He Became Weak for You

I like the way God designed the Bible to be all about Jesus. That means it’s no longer a guidebook for right living, but a chance to encounter this wonderful God-Man who gave His all for us. After all, if Jesus defines the Bible that way when He met those two men walking down the road to Emmaus, that the Scriptures are all about Him (Luke 24:27) and when He confronted the Pharisees for studying the Scriptures without finding Him (John 5:39), who are we to argue?

Isn’t this wonderful? It means all the stories in the Old Testament are all about Jesus and His work. There’s a story in the book of Judges that has a seemingly tragic ending. The story of Samson and how he was betrayed by Delilah is always portrayed as a lesson for us not to trust sneaky people, or not to take the things of God lightly, blah-blah-blah. But taking into account how Jesus defines Bible study, you may be surprised at what you find in the story.

Samson’s story begins in Judges 13, when he was promised to a barren mother. Then he is portrayed rescuing Israel while being a big troublemaker to other nations. Sadly, the story ends with him losing his strength after Delilah gets his hair cut off—the symbol of his being dedicated to God. The Philistines subdue him, arrest him, gouge out his eyes, and make him a slave to push the grinding mill in prison. Finally, at a feast to their pagan god, they decide to bring him in to make sport of him, the man who was known as the champion of Israel.

So there he is, blind, made to perform before the laughing Philistines, and they mock him and celebrate their victory over him. Towards the end of the story, Samson asks the Lord to give him back his strength even for that last time, and he asks the Philistines to lean his hands against two pillars. They oblige his request for rest, and guess what, the power of the Lord comes on him and he pushes the two pillars down, and the entire temple falls down, killing all his enemies inside.

Doesn’t that sound like Jesus? At the cross, He was weak, He chose to become weak, he was mocked, spat at, and ridiculed as the “Messiah,” or “champion” of Israel. Like Samson, He was also, technically, blind, because by that time He had to cry out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?” (He, as sin, could no longer see God like He usually did.) But in that moment of His weakness, in His death, He destroyed all His enemies, with arms stretched out on the cross.

I don’t know about you, but this kind of Bible study sure makes my heart burn for Him, who gave up everything and chose to become weak just to have me!

He Notices Me!

This past week I was aching to feel God's love and found Him seemingly distant. I kept crying out needing to hear a word, to feel His Presence in a tangible way, and yet I was always disappointed. I would pick up the guitar and sing, yet feel nothing. I would try to pray, but felt nothing, either. Have you ever felt that way, when you need so much to feel His touch upon your heart, and yet wind up frustrated?

Interestingly, during the singing time in church today, the song being sung suddenly swept me back to that morning when I was trying to “connect” to Him—because it was the exact song I’d sung to Him with no one else hearing me!

It turned out someone did hear me. Jesus heard me! Tears streamed down my face as I could almost hear Him telling me, “See, did you think I didn’t notice? I know every song you sing to Me, and I enjoy all of them.”

Isn’t that amazing? The God of the universe can be so moved by the slightest turning of my heart towards Him!

How can He be so captivated by me? My heart is so weak, yet every little glance I turn His way overwhelms His heart. My words are so frail, yet every word I speak to Him thrills His heart.

Thank you, Jesus... :)

Valued Below (and Beyond) My Expectation

Recently, I got offered a certain level of salary for doing some writing work. My negotiations centered more on what quality work I was able to do and how I can get out that output and even more, if not bound by the 8-hour arrangement they wanted. Meanwhile the other side had to succumb to limits on resources. In the end, the agreed rate was lower than what I would’ve hoped, and lower than what I believed the quality I offered deserved.

I’m not being arrogant, that’s just the truth. Guess what happened? After the rate was agreed, I found myself zipping past the requirements (while still turning in higher-than-average quality and speed) and not wanting to go past the minimum. Instead of going extra (although of course, it was already extra enough) to my full potential, I would spend the rest of my time with other part-time pursuits.  I felt that they did not deserve more than what they paid for, even if I knew I could do so much better, simply because they did not recognize how much I was worth (in the realm of work output).

In contrast, it got me thinking these days about the way God values me. Instead of telling me, “Hey, this is all you are worth to Me, you’d better do things to prove I didn’t make the wrong decision placing that value on you,” or demanding my service back to Him, He tells me how much He values me: on the same plane as His only Son.

“This is how much I value you, that I would give up My own Son for you.”

