply the discipline of diligently remembering our heritage as an exercise of faith.

Because Our Children Need To Be Taught
Another area that is sadly overlooked more often than not is probably the huge significance of passing down a spiritual legacy, especially within the family. When children fall away from the faith, one of the chief factors is they have forgotten the mighty works of God or that they simply were not told. It is one of the most beautiful things to witness the passing on of a strong spiritual heritage from one generation to another, perhaps as best exemplified in the four generations of faithfulness and commitment to reaching the Chinese people that began with James Hudson Taylor 150 years ago.

In this passage in Deuteronomy, Christian parents are commanded by God to “teach their children”, and even their grandchildren, the fear and reverence of the Lord all the days of their lives. The task given is to educate and train up a generation which will trust and obey the Living God, and this job cannot be accomplished, or at least, it will not be accomplished well, if the children do not know the transforming work God has done and continues to do in their parents’ lives, as well as the mighty acts God has accomplished since the day of creation. This is the place of history.

With the wealth of knowledge available to us today, our ignorance of the past is not the result of a lack of information, but that of indifference. History matters, how much of it do we yearn to know?

A Place to Question

Why God…why?

A wayward child, natural calamities, betrayal by a trusted one, physical afflictions, a barrenness perhaps of body and soul. Many of us have discovered the hard way that more often than not life is not fair, justice is not duly served, and there isn’t always an explanation for the things that happen to or around us.

When trials and difficulties come a-knocking, what kind of a response do we find ourselves giving? A handful of us would probably end up griping and complaining with a generous dose of self-pity, but surely the rest of us mature Christians would know better than that! A common notion is that struggling with the ‘whys’ in our lives and God’s ways of dealing with us, instead of displaying an unwavering resilience and confidence is a demonstration of a lack of faith and trust in Him. Is there any place at all to question?

Somewhere to Be Real
Ponder the agonising, heart-wrenching pleas that David gave up to the Lord in the first two verses of the 22nd Psalm:

“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.”

I am sure to many of us the Psalms are most dear and precious. In the dark valleys of our lives when there are more tears than words to express ourselves, the Psalms echo our sentiments and give us utterance of our hearts’ cry to God. The very man after God’s own heart had his questions, his fears, his frustrations (what more us?), and was not constrained to make them known. Yet that did not make him any less loved and esteemed by the Lord.

When burdens distress us, who are the people we run to to pour out our souls? I’m sure they are the ones we trust and the ones we know who care about us. With them, we find a safe place to be vulnerable and be our real selves, knowing that we wouldn’t be taken advantage of. With them, we are upfront with our anger and disappointment, having the confidence that they know us well enough to recognise our need to vent our emotions and to not judge or think any less of us. So it ought to be the same with God. In our conversations with Him is He like a regular friend to us, the kind to whom we always put on a standard smile and brave front to? Or is He our most trusted confidant in all seasons, in whose love and acceptance we rest assured in?

Somewhere Not to Be Bitter
That being said and done, the problem comes when legitimate feelings of anger are not handled correctly and lead to inappropriate bitterness and rebellion which sometimes accompany anger. The Bible realistically portrays the frustration and anger of God's people when things go wrong or when they cannot understand why certain things happen. This was the reason for Job's anger at getting no explanation from God for his suffering, Jonah's anger over Nineveh's repentance and the death of the shade-giving vine, and the prophet Jeremiah’s anger with God because of his persecution and the lack of response to his preaching.

God did not make us emotionless robots but rather, humans with an innate ability to feel and express. Hence while there is no wrong the expressing of ourselves in the various circumstances that confront us, the line is drawn when we demand explanations from God or elevate ourselves to think that we know better.

“Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?” (Isaiah 45:9)

Somewhere to Recognise God’s Track Record
At the end of every single one of his Psalms, David in his struggles never failed to lose sight of the unchangeable fact that God is faithful and trustworthy. David’s focus is not on his finite self, but how time and again God proved and continues to prove Himself faithful to His promises and His people.

