The Ultimate

“…here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
For this is the whole duty of man.”

(Ecclesiastes 12: 13, NIV)

Each day is a brand new day. A new opportunity to grow. New mercy received. Knowledge to pursue. Wisdom to gain.
But with each day, it has its own challenges. Added responsibilities. Increased workload. New visions come before my old dreams are pursued. Issues to think through. Problems to solve.

Days lead to weeks. Weeks lead to months. I still have to embrace each day with the grace of God, welcoming the gift of time with gladness and hope while juggling the balancing act of life.

It is a season of sowing. Though I see nothing, I keep watering. I keep nurturing. I keep loving. I keep trusting. I keep believing – that one day…yes, one day, soon…I will see the fruit of my labour.

While I work in this garden of life, I’ve asked endless questions, but often left unanswered. I seek to understand better different issues, people, situations and even myself, but to find the wise words of King Solomon ringing back to my ears, “…here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”

In the closing of the Book of Ecclesiastes, it reinforces the whole thrust of the book – that everything is meaningless apart from rooted in God. The ultimate is to fear and obey him, and be kept in his will. How true is that old saying which goes like this – Do your best and God will do the rest! How clearly and cleverly the writer concluded the book by stating the truth, “For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Though I may not understand nor gain further insights to some life issues and difficult people, but I know God is in control.

Have we done our part in this life, to the best of our knowledge and wisdom? And focus on the ultimate – to fear God and obey him? Then the rest is up to him!

Heavenly Dad, take charge of my days. Teach me to always revere you and obey all your commands. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Just Enough for Today

Then the Lord said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.
However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell.

Exodus 16:4, 20

My dear husband promised to take me to Tasmania, Australia where he pursued his bible studies almost 20 years ago. Our hearts were thrilled when the opportunity came one and a half year ago when we took our sabbatical year and rested Down Under for more than two months. In Tasmania, we stayed in Smithon, a small town nestled in the north-west. It was simply lovely to be away from the hustle and bustle of busy cities.

Every morning, my daughter, Nat being the early riser loved to date me for morning walks and get our day's groceries from the nearby store. We would bundle ourselves up snugly and head off in the cold winter mornings just enjoying each other's company while getting to know the little town where her dearest daddy had talked so much about. Indeed everything is simple in Smithon - the place and the people. Friendly faces greeted us everywhere we went. It seemed like there's no strangers in this community. It gave us a very secure feeling to roam around. One of the best thing was to hunt for the best deal in the grocery store daily in the reduced to clear section.

Budget was a crucial matter for us. Every dollar and cent needed to be stretched to the fullest to feed the whole family especially when the currency conversion rate was high. We were very glad and grateful to be able to find food daily at an outrageuos marked down prices. I will never find them in our local scene. It was delightful as we went through the items and picked out our daily needs like bread, authentic Aussie pies, milk and desserts. Often we would enjoy a variety of pies for our meals. One time we indulged in a A$6.00 chocolate mudpie for the whole family at the price of 50 cents! Our Aussie friends marvelled at this particular finding. They confessed they never came across such a cheap deal. We believed it was God's gracious provision for us. Nat had really wished for the mudpie during her stay there and God blessed her (and the whole family since the mudpie was 1kg).

One weekend, we decided to drive 5 hours to Hobart, the capital city of Tasmania. Being a melancholy woman, I wanted to be as prepared as always for the trip. So I insisted to pick up our daily needs from the store before shooting off for the long drive. That would save us some bucks instead of eating at cafes along the way. Lo and behold! The sale section had so much to offer that day. One of them was multigrain bread which we never bother considering since we could not afford it. It was more than six times the price of our usual plain white bread. My eyes twinkled in delight as I chose from the selection. I checked the expiry date. Good news. Still a long way to go. At least long enough for our trip and few days' stay in the city. I grabbed two loaves along with other stuff. Proudly I announced to my husband and kids of my treasure for the day since I am pretty particular about nutrition. Multigrain was definitely a premium choice compared to the cheap white bread.

The next day or two, I discovered to my horror the bread had turned stale and molded. We haven't even finished a loaf! My heart ached with regrets and instantly remembered the words of the Lord spoken to Moses instructing the Israelites to collect the manna just enough for that day. Just like the Israelites, I had disobeyed and collected more for the day's ration. God's instruction in Exodus 16 became alive for me. I was supposed to be resting in the Lord and trusting His faithful and timely provision but had in my own wisdom stored up unnecessary.

We are living in hard times. The global hit by economic crisis causes many to be in despair. Many lost their jobs or experiencing pay cut. Others wondered what entails. Are you worrying about tomorrow? What you will eat and wear? Your job or education? Your future? Matthew 6:25-34 calls our attention to God's mindful provision in the field. He feeds the birds and clothes the lilies. What more - we, as His precious children?! Will He not give us what we need? Perhaps we need to trust Him just enough for today.

Heavenly Father, forgive me for not being able to surrender all my needs. I acknowledge You are the Giver of life and my Gracious Provider. Thank you for supplying all my daily needs. Help me to be grateful. Forbid me to be trapped in anxiety and caught up in the race of greed. Release Your peace and give me a trusting heart. In Jesus' name. Amen.