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Do you desire to succeed in life?  To experience blessings and prosperity?  To know that there are possibilities ahead of us that leads to success?  What assurances do we have that God will help us gain success?   For Christians, God has already given promises of success.  What we must discover is how to live with those promises of success!  For while it is tremendous to have success promised us, we need to understand more about the promises and how to walk into it and with it.  For it is possible to have such promises but fail to grasp it for our personal situations.   This article will examine Joshua 1:1-9 and identify 3 major keys to living with promises of success.  This context of this passage is the immediate period after the death of Moses where the Israelites were challenged to move on by God who offers promises of success.   MOVE FORWARD AND LEAVE YOUR PAST BEHIND   How can we do so?   Reckon the past as dead   Joshua 1:1–2 (NIV) 1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: 2 “Moses my servant is dead.   Moses was the mighty servant of the Lord. Unparalleled in His encounter with God, in the divine revelations given him and scale of miracles done through him.  Moses was the greatest prophet of God that ever was!  Joshua was only Moses’s aide, still unproven.   Everyone, including Joshua, had looked to Moses to lead them in God’s ways.  But now Moses is no more.  In such times, there is often a crisis.  Do we continue looking back to Moses or do we look forward with Joshua?  There could be a crisis of leadership.  “We knew Moses but not Joshua!  We dare not move on now!”  As long as we continue to look to past leadership and compare new leaders poorly with past leaders, we will be stuck! Or there could be a crisis due to past relationships.  Perhaps some might think, “I was totally secure in my friendship with Mary and John.  But in this new care group – I feel lost!”  Many struggle to move forward when they continue to hark back to the past, whether good or bad.   God was very direct with Joshua and the Israelites.  Moses His servant is dead.  The time of mourning has passed.  It is time to move on.   What can we learn from God’s actions?  We must not let our past hold us back.  Our experiences: whether it be our past failures, past hurts, past fears, past mindsets, even past glories.  Do not live in the past!  Do not be chained to the past.  Apostle Paul understood this.  Philip 3:13-14 (NIV) 13 "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." We attain success not by clinging to what was, but by embracing what could be.    Do not let the past dictate our promised future.  God has promised us success.  We attain success not by clinging to what was, but by embracing what could be.  Our past should inform us.  We can learn from the past mistakes and successes.  But never let our past constrain us from God’s promises!    Reckon the future is ours to take   Joshua 1:2b (NIV) …Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites.   The death of Moses marks a new era and a new leader. God has given Joshua a three-fold vision: lead the people into the land, defeat the enemies of the land and claim the inheritance of the land.  It was the same God and same vision as was given to Moses.  We must understand that God will at times raise up new leaders to take over from past leaders.  For it took a Moses to get to the Jordan River.  And will take a Joshua to cross the Jordan River.  If we were chosen like Joshua, we need to rise up to take the mantle that God gives to us.   If we have new leaders over us, accept them as we had accepted past leadership. The future is ours to take.  But we need to both let go of the past and choose to move on.    The principle is this.  The future is ours to take.  But we need to both let go of the past and choose to move on.  Imagine driving a car.  To let go without choosing to take the future, is like releasing the handbrake without turning the engine on.  We will be dependent on the slope of the road. We will not have the drive, the momentum to go anywhere meaningful.  On the other hand, if we choose the future without letting go of the past, is like leaving the handbrakes on while we turn on the engine.  The car will struggle to move forward.  What we ought to do is turn on the engine and release the handbrake, then we drive forward easily.   Determine today to let go of the past and move on in God.     EMBRACE GOD’S PROMISES   We are a special people, chosen of God.  A people who has been given many wonderful promises from a covenant-keeping God. Ephesians 1:3 (NIV) "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ."  These are incredible promises.  Yet what good are these promises if we are ignorant of them? If we fail to accept them?  Or fail to claim them?  So what do we need to do?     