Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.
In an ideal life plan of mine, I would have gone to the UK to obtain my university education and probably never come back to Singapore to work or live. Perhaps, I'll occasionally drop by this little dot of a country for a period of 1 week or two on route to enjoy an asian holiday and perhaps to see what changes has occurred in my even littler church. But that dream to study overseas never materialised.
In an amended ideal life plan of mine, I would have gone for a 6 month overseas attachment during my second year of university, in order to escape what I considered to be a aweful university environment. Thereafter to acquire some overseas experience in my resume and find my way back overseas without having to slog in the rat race of our overly competitive local environment. But that plan too, never materialised.
In an even more amended ideal life plan of mine, I would have acquired a job that curtails regional and then international scope. Single and eager to see the world, I planned to clock many hours in different countries and much of my time would be spent flying about, handling issues over many different countries and exhausting myself, while earning copious amounts of money and experience. Somehow, this plan too, never materialised.
In my revised ideal life plan of mine, I'll get a job offer which curtails a pay increase of at least 15%, get annual bonuses of at least 2 months, do less work than what I do currently, have opportunities to handle regional work with occasional travels for work and training, while having opportunities to holiday after work. My leave will then be taken for holidays trips in further countries and for various camps. Yes, no surprise to anyone, but this current plan of mine has yet to materialise as well.
I truely believe that there are no harms to make plans for our lives. But as the proverb says, there needs to be a surrender to God's prevailing purposes.
I'm sure that many of us have great plans that revolve our dreams, aspirations and hopes of what we wish to do and achieve in the future. In fact, I've realised that the younger I was, the greater the plans. Many are the plans in my heart, but I have to constantly remind myself that they are plans of "I wish" and "I hope". Not that I don't work on them or aspire hard enough to see them come to fruition, but I've come to see the futility of pursuing my dreams on a solus mode. Simply because I want to see the purposes of God prevail in all the things of my life.
On low days, that humble perspective in the above statement changes into a sore feeling of a resigned loser because it seems that regardless of what I plan, the final call is made by God. Afterall, who can go against the plans of the almighty God? Might as well resign myself to plan my wishes but adopt a "come what may, I can't fight you" mentality.
1 Samuel 8 records that all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah and requested for a king to lead them because all the other nations have one. Samuel warns them of the results a human king would expect from them. Despite the warning, the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." In spite of the best plans which God had for Israel, He relents and gives Israel what they demanded.
Sad to say, the warnings which God gave through Samuel all came to pass and everything goes downhill from the point Saul disobey's Samuel's instructions.
I've always remembered and always need to remember that even though God's plans for our lives are perfect, God gives us the free will to do what we wish as per the example in 1 Samuel 8. For a person who believes in the merits of autocracy, I often wonder why God gives us the free will to run amok and ruin our lives, when He clearly knows that our own decisions often leads to destructive consequences. Ironically, the concept of free will often doesn't end up in a better, blessed life. Instead, as per the many examples in the bible, only when we choose to follow God and submit, do we see the goodness of God in our lives and everything we do.
I struggled big time in my second year of university to submit the overseas attachement letter. Then, everyone in university then didn't want to go overseas as no one saw the value of having overseas exposure. I had the foresight to envisioned the boom of regionalisation and really wanted to forge ahead as a pioneer, because I predicted that it would bring in the big bucks. But as I earlier mentioned, I never submitted that application.
What happened? Each time I looked at the poster or in my QT moment, it was a monsterous struggle spent asking "can I God?", "I wish to..." but it seemed that deep inside me, the feeling of an answer was a "no". Still, I struggled on when I met with my weekly intercession pray group, I secretly hoped that someone would give me the answer I so wanted to hear. No one did, and faced with a blank wall, I continued to struggle to accept the personal "no" answer which I had received. There came a point of time when I realised that if I truely wanted to do it I could just submit the application. But I shouldn't be expecting God to show me any more answers through getting the application accepted or rejected because I'm was simply going to do as I desired. God's blessing was a bonus, but I rationalised to myself - if I don't do it, how was I to know God was going to not allow it? After all, we all learn this powerful excuse for our actions "If you don't try it, how would you know if it does or doesn't work?"
But Romans 12:2 states "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-His good, pleasing and perfect will."
Some months later, I joined an essay competition sponsored by Japan Airlines (JAL) and was awarded one of the three scholarships for a 35 day all inclusive paid trip to stay and see Japan. That was the most fun, life changing trip/holiday which shaped my life. Not only did I see the beauty of a country I'll never expected to visit in my lifetime, I fell in love with the country and its food, made great friends which I still contact today and meet up in my travels around the region.