“In You our fathers trusted; they trusted and You delivered them. To You they cried out and were delivered; in You they trusted and were not disappointed.” (Psalm 22:4)

It is in spite of our fears, in spite of our disappointments that we trust in God, not in the absence of it. Great is His faithfulness, to you, to me.

Our International GOD

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for ALL men;
For kings, and for all that are in authority;
that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life
in all godliness and honesty.
1 Timothy 2:1-7

It is the National Day weekend! For some it may be the time of the year to let the national flag catch the breeze at the window sills; to indulge the kids as they sing and dance to "Reach Out for the Skies" over and over and over again; the time to catch the parade live at the padang or on television in the comfort of the family sofa…or for some others, it may just simply be yet another public holiday that they can sleep in. What we make of National Day can be a reflection of how big our nation is in our hearts.

Prayer for ALL (vv. 1-2)
Perhaps this National Day, as we think about the blessings of peace, progress and prosperity we enjoy in this country, we can look at Paul’s urgings in 1 Timothy 2:1-2 to pray and offer petitions and thanksgivings "for kings and for all that are in authority". This is based on Paul’s conviction that as believers, we are to pray for ALL men – not just loved ones and friends, but also those who rule over us and even over others in other nations. John Stott once said that the contents of our prayers reflect our perception of God. To the Christian whose prayers consist of little else besides personal, day-to-day requests, God will remain to him, locally confined in his own small world. To the Christian whose prayers reach beyond the commonplace to enter the threshold of the world at large, God will be worshipped for His universal fatherhood and lordship. What we pray for is a reflection of how big our God is in our hearts.

Desire for ALL (vv. 3-4)
Paul explains to us in the next two verses that prayer for ALL men is good and acceptable in the God’s sight as it reflects His desire that ALL men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Christianity ought not to be exclusive, but inclusive. Just as our Lord Jesus "is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9), we too, should likewise reflect our Master in this aspect and take personal responsibility for the salvation for all who have yet to come to His saving knowledge. Last week when we had the privilege of having Rev. Goh speak to us on the Heartbeat of Jesus and view slides on Myanmar, it is clear that there is much to be done in the harvest field and opportunities abound in this age of globalization. The question then is not where or how…but are we willing? A prayer, a gift, a mission trip. When we acknowledge the universal scope of the Christian mission, we will recognize the absolute priority of world missions.

Ransom for ALL (vv. 5-6)
Finally, God desires ALL men to be saved because He gave Himself as "a ransom for ALL". Jesus’ death on the cross concerns everyone because He died for all. Paul committed his life to proclaiming this testimony of Christ Jesus as the one mediator between God and man – not just to his people, the Jews, but also to the gentiles in his various missionary journeys. Christ’s sacrifice for all has to be made known to all. To this end, let us also be committed to be a local community with a global vision for the worship of Jesus Christ in every nation, tribe and language.

As we celebrate another National Day, let us also celebrate our international God! Let’s remember our call to play our part in praying for all men; for leaders and those who have authority over us…for world missions. When we begin to do so, not only will God work in the world, but also in our hearts in expanding our understanding of His universal reign over all the earth – Christ’s supreme reign that will be consummated when He returns one day, to claim for Himself His people and His land.

Things of God

...Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,
neither have entered into the heart of man,
the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.
But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit:
for the Spirit searcheth all things,

yea, the deep things of God.
1 Corinthians 2:9-10

What can one say to someone who hurts in ways outside of our own personal experience? Be it physical or emotional pain, many a time we find ourselves at a loss as to how to comfort or encourage…

“I understand what you are going through”?
But we sometimes don’t.
“Time will heal. Things will get better”?
But they sometimes don’t.