Embrace God’s will for our lives   Joshua 1:2-4 (NIV) 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.   God had His purposes for Joshua and the Israelites, and they had to accept it.  Similarly, God has promised us “territories” to inherit. We are no longer to be grasshoppers. People who are trampled by others, or by Devil.  Some Christians have a poor self-image, thinking, “I will amount to nothing.”  Or think, “That is all I am good for.”  In Christ, we should no longer live in defeat nor in mediocrity.  We are the children of light; we are called to shine forth and there must be an element of excellence. After all, God has called us to be overcomers and conquerors. Romans 8:37 (NIV) "… in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."    We must agree with God. Amos 3:3 (NIV) "Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?"  We must accept God’s will for our lives in order to walk in it.  Imagine if Joshua had said, “All I want to be is a blacksmith”?   Smith Wigglesworth was a plumber by trade.  At one stage his business was so good his love for God grew cold.  But in the end, he decided to accept God’s will for his life and became a preacher.  God used him greatly to heal multitudes and lead thousands to Christ.   Are you willing to embrace God’s will for your life?    Embrace God’s promise of power and presence Joshua 1:5 (NIV) “No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”   God did not tell Joshua to take the land with his own strength.  But with God’s.  Isaiah 41:10, 13 (NIV) "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. … For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you."   God will give the necessary power to accomplish what He calls us to.  For we will face challenges, even opposition as we carry out God’s will. But whatever He calls us to – He has promised to empower us for it. Empower for success! With the power of God – we will succeed.  Romans 8:31 (NIV) "What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?"   Without God we will fail. We need God’s approving, supportive presence. We are not speaking here of the Holy Spirit residing in us.  But about God being there to back us up!   That is why God’s promise of presence is so assuring.  Matthew 28:20 (NIV) "… And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.""   As we embrace God’s power and presence with us – we have the ingredients to succeed like Joshua did.   Receive God’s promise of prosperity and success   Joshua 1:8 (NIV)  …then you will be prosperous and successful.   God wants us to prosper and succeed.  That is why we should not have a poverty-mentality.  Failure, mediocrity, poverty is not God’s intention for our lives.  I believe for prosperity amongst the members of our church.  Success in marriages, in family, in work, in ministry, in personal development, etc.  In our personal situation, when our second son was coming, we knew that we had to get a house rather than remain in our little 2-bedroom apartment because our eldest son was already over-growing it.  We knew we needed some decent garden space for energetic boys.  As we searched, we discovered how expensive it was and would really stretch our budget.  Yet God miraculously provided a land so cheap that even after building a brand-new house it would be cheaper than 10-year old houses around there. But we must realize that prosperity and success should not be measured by temporal means alone, such as in finance, status, career.   But we must realize that prosperity and success should not be measured by temporal means alone, such as in finance, status, career.  These are the typical the prosperity doctrine of health and wealth measure.  In fact, the eternal measures are more important such as character, right-standing before God, fulfilling God’s purposes. Of course, it is great to have all these aspects!   By the health and wealth measure we have Abraham, Job, Joseph, David, etc.  On the other hand, we have Paul, Peter, Moses, Samuel, Isaiah, Elijah who did very poorly on the wealth measure.  Yet they were all great man of God!  It is worth noting that God’s servants with primarily spiritual ministry calling usually do not do so well in the wealth department.  In contrast, those with governance or business calling tend to do well.  Yet those who made much sacrifices on earth will receive greater heavenly rewards.      Even then, must of them realize that prosperity and success is not for personal gain. But rather for the Kingdom. Personal success and prosperity should be a by-product, not the main aim.  For example, God’s blessing is directed towards the whole nation, not just talking about Joshua (v2).   Lai Ling and I have been blessed.  Not because we chased for temporal blessings, but it was a by-product of putting God first!    MEET GOD’S CONDITIONS TO APPROPRIATE HIS PROMISES   God’s promises can be categorized into 2 kinds: Unconditional and conditional.  