The Paths less travelled#1 Waiting upon our Lord(1st Sep 2018)

Dear

Wait on the Lord. Be of good courage. And He shall strengthen your heart.

Wait, I say, on the Lord!

Psalm 27:14

Wait!! That would be the usual retort that defined my past quasi Christian life when it comes to giving time to our Lord.

But at age 40, our good Lord decided that the veil upon my heart be lifted and His Spirit fell upon me. He got my attention.

These past 17 years, especially these past decade, I have not just given full attention to the prompting of our Lord, but has learned to wait upon Him. And not rush headlong into dealing with issues that seems so compelling for me to immediately deal with on my own strength.

And by His grace, this discipline to rest and abide in Him includes my resting in Him, even as the direction that He has pointed me to seems crystal clear.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1

I wait not because I am waiting for evidence to confirm His commands. But rather, I know I should move only when His Spirit leads me.

For the carnal us, obeying what is often an impression of the heart is already a challenge.

And holding one’s horses back, is even more difficult for God’s timing and ways are different from our finite understanding.

And when it is time to move forth, one will never know how matters will conclude. Except we know that our good Lord is with us and He is Sovereign.

And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

Hebrews 11:8

Abraham left his comfort zone and literally uprooted himself to head towards the promised land.

A place he is not familiar with, nor can he be certain will bring a good conclusion.

Back in Nov 2011, I had my Abrahamic moment, when in my quiet time in the bathroom of my hotel room, God spoke to my heart. To leave my comfort zone in Merrill Lynch with a simple call “To lay the path for the next generation.” It took  a very reticent me 7 months before I literally left everything behind and stepped out in faith.

It is now been close to 7 years since that clarion call.

Along the way, there have been a few more Abrahamic moments including

- The call in Nov 2012 to Japan to bring hope to the hapless through empowerment

     - The call to step out of Bordier Bank in Oct 2015, where I spent 3 years learning to

Be humbled, to start a Japan property fund. To launch a ship into the darkness encapsulating
this well watered but spiritually dry land.

     - And now this call in June 2018 to step out of active involvement in my 12 year men’s

  Ministry, to go into deeper individual relationships both locally and in my 3 designated

nations of Japan,China and Thailand.

What were the key lessons learnt in these points of inflexion?

     - The will of God is always distinctly impressed upon my heart, much as one must take time to
ponder and pray upon it to be sure it is not a figment of one’s imagination.

     - There will be a period of struggle both with letting go, as well as stepping out, for we

  look for conclusion, God seeks our obedience.
- God will affirm after we take that first step in the direction He has shown us, and like climbing
up a mountain, there will be pegs of affirmation to keep us going.

You of little faith, He said, why did you doubt?

Matthew 14:31

Through it all, there is a period of waiting upon our Lord, in prayers, in His Words, with a thankful heart and in honoring Him in the midst of our personal struggles.

Dear God, remind me of my need for Your daily bread of presence

( Our Daily Bread 16 Aug 2018)

I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty.

John 6:35

And indeed following Christ is about letting go and letting Him. It is about our total dependency upon Him. It is not an easy path to take, for it goes against our very sinful nature, a trait we picked up when Adam ate the fruit of knowledge in disobedience.

Time with God is to
- allow us to wrestle with our fearful pride

- to also give time and space for those most affected by our moving out of our comfort zone, often
our loved ones who are like the 2nd hand smokers.

-  and God will push us forth when He knows we are ready to depend upon Him and our loved ones
are more ready to move alongside us.

From I am something, to I am nothing, to God is everything

(Banner Church Taiwan sermon Aug 2018)

And time with God I am reminded by the Holy Spirit, brings us into that serenity like a child comfortably ensconced in the arms of a loving and protective mother

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

    Matthew 6:33

God Blesses

Eng Hieang

(1st Sep 2018)