What can possibly transcend seemingly insurmountable boundaries of circumstance and experience to connect with others? In spending time with a friend suffering from a terminal illness in the past month, I have discovered the privilege of friendship linked by a common Saviour, the preciousness of never running out of “things of God” (i.e. spiritual things) to talk about, and the power it holds. For what matters, teetering at the brink of death on a daily basis? What else can bring bona fide hope and cheer? Paul talks about these mysterious “things of God” that exhibit real power and glory in 1 Corinthians 2…

Prepared…for those who love Him (v.9)
The “things of God” are only available and freely given to those who love Him. Those who reject Christ cannot accept or understand spiritual things, which are “foolishness to [them]” (v.14). In his gospel, John says that people will continue to reject Jesus because they fear that their evil deeds will be exposed (John 3:19-20) as acknowledging Christ involves being confronted with the ugliness of our sin.

The “things of God” are reserved for those who love Him with the kind of love He demanded – a loving with all our heart, all our soul, and all our might (Deut 6:5). When we first discover Christ for who He is, like first love, our heart soars and we want to know more of Him and spend time in His presence. But over and above the heart flutters, Jesus demands complete allegiance and commitment demonstrated by a willingness to do whatever it takes to follow Him – to make uncomfortable changes in our lives, to make unpopular choices, to trust Him even when we cannot see our next step.

Revealed…through the Spirit (v.10)
The Holy Spirit is the source of revelation through which God discloses to us the “things of God”. For who else knows the very thoughts of God, save for God the Spirit Himself? A transforming work takes place when the Spirit indwells us; “we have the mind of Christ” through Him (v.16).

With the recent teachings on the work of the Holy Spirit during “Acts of the Apostles” by Dr. Tan Wai Choon and “Spiritual Formation” by Dr. Jim Grier, I am prompted to ask myself if I have been marginalising the Spirit by robbing Him of the glory due Him for everything that He is doing in my life. After all He is my power source in the face of weakness and temptation; He is my guide in turning away from my old ways to embrace God’s way; He provides the illumination in understanding the word of God and opens my eyes to behold the mysterious spiritual “things of God”. There is no way that I can love God the Spirit any less than God the Father and the Son.

Spoken…with power (v.4)
In knowing the “things of God”, we speak of them in words taught by the Spirit. We will speak of the incredible things which “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man” (v.9), in proclamation of the testimony of God. Such will be what will draw others to Christ – the beauty and power of Jesus in us. The seed of evangelism can be planted in the people we come into contact with daily by radiating a confidence in possessing true meaning and purpose in life, and living by it. They may not know what it is at first, but they will know that there is something different about us, and by God’s grace, will be intrigued and even hunger to find out what we know to be a relationship with our El Shaddai, God All Sufficient.

Fellowship between believers is brought to a different level because we are able to talk about spiritual things and the things of God that transcend the boundaries of circumstance and experience, while conversation with people still outside God’s kingdom are limited by the blinkers of this earthly life. Let us then purpose to claim this privilege by fellowshipping as a body of Christ in the “things of God” not just during Sunday service, but at any opportunity – sharing the work of the Spirit in our lives to encourage one another, and speaking with the power of God so that we may point others to Christ.

Dan Brown: his word against His Word

Of late, books by Dan Brown, including the infamous Da Vinci Code (and you must be a hermit to not have heard of it), have been ubiquitous. Just take a look around and you will find heaps of brown and blue paperbacks spilling over in the bookstores, and working adults and teenagers alike burying their noses into them on the MRT. On more than one occasion, I have even spotted them making their rounds in church on Sundays! Amidst all the controversy that he has stirred up, one thing is for sure, Dan Brown must surely be laughing all the way to the bank…

But jokes aside, why should we Christians have a bone to pick with Dan Brown and his thriller which claims that a marriage between Jesus and Mary Magdalene produced a royal bloodline in France? After all, it is but a work of fiction…which typically does not claim truth; just that in his opening page there is a line which reads: “…all descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals are accurate.” And when believers and non-believers alike actually are influenced, and even convinced of Brown’s claims in his fiction, there is a pressing need to examine the personal defence of our faith that we have built up to respond to such allegations.