Unconditional promises will occur regardless of our response.  For example, God will not flood the world again, Jesus will return again and the judgements of God.  Conditional promises are dependent on our responses and the context.   The promise of success is often conditional.  Such promises are like a coin – one is blessing and the other is responsibility.  We have to fulfil certain criteria because He wants us to take responsibility and to mature as well.  Even as He gives us the grace as well.    Here are some key conditions we observe from the passage:   Master God’s Word (v8a) “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night…”   To meditate means to ponder and consider over.  Day and night means couple of times daily, to the extent that it is on the tip of our tongue!  If we do not understand God’s Word adequately, how can we understand the principles that God operates by and to abide by it?  Hence it is crucial to memorise God’s Word, consider it carefully until we are familiar with it.   Often Christians lack success because they lack understanding of God’s ways. It is like expecting to win the tennis competitions without attempting to master the finer skills and techniques of tennis.   Obey the whole counsel of God’s Word (v7) “…Be careful to obey all the law…”.   It is important not to understand intellectually but to live it out.  And to obey all of it, not selectively.  Selective obedience reveals that we only obey the parts we agree with.  God’s challenge is to be diligent in obeying all of God’s commands.   Such diligent obedience brings blessings from God.  Yet many Christians are complacent about the little things in life where they compromise.  These compromises often undo us.  Song 2:15 (NIV) "Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom."   Let’s be a people who obey God all the way.    Be strong and courageous in God (v6-7,9) “Be strong and very courageous…”   The roadblocks that exist between you and your Promised Land may appear insurmountable.  Do not be discouraged but be strong in God. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV) "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power..."   Sometimes, it takes courage to press on to see God’s promises come to pass.  Joshua had to courageously overcome many obstacles.  We can become courageous when we chose to trust God.  When we rely on God to strengthen us.   Apply ourselves fully to the task of promise (v2-3, 5) “every place where you set your foot…”   Joshua and the Israelites were not to just claim God’s promises till they were blue in the face.  They had to go forth and apply themselves fully to the task.  They had be responsible to take the land.  As they applied themselves, the promise of God began to come to pass.  God has given His promises of success.  Now let’s get a hold of it!   CONCLUSION   God has promised us success.  On our part we need to leave the past behind and move on in His promises.  We must understand and receive His promises.  We should appropriate God’s promises by meeting key conditions required by God.  As we do so, we will begin to see the success promised by God. Copyright©️2025 by Wilson Lim & Lai Ling Lim. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.

Everyone needs hope.  Hope provides an inner motivation to keep us moving on.  Yet what type of hope do we have?  Many see hope as some wishful desire, a dream, an illusion - it is not real.  When such hope fades, many give up.  Australia has one of the highest youth suicide rates in the world.  Because these kids lost hope.   What are we Christians placing our hope on?  Is there reality in our hope?  How can we be sure?  Ours is not some desperate clinging on to a faded dream, a dead hope.  But it is a living hope, founded on reality.  The epistle of 1 Peter was written in a time of much persecution by Apostle Peter to remind the Christians of the greater and better hope that they have in God.    1 Peter 1:3–5 (NIV)   3  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4  and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5  who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.   A hope that will help them live their lives with purpose and with dignity.  In the same way, if you truly understand the hope you have in Christ, you too will begin to live your lives with purpose and dignity.   In this article, I hope to help us better understand the foundation for our living hope.  We will consider 5 aspects.    GOD: MERCIFUL GIVER OF LIVING HOPE   1 Peter 1:3a (NIV)  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us…   What can we understand from these words? God is the only source of living hope. "…he has given us…"   You are only able to give what you have.  God gives living hope, so He must have living hope available.  