“When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.” –Mark 6:34 (NIV)

One of my favorite things to do while traveling is people-watching. Whether it is while taking the public transit in the city, waiting at the airport for a flight, or walking the streets of a foreign country, I am always drawn to the faces of those who I pass by. I often wonder where they are going, where they have been, and what they must be experiencing now. It is this curiosity which draws me to people and I find it both a joy and an honour when people extend the hand of friendship and we exchange our stories with each other. Yet more and more I am coming to see people as souls in need of being in relationship with God their Creator, and that has added a whole new sense of urgency to tell others of the hope which is available through Christ.

Every day we encounter many faces. Some of them we do not know and only see for a brief second before they go their separate ways. Others we know quite well. They are our family, our friends, and our colleagues. Yet are they just faces to us? Are they but mere bodies which we are forced by circumstances to interact with? It is easy to think of people in generalization, where we can nicely fit them into our pre-conceived notions. But when we see people through the eyes of God, we see them as individuals uniquely and wonderfully made with souls that are made to be in relationship with Him. This calls us to a radical love that transcends all boundaries, yet this is a love which we can never work out in ourselves because of our sinful nature. It is only when we have allowed Christ to enter our hearts and have allowed Him to free us of our sinful nature that we are able through His Spirit to see people as how He sees them, as His precious creations in need of His restorative work. With His love overflowing from within us, His Spirit will compel us to show His compassion towards others and tell them of the eternal joy of knowing Christ as Lord and Saviour.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.” –Psalm 57:10 (NIV)

Summer is just around the corner. I felt a glimpse of what is to come as I was walking downtown today. With not a cloud in the sky, the sun shone bright and resplendent; bringing life and colour to the city’s streets. But as I walked under the sweltering heat with sweat pouring from my brow, I was reminded of how beautifully God created the sun and the skies. Every person living on this Earth sees the same sun, and under the same sky goes about their daily tasks. God has placed the sun far enough so that it encompasses the whole world. Yet it is close enough for us to feel the heat it provides and enjoy the warmth of its rays.

In the same way, God’s love is both wide and near. Each person born into this world has been created by His loving hands and He wants all of us to be in an intimate relationship with Him. However, our wilful choice to sin against Him has severed that relationship we once shared. But God is love and in His never-failing love He wants to restore that broken relationship. That is why He sent Christ for us, so that through His death we may be cleansed of our sin and by His resurrection enter into new life with Him characterized by His righteousness being worked out through His Spirit within us. Christ’s offer of salvation through His sacrifice is open to all regardless of who they are and where they have been. Thus, His love is as boundless as the sky for there is no one on Earth who is beyond His grace and forgiveness. But like the warmth of the sun, God wants to show His love to us in a real and personal way. When we have allowed Christ to enter our hearts and allow Him to carry out his redemptive work in our lives, we will be able to feel His love and faithfulness as we continue to abide in Him and entrust ourselves fully to Him.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away.” –Song of Solomon 8:7a (NIV)

The concept of an eternal flame has found its place in many countries around the world. Placed before memorial sites it is supposed to be a symbol honouring the legacy of fallen soldiers or representative of the nation’s commitment to remember a significant event in their history. In Japan for example, an eternal flame burns in a memorial park in Hiroshima. Being the first city to experience the horrors of nuclear warfare when it was bombed in August 1945, the eternal flame is to be extinguished only until the complete abolition of nuclear weapons has been achieved. No amount of water can put out this fire for it is constantly maintained and fuelled by propane or natural gas; thereby signifying the unwavering resolve of the people to never forget no matter the cost and work towards the goal it represents.

Is our love for others like an eternal flame? If we are truly honest, we can think of times when our love has been extinguished by the waters of anger and frustration. We allow situations to take control of our minds and snuff out our love, instead allowing our anger to rear its head. An extinguished fire cannot provide warmth and hope to other. Likewise when we have allowed our circumstances to overwhelm our love, we become cold and unable to provide that warmth which people need. It is only when Christ dwells within us that the fire of our love will keep burning despite what we face. When we have allowed Him to enter our hearts, His love will overflow from within us. Nothing, neither situations nor people, will be able to prevent the love of Christ from shining forth from our lives when we seek to abide in Him. With our security rooted in Christ, He will enable His love to radiate from us regardless of what we face, bringing hope and life to others.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” –Psalm 73:25-26 (NIV)

Human life is fragile, and our mortal bodies are prone to damage and decay. We may have strong legs to run great distances, or have strong arms to work in the most adverse of conditions. But these could easily grow weak over the course of time, or may be made ineffective prematurely through accidents or sickness. Perhaps we may boast of having a mind as sharp as knives, with which we can think and reason with sound judgement. However, even our minds can be dulled and lose the brilliance we cherished. Knowing these things, it would seem to be foolish to trust in ourselves for strength and in anything found in this fleeting world. Yet too often we become misguided; placing our source of strength and confidence in the impermanent things of this world so that we may be devastated when their hour comes to vanish.

