Proverbs 30:8-9
Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
It's been a long long while. simply because I've been rather overwhelmed at work doing the nitty gritty works that never seem to end and ending work late and exhausted. But only when I finally decided to drag up whatever reserve energy to make this post that I realised how important it is to set aside some time to dwell into the word of God. (in spite of my current enraged mode because I've just had a major session scolding my agency for being such idiots)
On Sunday, we went out for our Architecture merit site visit and we visited a incomplete bunglow house at Jervois Hill. The scorching sun and dull looks of the slim house frontage made everyone initially very bored and demoralised. However, as we ventured into the house and started taking in the size of the space did everyone suddenly start going goo-goo, gaa-gaa.
As we each made our way around the tour of the entire 2+1 storey house with a swimming pool, our mouths were constantly kept opened, and the part that made everyone stunned was the discovery that it even had a lift and space for the owner's computer servers! Didn't help that it was only built for 2 adults and their daughter and every part of the uncompleted house screamed of 'obscene wealth' and a lifestyle of the rich and famous.
On our way out, we walked pass even larger and more luxurious houses and it was a hilarious moment when some of us kept desiring to be maids and drivers of these rich people because the rooms and lifestyle was likely to be better than our tiny houses and even tinier rooms.
But, when we analyse the folks who are enjoying such extravagent lifestyle, we often realise that these are people who don't have God in their lives and often don't see a need for God. Interestingly, Solomon's wise proverbs that says "feed me with food convenient for me:Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? ". For us who simply love food, the proverbs states a request to be fed with food convenient, or rather simple and uncomplicated. The clear use of convenient food here is to demonstrated that its not about an excessive lifestyle . Incidentally, Solomon himself became so rich that the bible states that he fell away from God and pursued all his other earthly desires.
Placed simply, its not that God doesn't want to prosper us, neither is it his will for us to not live life with the frills. I truely believe that money is never enough and houses can never be luxurious and huge enough for anyone. The grass is always greener somewhere else as long as we choose to compare. There's always something bigger, better, richer and more glamourous to pursue. So, the only way to end this is to be blessed with a simple life of contentment.
Not simple as a kampong house and no frills lifestyle, nor contentment as in static and unmotivated. But one which God would provide us with sufficient frills that the world would see that we are truely blessed and not over-flowing till excess and we find confidence in ourselves rather than God.
May you always be able to answer this litmus question: "Who is the Lord?" and give the answer "He is my Jehovah Jireh, the one who provides me with more than enough."
blessings,
M.
Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than he who is crooked though he be rich. (Proverbs 28:6)
18 July 2007
The Simple Life
Proverbs 30:8-9
Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
It's been a long long while. simply because I've been rather overwhelmed at work doing the nitty gritty works that never seem to end and ending work late and exhausted. But only when I finally decided to drag up whatever reserve energy to make this post that I realised how important it is to set aside some time to dwell into the word of God. (in spite of my current enraged mode because I've just had a major session scolding my agency for being such idiots)
On Sunday, we went out for our Architecture merit site visit and we visited a incomplete bunglow house at Jervois Hill. The scorching sun and dull looks of the slim house frontage made everyone initially very bored and demoralised. However, as we ventured into the house and started taking in the size of the space did everyone suddenly start going goo-goo, gaa-gaa.
As we each made our way around the tour of the entire 2+1 storey house with a swimming pool, our mouths were constantly kept opened, and the part that made everyone stunned was the discovery that it even had a lift and space for the owner's computer servers! Didn't help that it was only built for 2 adults and their daughter and every part of the uncompleted house screamed of 'obscene wealth' and a lifestyle of the rich and famous.
On our way out, we walked pass even larger and more luxurious houses and it was a hilarious moment when some of us kept desiring to be maids and drivers of these rich people because the rooms and lifestyle was likely to be better than our tiny houses and even tinier rooms.
But, when we analyse the folks who are enjoying such extravagent lifestyle, we often realise that these are people who don't have God in their lives and often don't see a need for God. Interestingly, Solomon's wise proverbs that says "feed me with food convenient for me:Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? ". For us who simply love food, the proverbs states a request to be fed with food convenient, or rather simple and uncomplicated. The clear use of convenient food here is to demonstrated that its not about an excessive lifestyle . Incidentally, Solomon himself became so rich that the bible states that he fell away from God and pursued all his other earthly desires.
Placed simply, its not that God doesn't want to prosper us, neither is it his will for us to not live life with the frills. I truely believe that money is never enough and houses can never be luxurious and huge enough for anyone. The grass is always greener somewhere else as long as we choose to compare. There's always something bigger, better, richer and more glamourous to pursue. So, the only way to end this is to be blessed with a simple life of contentment.
Not simple as a kampong house and no frills lifestyle, nor contentment as in static and unmotivated. But one which God would provide us with sufficient frills that the world would see that we are truely blessed and not over-flowing till excess and we find confidence in ourselves rather than God.
May you always be able to answer this litmus question: "Who is the Lord?" and give the answer "He is my Jehovah Jireh, the one who provides me with more than enough."
blessings,
M.
Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than he who is crooked though he be rich. (Proverbs 28:6)
Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
It's been a long long while. simply because I've been rather overwhelmed at work doing the nitty gritty works that never seem to end and ending work late and exhausted. But only when I finally decided to drag up whatever reserve energy to make this post that I realised how important it is to set aside some time to dwell into the word of God. (in spite of my current enraged mode because I've just had a major session scolding my agency for being such idiots)
On Sunday, we went out for our Architecture merit site visit and we visited a incomplete bunglow house at Jervois Hill. The scorching sun and dull looks of the slim house frontage made everyone initially very bored and demoralised. However, as we ventured into the house and started taking in the size of the space did everyone suddenly start going goo-goo, gaa-gaa.
As we each made our way around the tour of the entire 2+1 storey house with a swimming pool, our mouths were constantly kept opened, and the part that made everyone stunned was the discovery that it even had a lift and space for the owner's computer servers! Didn't help that it was only built for 2 adults and their daughter and every part of the uncompleted house screamed of 'obscene wealth' and a lifestyle of the rich and famous.
On our way out, we walked pass even larger and more luxurious houses and it was a hilarious moment when some of us kept desiring to be maids and drivers of these rich people because the rooms and lifestyle was likely to be better than our tiny houses and even tinier rooms.
But, when we analyse the folks who are enjoying such extravagent lifestyle, we often realise that these are people who don't have God in their lives and often don't see a need for God. Interestingly, Solomon's wise proverbs that says "feed me with food convenient for me:Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? ". For us who simply love food, the proverbs states a request to be fed with food convenient, or rather simple and uncomplicated. The clear use of convenient food here is to demonstrated that its not about an excessive lifestyle . Incidentally, Solomon himself became so rich that the bible states that he fell away from God and pursued all his other earthly desires.
Placed simply, its not that God doesn't want to prosper us, neither is it his will for us to not live life with the frills. I truely believe that money is never enough and houses can never be luxurious and huge enough for anyone. The grass is always greener somewhere else as long as we choose to compare. There's always something bigger, better, richer and more glamourous to pursue. So, the only way to end this is to be blessed with a simple life of contentment.
Not simple as a kampong house and no frills lifestyle, nor contentment as in static and unmotivated. But one which God would provide us with sufficient frills that the world would see that we are truely blessed and not over-flowing till excess and we find confidence in ourselves rather than God.
May you always be able to answer this litmus question: "Who is the Lord?" and give the answer "He is my Jehovah Jireh, the one who provides me with more than enough."
blessings,
M.
Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than he who is crooked though he be rich. (Proverbs 28:6)