The Bible is very clear that God is the only source of living hope.  Salvation is to be found only in God.   Acts 4:12 (NIV)  Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”   Some other faiths may claim there are different ways to salvation.  But the Bible is very distinct in claiming there is no other way.  There is only one key to open the door to salvation and that is through Jesus alone. John 14:6 (NIV)  Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.    We must realize that God is the source.  If we want eternal hope, we must go to the source.   God is the merciful giver. "In His great mercy…"   We have heard before that God is a giver.  God loves to give.  Yet He does not give indiscriminately. He does not give out of a whim or fancy. God is not like us who may give out of a whim because we just felt like it.  It reminds me of an old TV advertisement for women's perfume called Impulse!  A beautiful young woman wears this perfume and walks pass a dashing young man.  He smells a waft of the Impulse perfume and moved to impulsively buy the unknown woman a bunch of flowers! God does not give wastefully.  For God's giving is principled, it is considered.    God does not give wastefully.  For God's giving is principled, it is considered.  So when God gives to us who are undeserving, it wasn't because He just happened to feel like it at some moment of generosity in eternity.  Rather it was principled, it was considered.  God exercised mercy and provided an opportunity for hope for each one of us.   Now God knew how desperately depraved we were.  God knew how utterly stuck we were in our sins.  God knew we were all absolutely deserving of judgment.  Yet God exercised mercy and provided an opportunity for hope for each one of us.   In the days of the Revolutionary War there lived at Ephrata, Pennsylvania, a Baptist pastor by the name of Peter Miller who enjoyed the friendship of General Washington. There also dwelt in that town one Michael Wittman, an evil-minded man who did all in his power to abuse and oppose this pastor. One day Michael Wittman was involved in treason and was arrested and sentenced to death. The old preacher started out on foot and walked the whole seventy miles to Philadelphia to plead for this man's life. He was admitted into Washington's presence and at once begged for the life of the traitor. Washington said, "No, Peter, I cannot grant you the life of your friend." The preacher exclaimed, "He is not my friend--he is the bitterest enemy I have." Washington cried, "What? You've walked seventy miles to save the life of an enemy? That puts the matter in a different light. I will grant the pardon." And he did. And Peter Miller took Michael Wittman from the very shadow of death back to his own home in Ephrata--no longer as an enemy, but as a friend.  --James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988), p. 345. No matter how undeserving we are, God's mercy is greater.    Rev Peter Miller exercised mercy like God!  No matter how undeserving we are, God's mercy is greater.  No matter how deep the hole we are in, God's merciful arm is long enough to pull us out!  God's mercy is great!  I have experienced many times how merciful God is to me.  Let us be thankful to God who is the merciful giver of living hope!    NEW BIRTH: THE ENTRANCE TO LIVING HOPE   1 Peter 1:3 (NIV)  …In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope…   As mentioned previously, God mercifully offered us salvation.  Yet in return we need to respond to accept this gift of salvation.  How do we respond?  Acts 20:21(NIV)  I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.   What is repentance?  The Greek word for repentance is metanoia.  It means to have a change of mind or heart.  Really it means to change from following ourselves to following God.  When we repent and place our trust in Jesus, something happens.  There is a new birth in our lives!  Repentance and trust in Jesus brings a new birth. Jesus spoke about this.  John 3:3-5 (NIV)  … “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” 4 “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!” 5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.    Jesus was talking about the work of the Holy Spirit who brings about a transformation that occurs in our hearts.  It is like we started afresh.  It is a new birth! One moment we were dead in our sins.  But when we repent and place our trust upon Jesus, God comes in and brings about the new birth.  If you truly got saved, you begin to discover your perspectives change!  Unless we are truly born again, we have no hope!   By being born again, we now are born into God's family and into His Kingdom.  Regardless of our past, we now have a new start.  A new life with God!  We now have true hope! This new birth is the entrance into the living hope.  This is the key.  Unless we are truly born again, we have no hope!   