Where then can we find that strength which will never leave us? As we encounter disappointments and suffering, we want to have that strength which will last us through every situation. However, we will never be able to find it in this world for all things under the Earth are destined to pass away. If our source of strength and confidence is in our capacities and abilities, or in those of others, we have placed our trust in weak foundations. But when we have placed our trust in God, we are assured of finding hope in Him. When we have allowed Christ to enter our hearts and through Him dwell in relationship with God, He will prove Himself to be our eternal source of strength. By walking with Him and holding His hand, we will be able pass through our circumstances knowing that God is the one who sustains us and empowers us to do what He has called us to do. A lasting strength is only found when we find ourselves standing firm and secure in Christ and in the promise that He will raise us up so that His perfect plan for our lives may be fulfilled.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.” –Isaiah 55:2 (NIV)

None of us would waste money on that which is of no benefit to us. We have been taught to conserve our energy and resources for something that is worthwhile and in our best interests in the long run. Whether it is what we eat or the career path we choose to take, we want to be wise in our decisions and make the right choice so that we may live healthy lives and that nothing be done in vain. But though we desire this, we often fall short of them. How often do we frivolously spend our time, money, and energy on that which is corrupt and depraved? How often do we worry and lose sleep obsessing over our careers and plans. Though we think that these will give us satisfaction, they only provide an illusory contentment that will give way to grief and misery.

There is only one way through which we can find true and lasting satisfaction. Man was designed for a relationship with God so that we may dwell in His eternal and unfailing love. However, because of our sinful nature gained as a result of Adam’s disobedience against God, the relationship we formerly shared with Him has been severed. But God does not wish for it to be like this. For this reason He sent Jesus so that through His death and resurrection we may have the hope of being freed from our sin so that we may enter into a relationship with God and bear witness to His goodness. When we allow Christ’s Spirit to enter our hearts and carry out His work of restoration in our lives, we will find joy and peace that nothing on this Earth can match. Investing all that we have by surrendering ourselves to Him, we will find it more than worthwhile as Christ fulfils His perfect will for our lives. He will prove to us His love and faithfulness and by His Spirit give us a lasting satisfaction that will remain constant regardless of our circumstances.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” -1 Timothy 4:8 (NIV)

We live in a very health conscious age. Studies are always being published on how eating certain foods or doing certain exercise regimens can benefit our physical well-being. Perhaps out of fear that we can lose our vitality and develop health problems, we are careful about what we eat and we make sure that we get plenty of exercise. Are these things wrong? Of course not! God has called us to be good stewards of our bodies He has given us. However, the unquestionable fact of life is that we are mortal and destined to face a physical death. One day, our physical bodies will become no more than bones buried in the ground, and we will come face to face with God Himself. When that moment comes, what will we say before Him?

God does not look at the external. Rather, His focus is on our hearts. Though our physical bodies may look healthy on the surface, God is not fooled and He sees the rotten state of our hearts as a result of being under the grip of sin. Due to His holy nature, God cannot tolerate sin and our sinful nature has caused us to be separated from Him. But God, in His love, does not want to see sin carry out its destructive work in our lives. He wants to restore us so that we may have life through being in relationship with Him. That is why He sent Jesus Christ so that by His death and resurrection, sin’s hold over us may be broken and we are reconciled to God. When we allow Christ’s Spirit to work in our lives and submit ourselves to Him, He will train us in His righteousness for the well-being of our souls. Remaining obedient to Christ and permitting Him to enable us to live according to His standards and perfect will, we will be strengthened to face our fallen world and shine for Him; knowing that we have the promise of joy and hope both in this life and into eternity.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” -2 Corinthians 4:17 (NIV)

Often times our problems simply need to be put into perspective. Take an ant for example. Due to its small size, the ant may see certain things as enormously large when to our eyes the very same things are actually of little consequence. What is for us a small patch of grass may be a vast forest for an ant; one that is never-ending and fraught with danger. Perhaps what may be a small mound of dirt to us might as well be for the ant a mountain that could rival Everest itself! Yet if the ant were to climb onto our fingers and see these things from our eyes, it will know that the obstacles they face are not as insurmountable as they seem and that overcoming them is not a faint hope.

In the same way we might face situations which to us may seem overwhelming and devoid of any assurance that they will pass. But when we see our circumstances through the eyes of God, our entire perspective will change. Though to us our struggles may seem impossible, nothing is impossible for Him who is Lord over all Creation. In light of His omnipotence and eternity, our troubles are nothing but minor bumps in the road He has called us to travel. When we have allowed the Spirit of Christ to enter into our hearts and have surrendered ourselves into His hands, He will strengthen us in our trials and open our eyes to see that through Him we have the final victory. While we live in a fallen world and are not exempt from suffering, Christ promises His children that should we trust in Him and His perfect wisdom, He will prove to us His faithfulness as He turns our mourning into dancing. Throughout the Scriptures He has taken the most miserable of situations and used them to fulfil His perfect will so that His children may find joy and hope in Him. Christ is able and willing to do the same for us and when we call upon His name we will rest knowing that His steadfast love will bring us a glory that will never fade and never be taken away.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.