Five Loaves and Two Fish

“What’s wrong with me?” I asked myself. My heart sank as I saw the requests and problems coming into the email inbox when I was on call. After four years of being on the same post, I knew that I could handle most of them with no sweat. Why was I bothered and somewhat reluctant to handle these on call duties? Perhaps I was tired of the high demands of 12 X 7 on call responsibilities. Or was I losing my fighting spirit of gaining job skills? Or was the job too stressful for my age? In my prayer, I thought to myself how I should ask God to help me. The favorite Bible verse of my late father came into my mind. Continue reading »

“As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear Him.” (Ps 103:13)

Heavyhearted, I knelt down and prayed as soon as I came home from a most humiliating 30-minute interview. Had my heavenly Father already seen my deep sorrow and regret incurred from this unfitting and failed interview on the train ride home? I was immediately comforted by the Holy Spirit that He looked beyond my fault and saw my needs. The door of opportunity was soon opened for me and I found a job thereafter. Truly the Lord took pity on me as a father pities his children.

We may have many iniquities, but the Lord is ready to forgive all. What we need to present to God is “a contrite heart” (Ps 51:17). A contrite heart means being broken down with grief and repentance, deep sorrow for sins, and being humbly and thoroughly penitent. In our spiritual battles, we can be caught up in the lust of the flesh. We may fail to be watchful and stumble, yet God is gracious and full of mercy. He understands our weakness and will not harbor anger against us forever. A broken and contrite heart – these our God will never despise.

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“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Ps 23:6)

Life is wonderful when we focus on God, and find peace, joy, and contentment in the house of the Lord. When we value our relationship with our Good Shepherd, Lord Jesus, more than anything else, we can attain a life want free. Lord Jesus once said, “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” (Jn 14:14) And again in John 15:7, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” This is the promise that Lord Jesus gives to His friends those who do whatever He commands. (Jn 15:14)

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The prophet Jeremiah had one or two doubts in his ministry. One of those doubts is how God seems to treat his people:

“O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, do it for Your name’s sake; for our backslidings are many, we have sinned against You. O the Hope of Israel, his Savior in time of trouble, why should You be like a stranger in the land, and like a traveler who turns aside to tarry for a night?” (Jer 14:7-8)

Jeremiah is expressing that God has become like a stranger or a traveler to His own people living in His land.

This is how God replied Jeremiah:

“Thus says the Lord to this people: Thus they have loved to wander; they have not restrained their feet. Therefore the Lord does not accept them…” (Jer 14:10)

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