When I look back today, if I had gone ahead with the school's overseas attachement, when I graduated in 1999, I'm sure I would have secured a great job with even greater pay. Somehow, I never submitted that application because I recognised that I would be pushing the boundaries of God, and somehow it occurred to me that it was the same folly which people of Israel made. If God had placed such a convincing prompting in me, why stubbornly rationalise the things of God? Nonetheless, having surrendered my wishes, I recalled that I spend a good few weeks sulking big-time at God. But many, many weeks later when I was awarded the JAL scholarship, I don't recall sulking anymore, rather I was ecstatic beyond words and probably giving thanks.
How did this Japan scholarship blessing happen I've really no idea.
My rational mind tells me that as I willingly submit to surrender my plans, hopes and aspirations to God's purposes, He fulfilled my desire to go out to see the world. He didn't see the need to fulfil the aspirations to be career successful and wantonly rich through an overseas attachement, but He choosed to make me wealthy and happy through a brief, but still sufficiently long overseas experience.
For the many plans that you and I dream up for our lives, nothing beats what God's will is for our lives -His good, pleasing and perfect will. Even as we struggle big-time and half-heartedly choose to cast our crowns down while sulking in a grudging attitude, we must speak to ourselves that through submission, the purposes of God for our lives shall prevail! Simply because God will bring about a more blessed life than what we can ever desire and plan for.
Blessings,
M.
"If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you." (Joshua 24:20)
29 November 2006
God's Purposes Shall Prevail!
Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.
In an ideal life plan of mine, I would have gone to the UK to obtain my university education and probably never come back to Singapore to work or live. Perhaps, I'll occasionally drop by this little dot of a country for a period of 1 week or two on route to enjoy an asian holiday and perhaps to see what changes has occurred in my even littler church. But that dream to study overseas never materialised.
In an amended ideal life plan of mine, I would have gone for a 6 month overseas attachment during my second year of university, in order to escape what I considered to be a aweful university environment. Thereafter to acquire some overseas experience in my resume and find my way back overseas without having to slog in the rat race of our overly competitive local environment. But that plan too, never materialised.
In an even more amended ideal life plan of mine, I would have acquired a job that curtails regional and then international scope. Single and eager to see the world, I planned to clock many hours in different countries and much of my time would be spent flying about, handling issues over many different countries and exhausting myself, while earning copious amounts of money and experience. Somehow, this plan too, never materialised.
In my revised ideal life plan of mine, I'll get a job offer which curtails a pay increase of at least 15%, get annual bonuses of at least 2 months, do less work than what I do currently, have opportunities to handle regional work with occasional travels for work and training, while having opportunities to holiday after work. My leave will then be taken for holidays trips in further countries and for various camps. Yes, no surprise to anyone, but this current plan of mine has yet to materialise as well.
I truely believe that there are no harms to make plans for our lives. But as the proverb says, there needs to be a surrender to God's prevailing purposes.
I'm sure that many of us have great plans that revolve our dreams, aspirations and hopes of what we wish to do and achieve in the future. In fact, I've realised that the younger I was, the greater the plans. Many are the plans in my heart, but I have to constantly remind myself that they are plans of "I wish" and "I hope". Not that I don't work on them or aspire hard enough to see them come to fruition, but I've come to see the futility of pursuing my dreams on a solus mode. Simply because I want to see the purposes of God prevail in all the things of my life.
On low days, that humble perspective in the above statement changes into a sore feeling of a resigned loser because it seems that regardless of what I plan, the final call is made by God. Afterall, who can go against the plans of the almighty God? Might as well resign myself to plan my wishes but adopt a "come what may, I can't fight you" mentality.
1 Samuel 8 records that all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah and requested for a king to lead them because all the other nations have one. Samuel warns them of the results a human king would expect from them. Despite the warning, the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." In spite of the best plans which God had for Israel, He relents and gives Israel what they demanded.
Sad to say, the warnings which God gave through Samuel all came to pass and everything goes downhill from the point Saul disobey's Samuel's instructions.
I've always remembered and always need to remember that even though God's plans for our lives are perfect, God gives us the free will to do what we wish as per the example in 1 Samuel 8. For a person who believes in the merits of autocracy, I often wonder why God gives us the free will to run amok and ruin our lives, when He clearly knows that our own decisions often leads to destructive consequences. Ironically, the concept of free will often doesn't end up in a better, blessed life. Instead, as per the many examples in the bible, only when we choose to follow God and submit, do we see the goodness of God in our lives and everything we do.
