Some recent thoughts

Yesterday I had Bible study with some of the Christian students around here, and the passage was Luke 6, where Jesus talks about being "Lord of the Sabbath". Yesterday i decided i would like to be more diligent with spending time with Him, and i thought one way of doing that would be to use Sundays as a day to read, pray, reflect and listen to podcast sermons. I thought it would be awesome for my own spiritual growth if i could make it a regular habit. I mean how much of my time do i really give up to God? He has so graciously provided me with time and money and everything, but am i really using these things for His glory? Or am i instead using these things He has given me for my own comfort and enjoyment? The SMBC podcast i listened to today reminded me that i need to be careful how i use my money as well. How many missionaries are out there working their butts off to get the Gospel out there, and how many of them are struggling because of a lack of finances? And in the abundance of what God has given me, how much of that am i using to support these people who have given up everything to go out and spread the Gospel? Very little i think... it comes as a sharp rebuke...

So today after coming back from church, i decided to spend some time relaxing with my God. So far it's been awesome :) I think this is God's way of answering some of my prayers :D I and some of the people around me have been praying that i can be a good witness to the people around me, and that i can spend my time and resources wisely. But perhaps before that can happen i need to be more firmly rooted in God's word. So in order to do His work well i need to be spending more time with Him, seeking His teaching instead of simply going out and basking in the blessings he gives me without turning back to Him and giving Him the glory. Indeed I have a lot to learn... and i do feel that i have been backsliding a little ever since i got here. So it's important that i do this - to spend more time gleaning from Him.

So today, being the first day I've tried to spend a sunday as a Sabbath, I want to share some encouraging messages. I was just writing in my mission journal (which mr John Chen gave me as a gift for my 21st!) a little while ago, and in it there are a bunch of encouraging stories of missionaries and quotes from famous Christians. Here's one that i read about today - it's the story of a Scottish missionary (doctor) called David Livingstone. In all his hardship he always looked to the Lord and remembered "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end". Those words alone brought Him great comfort in all of His loneliness as a missionary. He also died on his knees in prayer, remembering that God was with Him always. And there's a quote from him in this journal of mine, which reads:

Lord, send me anywhere, only go with me.
Lay any burden on me, only sustain me.
Sever any ties but the tie that binds me to Thy service and to Thy heart.

I found great encouragement in these words. Seeing how much this man depended on God for everything, and how He always looked to God for comfort in all his trials. It brings me great comfort to know that God is always there for us. And i know that i can always find comfort in Him and Him alone - not in money, not in friends or family or anything else in this world. The only source of comfort that will last forever is God Himself. I would be a fool to trust in anything else!

By the way, having a day of rest and spending it with God is awesome :D I know that many of our lives often can't even sustain a single day in the week spent not doing work, but i do think that that is all the more reason to spend time with Him and rest in Him :)