In The Grand Scheme Of Things
BRD REFLECTIONS:
Deuteronomy 25; 26 and Psalm 127 (NIV)
(Jessie Blakely, SGM Core Team Member)
READ:
Reading these beloved verses, Psalm 127:1 stood out for me,
“Unless the Lord builds the house,
the builders labour in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
The guards stand watch in vain.”
OBSERVE:
I work in a faith-based organization. Everyday I work with people who approach work matters with their God-wired talents and good intentions. Some are task-focused, some are purposeful and some proudly demonstrate a spirit of excellence in the process.
But in the pursuit of their objectives, sometimes they are overwhelmed and sometimes they get hurt. Sometimes they pause and pray.
And I have learnt, in all the moments when I too, am overwhelmed and worn out, and God is not in the picture, I have laboured in vain.
APPLY:
If God is not in the picture, how can His presence “increase …[as] I must decrease” (John 3:30)?
When He is not the primary focus, anything and everything can take centre stage, the leaders, the workers, the circumstances, the accessibility to resources. That’s how my idols, my dependence on my mentor(s), inspirational quotes, or self-help books, are formed. These are built up when I stopped seeking Him when in doubt and when facing decisions.
If I profess He is the anchor of my life in all that I do and say, how am I living out that truth daily? Have I been so dulled that it is merely lip service?
DO:
These are some steps I can do when facing challenges:
1. When in doubt, pause and pray. I shall take a moment, take deep breaths and say a quick prayer to God.
2. When no words come, I shall turn to His Word and commit the words to prayer, asking for clarity. I shall use my phone to journal intentional thoughts to God. I have the Bible App, which has a verse of the day and short daily devotions. I shall read it first thing in the morning, before my work messages. I know God’s presence will prevail when I seek Him first.
3. When all else fails, I shall turn to a simple reflective question for myself: What would Jesus want me to do?
PRAY:
Dear God, I thank You for being in my life. Help me bring You into more moments of my life daily. Lord, open my eyes to see, my ears to hear, when I meditate on Your Word, especially when I don’t have all the answers. Lord, when everything else takes precedence, I want Your presence to prevail.
I want to encourage my family, friends, and colleagues to also seek You wholeheartedly. I know that You have already paved the way ahead for each of us. I just need to keep my eyes on You and trust that You are right beside me. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