The effect? It makes my heart overflow everything back to Him, no strings attached, the same way He overflowed His love to me. I no longer count the hours I offer as a love dialogue to Him, or as I extend His love to others and see Him wooing them to Himself. Everything becomes fun, and I believe I am reaching my full heart potential simply because He saw value in me that I never saw myself.

We love because He first loved us, indeed!

And God Rested… and was Refreshed

… and then God rested [on the seventh day]…

Have you ever wondered what God looks like when He rests? Does He simply cease all activity, as we human beings define the word rest, and sleep all day? Does He spend the time lounging around, trying to psyche Himself up for the next week when He needs to “work”?

Interestingly, we do not have to grope around in the dark trying to find the answer to this question. Since Jesus is the exact representation of the Father, I believe we can see how God rests when we see how Jesus rested and was refreshed during His earthly ministry.

The story of the Samaritan woman comes to mind. Jesus was tired from the long journey, and His disciples had gone into town to buy food. When they came back, Jesus looked refreshed, and they wondered whether He had eaten anything. But the story was that Jesus simply talked with the Samaritan woman, or in a more specific sense, He gave out His love and acceptance to her, and she drew something from Him.

And Jesus was refreshed.

Isn’t that funny? God gets refreshed when He gives… when He gives of His love, when we go to Him and draw from Him, when He overflows His love.

I believe that’s what God did on the seventh day when the Bible says He rested. He was refreshed because on that day, Adam was already around to draw from Him and be loved by Him.

Shall we also just let Him love us? :)
 

Timeless Writings

Over this past week, I think I must've tinkered with every possible form of writing there is: news writing, feature writing, writing guides and tips, and even uploading my personal blog with parenting experiences... most of them done online, with sources online and output online. A rich treasury of information. And sure, it's fun, 'coz I love writing---in fact, I remember back during my college days when I described "What I Want to Be" as "anything as long as I have writing as a sideline". How naive I was, wasn't I? 

Because now I realize all these things I can easily write on, anyone can appreciate at the present time. But none of them are good enough to withstand time. News? The latest winner of the latest award? No one will remember them in a year or maybe even half of it. Tips and guides? Yeah, they reek of the kind of knowledge that the world seeks, and certainly, there are limitless bounds to the things that we can learn in this world...

But there is one knowledge I want to be diving into. There is one kind of expression of which I will never tire. The endless depths of Jesus and the wonders of His love are that which nobody will ever exhaust. The apostle John mentioned in his gospel that if everything about Jesus was written down in a book, the world will never have room to contain all the books. 

Who would've thought that by this time, books are no longer necessary for information compilation? The World Wide Web gives an even extended place to put in bits of knowledge and info. But guess what? All the webpages in the whole wide web will never be able to contain everything about this amazing God-Man Christ Jesus! 

That's where I want to lose myself. Now and for eternity... :)

The Old Notebook

Yesterday as I was renewing my driver’s license, sitting and waiting for my turn had me scouring through my handbag for something to read to pass the time. I chanced upon an old pocket-sized notebook in which I used to jot down notes.

I came across an interesting set of scribbles:

Eternal communion of love
Unhindered by time
Unbroken…
But for one moment in time
Broken at the cross
Broken for me to be Yours…

He who did not spare His own Son
But delivered Him up for us all
How will He not also along with Him
Graciously give us all things (Romans 8:32)

Amazing how things I’ve learned so long ago can still be so fresh and limitless to ponder… :)

The Day I Was Crucified

I’ve recently reread one of my favorite books, Gene Edwards’ “The Day I Was Crucified.” Well, not exactly reread, since I only chanced upon a few pages in the little spare time I managed to find these busy weeks. (Still, my opinion stands: this is a definite must-read!)

But as usual, it struck a chord in my heart: isn’t it amazing how Jesus didn’t say a word while He was being crucified? “Like a lamb before its shearers is silent” indeed… I can hardly imagine the thoughts that must’ve run through His mind as He allowed the soldiers He Himself created drive the nails through His wrists—and mocking Him as they did so. How can He still feel such love and passion at that particular time? And yet He did! How can He think of one thing throughout the whole ordeal—the joy of having me with Him?

Sigh. I love this book. The author really gave a powerful glimpse into the divine exchange! The death of Adam’s race, the death of sin itself—when He became sin and consumed it with His wrath!

We’ve hardly begun scratching the surface of what He did at the cross, beloved. Let’s take a walk and explore them together… :)

For more book reviews, please check out my reading list at Christian Book Reviews or Christian Novel Reviews.