Sure, of course us Christians will vehemently oppose anything that is contrary to the Bible (Da Vinci Code or not) because it is the absolute Truth to us and what we believe to be the divinely inspired Word of God. So the question at the heart of it all is, why should anyone believe the Bible over Dan Brown or any other author or academic that comes along the way in future to challenge its teachings or authenticity?

The Bible claims inerrancy and endurance, down to the “jot” and “tittle” (Matt 5:18). Meaning to say, if we can find one, just one error in the Bible, why should we be convinced the rest of it to be true as well? That is a huge, lofty claim. Just like the claim Jesus made of being God. It is either extremely foolish, or undeniably true.

But since we are looking at the Da Vinci Code, let us pose the same challenge to Brown’s bestseller. For starters, we find that there is not even a need to challenge the religious claims Brown put forth. All we have to do is find one provable error for him to lose credibility, and make the basis of all his claims crumble.

• Error #1: There are 666 panes of glass in the pyramid of the Louvre in Paris.


• Fact: There are 675 diamond-shaped panes and 118 triangular panes


• Error #2: The Dead Sea Scrolls were found in the 1950’s.


• Fact: The Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1947.


• Error #3: The female protagonist, Sophie Neveu, used Leonardo Da Vinci’s canvas painting of “Madonna on the Rocks” to shield herself.


• Fact: “Madonna on the Rocks” is painted on wood.


• Error #4: The Merovingians founded Paris.


• Fact: Paris was originally a village called Lutetia that was expanded into a city by the Romans.

I really could go on and on. As you know, entire books have been written debunking various ‘facts’ and claims on the Da Vinci Code. But you get the picture. This guy has failed to live up to his bold assertion of being accurate.

Similarly, our belief in the Bible has to be holistic. We either believe all of it, or none of it. Not just the bits about Jesus, but also all the facts and data recorded. Besides simply being a manual for religious teaching, the Bible is also very much a historical artefact treasured by scholars through the years because of its overwhelming evidence of a myriad of fulfilled prophecy, its amazing historical, geographical and archaeological accuracy and not forgetting, its supernatural ability to change lives... Were it secular piece of writing and not a religious one, its authenticity would generally be regarded as beyond all doubt!

What is one author from a single cultural background, against over forty different authors whose occupations ranged from military general (Joshua) to fisherman (Peter)? Not only that, the Bible was written over a span of approximately 1,500 years in three different languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, and composed on the three different continents of Africa, Asia and Europe. Yet, everything was written on the single, unified topic of God’s remarkable salvation plan for mankind through the person of Jesus Christ! Now THAT my friend, is a tough act to follow if you ask me… And most understandably so, if it has to live up to its claim of being the Word of God.

With historical, religious and, artistic errors found in Brown’s book that makes claims that “main aspects are all true”, it is his word against His Word. There is really no need for a big fuss when the hard evidence is laid out.

Probably next to Mel Gibson’s production of the ‘Passion of Christ’, the Da Vinci Code offers us a valuable educational opportunity to clear up misconceptions of unbelievers, and present the Truth as it is stated in the infallible Word of God. Beyond condemning the contents of this blasphemous piece of fiction, we should not give the watching world any excuse to catch us off guard in our ignorance of what we place our belief in. Additionally, we should also grasp these occasions to fan the flames of interest in the person and work of Christ in others.

In response to Brown’s book, there have been no less than ten books that have sprouted out to debunk its claims. On the other hand, avowed atheists who had originally set out to objectively investigate Christ’s claims and the truth of the Bible, end up being utterly convinced of their legitimacy. They include great minds like C.S. Lewis and more recently, the author of “The Case for Christ”, Lee Strobel – former legal editor of the Chicago Tribune. History is littered with examples of such sceptics whose hearts and minds have been won over in their quest for the Truth.