When we have truly experienced God's hope, we understand why we should share that with others!  Let’s bring this hope to our families, friends, and colleagues.  So they too may experience a living hope.   RESURRECTION: REASON FOR LIVING HOPE   1 Peter 1:3 (NIV)  …In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…   The resurrection of Christ gives us true hope on 2 major counts.   Evidence of living hope   One of main elements of the living hope we have is that Jesus Himself is alive!  That is why there is no grave of Jesus, no dead body to be found.  All other founders of great faiths have a grave, but not Jesus! The Bible records how it happened.  Jesus body was guarded by a troop of elite Roman soldiers, placed in a sealed tomb with a large rock closing the entrance.  Yet the body disappeared!   That is why our hope is a living hope.  It is not a dead hope!  Imagine if someone told you that a cure has being discovered for all kinds of cancer by a scientist.  And you are so excited you want to meet this scientist.  And your friend tells you that he died last month from cancer! What sort of hope is that? Jesus alive is prove of our hope!    That is why the resurrection is so fundamental to the Christian faith.  Jesus alive is prove of our hope!  It proves our hope is founded on reality!  That is why we should not be deceived by the fictional works of Dan Brown who invented the Da Vinci Code story.  It has sought to masquerade as truth when it is little more than a colourful tale designed to confuse the facts with fiction.   Instead, we should look at books such as Josh McDowell "Evidence That Demands a Verdict" which looks at the facts.  Josh McDowell was a high-flying student, a student president in his university.  He thought Christianity was garbage.  That Christians were walking idiots.  He imagined that if Christians had a brain cell, it would die of loneliness.  You can imagine he was rather proud and arrogant.  So when some Christian challenged him to prove the resurrection was not true.  He went ahead to prove them wrong.  But the more facts he dug up, the stronger became the case for the resurrection. In the end he accepted Christ and wrote this book!       Now, not only is the resurrection evidence of our living hope.  It is also the basis.   Basis for living hope   In v3 it says, "through the resurrection…" we now have a living hope.  It provides us the basis for hope.  Why?  Because the resurrection of Jesus blazed for us the route to heaven.  Because those of us who have committed ourselves to Him will share in this new life.  We will participate fully in the glorious new nature in the future. Rom 6:5 (NIV)  If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection - as mentioned earlier. if Jesus has overcome death, then it will not overcome us as well.    You see, if Jesus has overcome death, then it will not overcome us as well.  Death has lost its sting. Now the resurrection of Jesus from the dead refers to the fact that He has risen from the dead and was given a glorious new body!  The difference between what Jesus experienced and that of others who were brought back to life through prayer is that Jesus has a glorified body!    A body that has been transformed so that it is eternal, it cannot die.  A glorious body, not the deteriorating body we have now.   1 Cor 15:42-43 (TLB)  …our earthly bodies which die and decay are different from the bodies we shall have when we come back to life again, for they will never die.  43 The bodies we have now embarrass us, for they become sick and die; but they will be full of glory when we come back to life again.    In resurrecting Jesus, God has demonstrated that death is not the end for us too!  For we too will join with Jesus and be given a resurrected body!  That is why I am not afraid to die! On my tombstone epitaph could be written, "Wilson is not here. Look for him in heaven."   Instead of fear, we approach death with certainty.  Certainty of entering a glorious new phase instead.  For us, death in merely the beginning of something better!   INHERITANCE: PRIZE OF LIVING HOPE   1 Peter 1:4a (NIV)  and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.   We have an incredible inheritance awaiting us in heaven. A part of that inheritance is the glorious new body we will receive.  We will also receive crowns of glory which will reflect our faithfulness in God's service. In fact, the Bible declares that we are joint heirs with Christ!  Rom 8:17 (NIV)  Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co–heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.   We will share in Christ's glory and His inheritance! This is an incredible promise.  Imagine if we were joint heirs with King Charles III.  Our heavenly inheritance is immeasurably more.  This inheritance will never perish - it is permanent, assured, guaranteed for us.  