I struggled big time in my second year of university to submit the overseas attachement letter. Then, everyone in university then didn't want to go overseas as no one saw the value of having overseas exposure. I had the foresight to envisioned the boom of regionalisation and really wanted to forge ahead as a pioneer, because I predicted that it would bring in the big bucks. But as I earlier mentioned, I never submitted that application.
What happened? Each time I looked at the poster or in my QT moment, it was a monsterous struggle spent asking "can I God?", "I wish to..." but it seemed that deep inside me, the feeling of an answer was a "no". Still, I struggled on when I met with my weekly intercession pray group, I secretly hoped that someone would give me the answer I so wanted to hear. No one did, and faced with a blank wall, I continued to struggle to accept the personal "no" answer which I had received. There came a point of time when I realised that if I truely wanted to do it I could just submit the application. But I shouldn't be expecting God to show me any more answers through getting the application accepted or rejected because I'm was simply going to do as I desired. God's blessing was a bonus, but I rationalised to myself - if I don't do it, how was I to know God was going to not allow it? After all, we all learn this powerful excuse for our actions "If you don't try it, how would you know if it does or doesn't work?"
But Romans 12:2 states "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-His good, pleasing and perfect will."
Some months later, I joined an essay competition sponsored by Japan Airlines (JAL) and was awarded one of the three scholarships for a 35 day all inclusive paid trip to stay and see Japan. That was the most fun, life changing trip/holiday which shaped my life. Not only did I see the beauty of a country I'll never expected to visit in my lifetime, I fell in love with the country and its food, made great friends which I still contact today and meet up in my travels around the region.
When I look back today, if I had gone ahead with the school's overseas attachement, when I graduated in 1999, I'm sure I would have secured a great job with even greater pay. Somehow, I never submitted that application because I recognised that I would be pushing the boundaries of God, and somehow it occurred to me that it was the same folly which people of Israel made. If God had placed such a convincing prompting in me, why stubbornly rationalise the things of God? Nonetheless, having surrendered my wishes, I recalled that I spend a good few weeks sulking big-time at God. But many, many weeks later when I was awarded the JAL scholarship, I don't recall sulking anymore, rather I was ecstatic beyond words and probably giving thanks.
How did this Japan scholarship blessing happen I've really no idea.
My rational mind tells me that as I willingly submit to surrender my plans, hopes and aspirations to God's purposes, He fulfilled my desire to go out to see the world. He didn't see the need to fulfil the aspirations to be career successful and wantonly rich through an overseas attachement, but He choosed to make me wealthy and happy through a brief, but still sufficiently long overseas experience.
For the many plans that you and I dream up for our lives, nothing beats what God's will is for our lives -His good, pleasing and perfect will. Even as we struggle big-time and half-heartedly choose to cast our crowns down while sulking in a grudging attitude, we must speak to ourselves that through submission, the purposes of God for our lives shall prevail! Simply because God will bring about a more blessed life than what we can ever desire and plan for.
Blessings,
M.
"If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you." (Joshua 24:20)
Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.
In an ideal life plan of mine, I would have gone to the UK to obtain my university education and probably never come back to Singapore to work or live. Perhaps, I'll occasionally drop by this little dot of a country for a period of 1 week or two on route to enjoy an asian holiday and perhaps to see what changes has occurred in my even littler church. But that dream to study overseas never materialised.
In an amended ideal life plan of mine, I would have gone for a 6 month overseas attachment during my second year of university, in order to escape what I considered to be a aweful university environment. Thereafter to acquire some overseas experience in my resume and find my way back overseas without having to slog in the rat race of our overly competitive local environment. But that plan too, never materialised.
In an even more amended ideal life plan of mine, I would have acquired a job that curtails regional and then international scope. Single and eager to see the world, I planned to clock many hours in different countries and much of my time would be spent flying about, handling issues over many different countries and exhausting myself, while earning copious amounts of money and experience. Somehow, this plan too, never materialised.
In my revised ideal life plan of mine, I'll get a job offer which curtails a pay increase of at least 15%, get annual bonuses of at least 2 months, do less work than what I do currently, have opportunities to handle regional work with occasional travels for work and training, while having opportunities to holiday after work. My leave will then be taken for holidays trips in further countries and for various camps. Yes, no surprise to anyone, but this current plan of mine has yet to materialise as well.
I truely believe that there are no harms to make plans for our lives. But as the proverb says, there needs to be a surrender to God's prevailing purposes.
