Today has been a busy day for me - had two meetings in the morning and in the afternoon I had to read loads of reports. By the time I was done, I was mentally drained. I headed home from work quite early. I just needed to get away from all the busyness and just spend some time with God in prayer and reading of His Word.
Though I have not blogged for almost a week, I learnt a couple of things these few days. Last Friday I followed my sister to Max Pavilion at Singapore Expo to attend the Love Singapore rally. It was a time of prayer for the nation since that day was the eve of National Day. This event is held annually.
The speaker reminded the thousands of Christians at the rally to show love for all the foreign workers in Singapore. They amount to about a million in this island-nation. It never occurred to me that there are so many of them.
I thought the message was very appropriate - these individuals have come here to earn a living for themselves and also to provide for their families back in their respective homelands and yet they have been abused physically, emotionally and mentally by Singaporeans. Some have even lost their lives here and yet we do not give much thoughts to their overall needs. I dare to even say that many times we do not treat them as fellow humans - as equals. We are no different to those slave-drivers in the days of old!
There was a segment where all the foreign workers who are working here were asked to come forward so that they would be prayed for. There was another invitation for those who would like to pray for these individuals to come forward. I decided to go forward.
I prayed for a brother from Myanmar. I put my hand over his shoulders as I interceded for him. In the midst of the intercession, he began to weep. When I ended my prayer, I just kept quiet and continued to be with Yorng. After a while, he looked up and thanked me for the prayers. We shook hands and went back to our respective seats.
Since last Friday, I made it a point to say a short prayer for all foreign workers whom I would cross path with. I hope this will remind me that they too are God's created beings and that I should respect and treat them as I would for my fellow Singaporeans.
In fact, I was convicted to see every one with the eyes of God - there should not be pride and prejudice. There is no such thing as a caste system.
Oh yah, another point to add - we will be accountable to God one day for what we do here on earth. It is not too late for all of us to repent now! It is not that difficult to do so - just love as God loves. There is also less strife in loving than abusing. :)
Well, I have to confess it is not easy since we are all humans but it is also not impossible. I pray the Lord will help me as I persevere in this area of my pilgrim's journey - whatever that is left of it.
I have a lot more to share but shall do so another day! :) Oh yah, the varsity's break has caused my waistline to expand - since my knees are better now, I shall run again. I basically need to exercise. Inertia is there but for the sake of being a good steward to this body God has given me, I shall press on! Haha.
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." Matthew 25:31-46
Though I have not blogged for almost a week, I learnt a couple of things these few days. Last Friday I followed my sister to Max Pavilion at Singapore Expo to attend the Love Singapore rally. It was a time of prayer for the nation since that day was the eve of National Day. This event is held annually.
The speaker reminded the thousands of Christians at the rally to show love for all the foreign workers in Singapore. They amount to about a million in this island-nation. It never occurred to me that there are so many of them.
I thought the message was very appropriate - these individuals have come here to earn a living for themselves and also to provide for their families back in their respective homelands and yet they have been abused physically, emotionally and mentally by Singaporeans. Some have even lost their lives here and yet we do not give much thoughts to their overall needs. I dare to even say that many times we do not treat them as fellow humans - as equals. We are no different to those slave-drivers in the days of old!
There was a segment where all the foreign workers who are working here were asked to come forward so that they would be prayed for. There was another invitation for those who would like to pray for these individuals to come forward. I decided to go forward.
I prayed for a brother from Myanmar. I put my hand over his shoulders as I interceded for him. In the midst of the intercession, he began to weep. When I ended my prayer, I just kept quiet and continued to be with Yorng. After a while, he looked up and thanked me for the prayers. We shook hands and went back to our respective seats.
Since last Friday, I made it a point to say a short prayer for all foreign workers whom I would cross path with. I hope this will remind me that they too are God's created beings and that I should respect and treat them as I would for my fellow Singaporeans.
In fact, I was convicted to see every one with the eyes of God - there should not be pride and prejudice. There is no such thing as a caste system.
Oh yah, another point to add - we will be accountable to God one day for what we do here on earth. It is not too late for all of us to repent now! It is not that difficult to do so - just love as God loves. There is also less strife in loving than abusing. :)
Well, I have to confess it is not easy since we are all humans but it is also not impossible. I pray the Lord will help me as I persevere in this area of my pilgrim's journey - whatever that is left of it.
I have a lot more to share but shall do so another day! :) Oh yah, the varsity's break has caused my waistline to expand - since my knees are better now, I shall run again. I basically need to exercise. Inertia is there but for the sake of being a good steward to this body God has given me, I shall press on! Haha.
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." Matthew 25:31-46
No comments:
Post a Comment