It will not spoil or be corrupted - in other words it will remain morally pure.  It will not fade or wither up.  Matt 6:19-21 (NIV)   19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."   Our inheritance is kept in the trust bank of heaven.  No one can steal it from us.  But we could give it away like Esau. Heb 12:16 (NIV)  See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.    Hence, don't short-change yourself.  Don’t forfeit your inheritance.  Don't give it away to gratify yourself with some pleasures and short-term gain. Live your life with a dignity befitting a child of God! Live your life with purpose because there will be great rewards in heaven awaiting you. I have determined to live my life for God and resolved never to throw into jeopardy the inheritance that awaits me!   GOD'S POWER: KEEPING OUR LIVING HOPE   1 Pet 1:4-5 (NIV)   4  …This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5  who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.   How can keep our hopes alive in our hearts?  We need to realize firstly, that we are:   Protected by God's power We are assured that our inheritance is personally kept by God's awesome power.  No one can steal it, spoil it and delay it.  No force on earth or heaven can touch it!  God's power is also available to keep the hope in our hearts! Heb 10:23 (NIV)  Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.   How is this hope kept alive in our hearts?  It is through faith!   Accessed by our faith   Do you just have wishful thinking, or do you know that God is able to sustain you through any difficulty, any temptation, any trial, any success, any failure.  When we have full expectation or assurance or saving faith, we literally tap into the actual power that keeps our faith. God is able to sustain you through any difficulty, any temptation, any trial, any success, any failure.    Imagine like drowning in the ocean and having a life buoy thrown to us.  We can suppose it can save us, rationalise it can save us, believe it can save us, but unless we stop struggling we can’t embrace the buoy. And its only when we have embraced the buoy that we can be dragged to safety!  So too with salvation.  It is when we actually embrace God’s promise and totally rely on Him that we start to truly step into the grace that really sets us free. Many of Satan’s schemes are to turn our trust away from God and either onto ourselves or onto something or somebody else.   Many of Satan’s schemes are to turn our trust away from God and either onto ourselves or onto something or somebody else. This is exactly what we have to be careful of. It is when we “let go” of our total dependence on God, that we open our self for trouble. We must take responsibility to exercise faith and trust in God! Then we can remain in God's protection.  Psa 94:22(NIV)  But the LORD has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.   The fortress of God is available for us, but Christians walk out without realising they had walked out! Should you ever feel like losing your grip?  Turn to God and trust Him!   CONCLUSION   We have a sure and living hope.  Its source is found in God Himself.  While He shows us mercy, we must respond in repentance and faith to enter this living hope. The reason why we have such an assurance of the living hope is because Jesus has demonstrated it by being resurrected from the dead.  His resurrection shows we too will overcome death as well, by the power of God.  God has guaranteed us have an incredible inheritance - do not give it away! Copyright©️2025 by Wilson Lim & Lai Ling Lim. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.

Have you ever been discontented with some things?  Probably lots of things! Yet at times discontent can be troubling, like a burden weighing upon our soul.  Draining joy from our hearts.  Especially when we cannot seem to find contentment in our lives.  It is like an itch that you cannot scratch away. Yet when we walk with God, Psalms 23:1 holds out the promise that we will find contentment.    Psalm 23:1 (NIV) The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.   In this article I will explore how we can experience true contentment by looking at this famous psalm written by King David.  A number of insights in the psalms relate to discontent.   True contentment is found when we discover…   GOD OUR GREAT SHEPHERD   Psalm 23:1a (NIV) "The LORD is my shepherd…"   In many movies and TVs today, an idea is promoted again and again. That we will find true contentment if only we find our true soul-mate.  That somehow there is this hole in our heart that simply needs a soul-mate to fill.  Then we can ride off into the sunset happily ever after.   Yet at the same time how untrue this is.  Just look at how many movie stars, celebrities fail to find this contentment even after marrying their apparent soul-mate.  