The Grandiose Wedding

Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.

(Revelation 19:7, NIV)

The world turns her eyes once again on the royal wedding. I thought it was just a while ago, the grand wedding was featured in every media coverage for a long period. I was just a young girl. The most talked about occasion on the lips of romantic people. That were the parents of the latest royal newlyweds, Prince William and his beau. Now the glamour belongs to their son and his beautiful wife.

Wedding – some like it simple. Many plan for the grandest occasion. Once in a lifetime. I don’t know about guys. Girls dream of the most romantic do. The dress – oh, that dream dress. I remember my own search for the ideal dress I wished for, and I never really found it here in this part of the world. I only drooled over it in magazines. I managed to settle and made peace with one and wore it on my wedding day. Yes, I was being complimented. My mum-in-law loved it. There was a whole lot of preparation to think through and about together with my fiancé then, and some major decisions with our parents. It was a tedious process of getting ready for just that one day.

The constant reminder to me was not to lose joy in the elaborate process and not to lose focus on the more crucial part – the marriage, the relationship. My fiancé and I talked through a lot of things during our courtship and some of these issues were discussed with greater intensity when we attended pre-marital counselling. The entire preparation entails great effort and deliberate thoughts and actions. My perfectionism and creative side longed for many aesthetic details which I eventually let go due to lack of budget. Nevertheless, it still turned out to be a grand do. The best part of it all, was not all the aesthetic fringes. It was the preparation of the spirit. That moment of standing in the presence of God and worshipping him as he joined me and the man whom I love was an indescribable unity. Simply awesome.

Great rejoicing and gladness filled the air. Weddings – what a glorious occasion! I cannot help it but to think of the Grandest of all weddings. My limited mind cannot imagine the grandiose feeling nor atmosphere of Christ coming back for his Bride. Are you ready?

The verse today urges us to rejoice and be glad, to set the tone to glorify him. We should be ready, but are we? Here is an imagery of our intimate relationship with Christ. How will we look like, be like, when he comes? Are we looking into the important details of preparation? Or losing track concentrating on the insignificant fringes? Is our heart cleansed and excited to welcome the grandiose occasion?

This is a constant personal challenge to me. I urge you to think through and get ready. Be the most beautiful bride, set apart for our Glorious Groom.

Glorious Lord, make ready my heart and spirit as I await the Day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Beauty of Wrinkles

Yet you, LORD, are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.

(Isaiah 64:8, NIV)


Our van stopped at a junction and an advertisement on the billboard caught my eye. It publicized a beautiful girl with flawless complexion holding on to a peeled mask of her older face – one which is wrinkled and drained by the years. An attractive discount offered for a makeover boldly printed at the bottom. What is new? The lure of the commercial world of our era is ever seeking to be more convincing.

My husband instantly commented, “The older face looks so much better. It is carved by character.” I looked again at the billboard and thought that’s pretty profound in the words of my wise husband. The older face looked more real, down to earth, though a bit wrinkled but possessed the grace of aging. That’s a certain kind of beauty which is unexplainable. It has earned its glory through the hard years of life. The younger face displayed was so flawless that it makes it so fake.

A bookmark given by a friend many years ago tucked in my bible read:

Today I saw a lovely thing…

A tree,

Sculptured and turned,

Weathered by the winds

And storms of the years.

I thought of you…

How time and hardships

Can work grace and beauty,

When lovingly fashioned

By the MASTER’S HAND

I know you are precious in HIS sight…

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

by Glenna Oldham

We do not have to fall into the trap of the unruly commercials. Our beauty and worth are determined not by the cosmetics and outer adornment. It is the Lord’s beauty filling our life as we spend time with him regularly and allowing him to gently mould and fashion us according to his purposes. Because we are his, we are called “precious and honored in his sight” (Isaiah 43:4). This is the key text of GEMS which I hold strongly too as God spoke to me many years ago that how many women are destroyed simply not knowing this truth. As daughters of the King, we must recognize our precious worth in and to him.

As we age (which is inevitable), know that the glory and beauty of the years are characterized in our face. When you look into the mirror and find facial lines as the pages of your life chapter turns, know that the Potter shapes us into his masterpieces – every piece intend to depict his character if only we allow him.

Precious Gems, we don’t stay young forever. Whether you are 10, 20 or 30 now, the number will continue to increase and we cannot live in denial. We must glow with his radiance whatever age we are. Our character is carved. To the beautiful girls of God, we all say - Amen!