So at the end of the day, should we then in that case give the Da Vinci Code a read? I personally feel that it is ok so long as we do it with the correct mindset, which is to keep ourselves up to date with popular culture so that in being aware of the errors, we can engage friends in meaningful conversation. But my suggestion is, if you do feel the need to read the book for yourself, borrow it and do not further contribute to Dan Brown’s cash cow of inaccuracies on our Redeemer by purchasing his book.

I have given them Your word;
and the world has hated them
because they are not of the world,
just as I am not of the world.
Sanctify them by Your truth.
Your word is truth.
John 17:14, 17

Our Response to Trouble and Troubling Times

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed,
and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled,
though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.
Psalm 46:1-3

I had originally started out with the deliberate intention of not writing yet another piece about the tsunami disaster, as I am sure we have read our fair share of bad news in the papers on a daily basis over the past weeks. However (and I am sure you could see this coming), this was not meant to be as the Lord led me to a Psalm that some of us might be familiar with – Psalm 46 (otherwise known as the “Be Still and Know” Psalm), which became so very real in light of the circumstances surrounding us. In addition, this beautiful Psalm also revealed rich insights as to what our appropriate response should be, to trouble and troubling times…

Response #1: Do Not Fear (v.2)
Do not fear, in spite of…threats from nature (v.2-3) and warring nations (v.8-9).
Devastating earthquakes, floods, and fires will continue to plague our groaning earth. We are not to fear. Brutal genocides and unimaginable atrocities will continue to be committed by the “progressive” human race. We are not to fear.

Do not fear, because of…God’s promise that He is our refuge and strength, and a very present help in trouble (v.1).
God’s promises are faithful and true. What He has promised in His Word, He will see to. He has promised to be our refuge. He has promised to be our strength. He has promised to be a very present help in trouble. We have nothing to fear.

Do not fear, in light of…the glorious hope of the new Jerusalem in which God will dwell with His people once again (v.4-5).
In this Psalm, David contrasted the roaring, troubled waters with the river of life that flows through the city of God as a reminder that there will come a day when God will restore His creation to its original perfection as a true reflection of all that He is.

Response #2: Behold the Works of the Lord (v.8)
The earthquake and subsequent tsunami has sparked views on “God’s wrath” and judgment unleashed upon man from various religions throughout the region. Indeed just as our God is a God of love and peace, He is also a God of justice and holy vengeance. Behold the works of the Lord and recognize in all awe that He is the One whom “even the wind and waves obey”. Sometimes it takes calamities of such scale to remind us how truly almighty our God is and how we depend on Him for just about everything.

Response #3: Be Still (v.10)
Humans are forgetful creatures. Time and again crises strike us but in a flash, life goes on as usual. The 911 tragedy, the SARS epidemic, and soon enough this Tsunami disaster will also be a thing of the past, especially for those of us who did not have a personal stake in it. Let us take this time to linger a little longer in the moment. Let us tear ourselves away momentarily from our daily routine of busyness to reflect and journal items of thanksgiving; to recollect what God has taught us in the year past; to question if we have lost precious time for Him; to take action-steps on habits we have been wanting to change; to surrender areas of our lives we have been refusing to let go; to make right a wrong…

Be still. For it is only when we are quiet that we can hear what God is saying.

Response #4: Know that God is God (v.10)
Earthquakes and tsunamis. God is God. Changed landscapes, changed lives. God is God. Confirmed death toll of more than 165,000. God is still God. He is sovereign amidst wringing hands and cries of desperation. AND…He will be exalted. “I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”

This is the time, cleared from the clutter of everyday living, when the hearts of many will crave the spiritual things we were made for. In the face of crisis, man, regardless of their station in life, will be confronted with the fundamental questions of life. But as we know, humans are forgetful creatures. For us whose eyes have been illumined to see the light, will we help point the way while the doors are open?