I'm sure that many of us have great plans that revolve our dreams, aspirations and hopes of what we wish to do and achieve in the future. In fact, I've realised that the younger I was, the greater the plans. Many are the plans in my heart, but I have to constantly remind myself that they are plans of "I wish" and "I hope". Not that I don't work on them or aspire hard enough to see them come to fruition, but I've come to see the futility of pursuing my dreams on a solus mode. Simply because I want to see the purposes of God prevail in all the things of my life.
On low days, that humble perspective in the above statement changes into a sore feeling of a resigned loser because it seems that regardless of what I plan, the final call is made by God. Afterall, who can go against the plans of the almighty God? Might as well resign myself to plan my wishes but adopt a "come what may, I can't fight you" mentality.
1 Samuel 8 records that all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah and requested for a king to lead them because all the other nations have one. Samuel warns them of the results a human king would expect from them. Despite the warning, the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." In spite of the best plans which God had for Israel, He relents and gives Israel what they demanded.
Sad to say, the warnings which God gave through Samuel all came to pass and everything goes downhill from the point Saul disobey's Samuel's instructions.
I've always remembered and always need to remember that even though God's plans for our lives are perfect, God gives us the free will to do what we wish as per the example in 1 Samuel 8. For a person who believes in the merits of autocracy, I often wonder why God gives us the free will to run amok and ruin our lives, when He clearly knows that our own decisions often leads to destructive consequences. Ironically, the concept of free will often doesn't end up in a better, blessed life. Instead, as per the many examples in the bible, only when we choose to follow God and submit, do we see the goodness of God in our lives and everything we do.
I struggled big time in my second year of university to submit the overseas attachement letter. Then, everyone in university then didn't want to go overseas as no one saw the value of having overseas exposure. I had the foresight to envisioned the boom of regionalisation and really wanted to forge ahead as a pioneer, because I predicted that it would bring in the big bucks. But as I earlier mentioned, I never submitted that application.
What happened? Each time I looked at the poster or in my QT moment, it was a monsterous struggle spent asking "can I God?", "I wish to..." but it seemed that deep inside me, the feeling of an answer was a "no". Still, I struggled on when I met with my weekly intercession pray group, I secretly hoped that someone would give me the answer I so wanted to hear. No one did, and faced with a blank wall, I continued to struggle to accept the personal "no" answer which I had received. There came a point of time when I realised that if I truely wanted to do it I could just submit the application. But I shouldn't be expecting God to show me any more answers through getting the application accepted or rejected because I'm was simply going to do as I desired. God's blessing was a bonus, but I rationalised to myself - if I don't do it, how was I to know God was going to not allow it? After all, we all learn this powerful excuse for our actions "If you don't try it, how would you know if it does or doesn't work?"
But Romans 12:2 states "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-His good, pleasing and perfect will."
Some months later, I joined an essay competition sponsored by Japan Airlines (JAL) and was awarded one of the three scholarships for a 35 day all inclusive paid trip to stay and see Japan. That was the most fun, life changing trip/holiday which shaped my life. Not only did I see the beauty of a country I'll never expected to visit in my lifetime, I fell in love with the country and its food, made great friends which I still contact today and meet up in my travels around the region.
When I look back today, if I had gone ahead with the school's overseas attachement, when I graduated in 1999, I'm sure I would have secured a great job with even greater pay. Somehow, I never submitted that application because I recognised that I would be pushing the boundaries of God, and somehow it occurred to me that it was the same folly which people of Israel made. If God had placed such a convincing prompting in me, why stubbornly rationalise the things of God? Nonetheless, having surrendered my wishes, I recalled that I spend a good few weeks sulking big-time at God. But many, many weeks later when I was awarded the JAL scholarship, I don't recall sulking anymore, rather I was ecstatic beyond words and probably giving thanks.
How did this Japan scholarship blessing happen I've really no idea.
My rational mind tells me that as I willingly submit to surrender my plans, hopes and aspirations to God's purposes, He fulfilled my desire to go out to see the world. He didn't see the need to fulfil the aspirations to be career successful and wantonly rich through an overseas attachement, but He choosed to make me wealthy and happy through a brief, but still sufficiently long overseas experience.
For the many plans that you and I dream up for our lives, nothing beats what God's will is for our lives -His good, pleasing and perfect will. Even as we struggle big-time and half-heartedly choose to cast our crowns down while sulking in a grudging attitude, we must speak to ourselves that through submission, the purposes of God for our lives shall prevail! Simply because God will bring about a more blessed life than what we can ever desire and plan for.
Blessings,
M.
"If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you." (Joshua 24:20)
