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Disclaimer:
The following are solely the opinions of the writer, as implied by the title of this page: "My Musings".
This page expresses a heartfelt reflection of the writer's thoughts on life and experiences. Any resemblance of any persons, organisations, events, or things is purely coincidental and not deliberate. |
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Musings (3)...
by isabel w. tan (Sunday, November 05, 2000, 1:53 a.m.)
"Love people, but trust God."
How true that is! A fool places confidence in man,
for it is stupid to trust in the flesh.
Lean not on human understanding. Trust in the Lord alone.
God's Rhema (or spoken word) versus man's words. Which holds more weight?
If we really believe that God's Rhema holds more weight,
we do well to seek God's counsel first before we seek man's counsel.
WE SERVE WHOM WE FEAR MOST. Do we fear God or fear man?
If we truly fear God more than we fear man,
we will not bow down to man's pressure so that we can please man.
If we truly fear God more than we fear man,
we will obey God rather than man, even when man may sound very right.
The fear of man brings a snare.
But in the fear of the LORD, there is confidence and strength.
The person who fears the LORD will face violent opposition from others,
because he does not do what others say, but only what God says.
The person who fears the LORD does not fear man;
he does not seek to please ANYONE except GOD.
The person who fears God is more afraid to offend God than to offend man.
The person who fears man is more afraid of offending man than offending God.
He who fears man will rather listen to man's demand and please man
rather than listen to God's command and please God.
When we don't do what God tells us to do, we offend Him;
it shows that we dispise His word.
The fear of man is idolatrous,
for the person who fears man has made man to be his idol.
That's why the fear of man brings a snare! It's a trap!
The fear of man may be so subtle and well-hidden
that the person may not even realise he fears man more than he fears God!
Ask yourself: what is the motive behind your words and actions?
Is it to please anyone, including yourself?
Or is it to please God despite the fact that what you do may be very unpopular with others? |
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Musings (2)...
by isabel w. tan (Tuesday, October 03, 2000, 1:44 a.m.)
"We like someone because. We love someone although." - Henri De Montherlant
Love in spite of... not because of.
Love, in spite of your weaknesses, in spite of your failures, in spite of your mistakes.
Love, not because of your talents, not because of your looks, not because of your wealth.
Love, simply because it’s you.
Love, loves you just as you are.
Love embraces your dreams. Envisions your hope. Enlarges your heart.
Love cries with you when you’re sad, feels your pain, comforts your sorrows.
Love rejoices with you in your victories, laughs with you in joy, hugs you with delight.
Love, oft is inexplicably strange.
Like an arrow and target, so doth the game of love appears.
A right target for every arrow, a right arrow for every target.
Sometimes, arrow misses target, or target repels arrow.
Sometimes, target and arrow meet, but fall apart after a while.
Sometimes, arrow and target come together for good.
Love is that which can’t be forced.
Like a small dove: don’t hold it too tightly, lest it dies;
nor hold it too loosely, lest it flies away.
Have you been looking for love,
and when you thought you’ve finally found it,
only to realize you aren’t the one love is looking for?
Have you been not looking for love,
and when you’re unaware, only to realize that you have found love and love has found you?
On REALITY...
One person’s reality may not be another person’s reality.
To understand another person’s reality, one has to step into the other person’s world.
But if the other person refuses to invite anyone into his world, then no one could enter, and his reality remains his own,
understood only by him alone, unless another person intercedes.
Not everyone will completely understand our reality even if they have entered our world -
simply because they’re not God, and very often they can’t possibly go through exactly the same experience we’ve gone through.
Only God can fully understand you, even better than you can understand yourself.
God comprehends each person’s reality. He’s with you, and knows what goes on in your heart and soul.
Therefore, walk closely with God always.
Stick closer to Him than any other friend.
Cling tightly onto Jesus, rather than on man. Place no confidence in the flesh.
In times of difficulties and trials, turn to Him first before turning to anyone else,
because He’s the only One who fully understands us.
Call upon Him, for He will guide us, protect us and shelter us in His secret place. |
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Musings...
by isabel w. tan (Friday, August 11, 2000, 2:40 a.m.)
Feelings, emotions.
Pain, despair, bitterness, anguish, sorrows, misery...
Joy, delight, hope, happiness, gladness, rejoicing...
Emotions should be listened to, but never danced to.
Feelings are but a state of my mind.
I choose to be in whichever state I want to.
Very wise... but if I don’t do it, I’m deceiving myself.
If I’m a melancholic,
it means I have a greater tendency to choose being sad most of the time.
But that doesn’t mean I can’t choose to be joyful all the time.
It’s a matter of my own decision.
Disappointment can be a grave thing leading to extreme bitterness and sadness.
Disappointment with God can be even more grave.
When you’re feeling disappointed with God,
it seems like no one else understands except you and God.
Some people may say, “Pray and trust in God! Look, you got to stand firm on His Word!”
True. But do they really understand what you are going through?
In times of personal disappointment with the Lord,
the last thing you need is a friend trying to preach to you on how to pray,
how to increase your faith in Him, and the like.
Try teaching prayer to a barren woman called Hannah, who has been praying for a child for many years.
Try teaching faith to a man called Job, who has lost his wife and children,his health and wealth all at the same time.
Try teaching a wounded spirit, a broken heart, how to heal.
Sometimes, the best counsel to give a person is not counsel,
but understanding and grace.
So, what’s the solution?
LOVE.
Love makes us whole.
The love of God is perfect. The love of God heals.
Love is a verb. It’s an action.
Love those who are hurting with God’s own love.
Love them, don’t condemn.
The love of God can be taught, can be sung,
can be expressed in beautiful words.
But the love of God is of no use
until it’s expressed in real-life action.
Herein lies another problem.
Some find it difficult to love others with God’s own love.
Others find it hard to love certain people.
Then there are those who don’t love themselves.
If we can’t even love the people (including ourselves) whom we see,
how can we say that we love God whom we cannot see?
Aren’t we deceiving ourselves?
Aren’t we deceiving God too?
Side-track a little...
At this point, some people give up because they find it too hard to love God,
as it means loving everyone else too.
But when we get a revelation of God’s love in our life,
loving Him and loving people will be as natural to us as breathing.
After all, when we fall in love, doesn’t it come naturally too?
Back to my point.
The best way to heal a wounded spirit, a broken heart,
is to love them based on a revelation of God’s love for ourselves.
The reason why we fail to fully love the broken-hearted
is because we ourselves fail to get a full revelation of God’s love for us.
Granted, we are not perfect yet.
That’s why we owe no one anything except to love one another (Romans 13:8).
Love - our challenge, our aim. |
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