Father, as I look into your eyes, I see such beauty. Fill me with your beauty anew daily. Let me be your confident girl in every season. Let those who look at me see your beauty and grace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Heavenly Canvas

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Psalm 19:1, NIV

Three days had gone by. The image I captured as we drove back from the mainland along the Penang Bridge to the island was just a normal splash of colours in the sky of the late afternoon. Yet it remained in my memory for days. The mixture of blue and white background was lined artistically with such graceful strokes of orange streaks. No eyes could have missed that masterpiece. It was gloriously hung above us. Yet many times we overlook the sky, simply because we forget to look up.

It was a rush day being the first day of the lunar new year. The agenda for the next few days had been lined up with full schedule of visitations. I whispered to God every now and then that I would not miss his presence amidst the crowds, noise and heat. The loudness of his presence broke forth through the simplest yet majestic display of the sky. When I spotted the glamorous look, I exclaimed with excitement in the car, “Look! Beautiful!” Clicked. The image was captured. Not in any digital camera since my old one declared its end of life some time ago. Instantly I stored it in my memory.

The power of this panoramic view was amplified when I read Psalm 19 the next morning. Yes, indeed the heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. The immense space above calls our attention to the glory of God’s creative work. His revelation made known in such radiance in the vastness of the sky. How can we dismiss the Creator of all? I couldn’t help but worship him as his radiance permeated my spirit.

When was the last time you look up the sky and marvel at his art piece?
Let your eyes see the beauty of his work and your heart praises his name.

Creator of all, I heard the skies proclaim your name. Call my attention today to your creative work and let my heart shout your praise. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

So that God Be Glorified

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
3"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."

(John 9:1-3, NIV)

Dinner was good. We ate at a local famous western food corner. As we walked to get our van, a lame man followed us all the way. His body looked distorted in every way and his face was somewhat scary looking. We were cautious though I didn’t think he would be harmful. Yet I had to be careful just in case anything unforeseen took place. We quickly climbed into our van. The man stood right in front of the front screen and looked in with a strange expression, head crooked and an awkward gesture. I must confess it was a little uncomfortable although we tried to be as natural. He was probably in his thirties or forties. As much as we sympathized with him, we were helpless. I could not help but wonder about a lot of things…which turned into a deep discussion with God.

What happened to him? Was he born such? Who is taking care of him?

Why would God create such being in the first place? Why?? Of course, my instant inner response was - God is sovereign. But then again, I faced a battle of my own mind as I questioned God. My maternal instinct reached into the heart of this man’s mum. It must had been a difficult journey to have and raised him…to see his sufferings and fear for his survival. A series of emotions must have overwhelmed her. It must be painful. How about this man? No matter how ugly he looked and dysfunctional he seems to be, yet he is still a person with human needs. He is still a child of God.

It’s really hard to imagine why God would do this. I am sure He can do a better job in creating. Did He make a mistake and couldn’t undo it? Or maybe it was not congenital? But still God must have allowed this? To look at the man and think that “this is God’s beautiful creation” certainly is a challenge. I know these are silly thoughts about God and all my questions may seem valid in human terms but they don’t change the fact – God is sovereign and He is good. His sovereignty and goodness are far too deep for my limited human mind to comprehend.

I believe this man was “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14) and his physiological imperfection is an opportunity to display God’s grace. The words of Jesus reminded me that ultimately God uses all circumstances to glorify Himself. I can only rest in His sovereignty and trust that any form of suffering in life provides a platform for God to manifest his grace and compassion. A man of such disability who knows God may well display the strength and beauty like no other normal person can. The effects of God’s power are magnified through such man when he is surrendered to God. However, if he doesn’t know God, it is an opportunity for him to embrace God’s love. That can be another powerful testimony of God’s salvation and love; and can cause ripple effects.

I may not have all my answers as I thought of the man but I know God cares for him. I do not know him even as I prayed for him this week but my Father knows his name.

Perhaps as we look at ourselves or the circumstances we are in, we see imperfections and sufferings too. Instead of fretting in discontentment or throwing our fists at God, or blaming ourselves and sitting under guilt pile…let us turn our eyes upon the Lord and hear his words ring right into our hearts - "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in [your] life.”

To God be the Glory!

Heavenly Father, You are sovereign and good. Look upon me with favour and love. Enable me to see traces of Your work in my life and empower me to bring glory to Your name. May my life be a display of Your grace and glory. When I see any imperfect person, help me see him as you do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.