The reality is that no human being can meet this hole in our heart.  Because it was formed when we walked away from God.   What David did in this psalm was to recognise that contentment is found in a person.  And…   God is the key (v1a) “The LORD is my shepherd…”   Jehovah Lord is the key.  Because of who He is and what He is.    Consider this. In life, we are faced with all kinds of challenges.  The stress of navigating life and dealing with the all the unknowns waiting to pounce at us.  Whether it be our health situation.  Whether it be the security of our career or income.  Whether we find the right partner.  Our future.  Daily life itself throws up many challenges.  How to deal with difficulties in relationships.  How to deal with our own emotions.  How to make decisions in major areas. The pressures at work. Let alone when crisis pops up of nowhere. We were never meant to navigate all of life’s challenges by ourselves. This is why we need God our Creator.    We were never meant to navigate all of life’s challenges by ourselves. This is why we need God our Creator.  God who is all-knowing, all-wise, all-powerful.  He can help us through what we really struggle to work through.   The big question is, will He? Well, the great assurance to us is that God’s heart of that of a shepherd. John 10:11 (NIV) "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.   In the Old Testament times, good shepherds are known to be those who truly care for their sheep.  Who care for and nurture their sheep with love.  Amazingly, God is a sacrificial shepherd who is willing to give even His life for the sake of the sheep.  Jesus demonstrated that at the cross.   God is the shepherd above all other shepherds, because of His love for His sheep.  That is why God is declared as the Great Shepherd, the Chief Shepherd. 1 Peter 5:4 (NIV) And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. God is the key because He is the only one capable of caring for and leading us in the right journey.  And God is not only capable, but His heart is to do so.   David recognised that God is the key because He is the only one capable of caring for and leading us in the right journey.  And God is not only capable, but His heart is to do so.   No one else can do what God does.  No one else has the same capability, the capacity, the concern to do so.  So the starting point for true contentment is to go to God.  The only Shepherd capable for providing true contentment.   AN AUTHENTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR SHEPHERD   Psalm 23:1b (NIV) "… my shepherd…"   Notice that the psalm did not say “The Lord the shepherd”.  Instead, it is "my shepherd".  A much more personal connection.  True contentment flows out of an authentic relationship with God our shepherd.  However, such relationship starts with…   Recognising we need the Shepherd   Today when we hear this phrase “The Lord is my Shepherd” it sounds almost romantic.  How sweet! Psalms 23 clearly implies that David sees himself as a sheep needing the care of God the Shepherd. Yet in David’s day, that is not necessarily a flattering declaration.  Rather, a humbling admission.   To fully appreciate this psalm, we must understand the nature of sheep.  Following is a list to describe what sheep are like: dumb stubborn defenceless without a sense of direction prone to wander slow to recognize danger nervous and uneasy easily excitable and frightened   Basically, a sheep is all the things that we would not want to be!    Can you imagine what it might be like when the Israelites started hearing David’s psalms?  “Did you hear that new song David composed?  He is seeing himself like a sheep!  Sheep!  Those dumb, hopeless, vulnerable animals!  Why would he associate himself with such animals?”   Ah, but David had insight!  He understood the true nature of man, which was totally dumb, vulnerable, hopeless in our sins.  Just like sheep.  One thing is certain about sheep: they will perish if left to themselves. Jesus saw this in Matthew 9:36 (NIV) When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.   The people were wandering helplessly without protection or care, because of a lack of a shepherd.  Unless we recognise our own helplessness and desperate need for the Shepherd, we will not choose to enter through the Sheep Gate of Jesus Christ.  Do we recognise our need for the Good Shepherd today? Such relationships can develop further when we …   Recognising the benefits of our relationship with the Shepherd   What benefits does a sheep receive from a shepherd? A shepherd is able to protect and care for the sheep.  The shepherd feeds them, clean them and keeps them from harm.  The shepherd keeps them from wandering away, from danger.  Sheep that listen to the shepherd gets the benefits of the relationship.  Sheep that ignore the shepherd, fails to taste the benefits.   Sheep that listen to the shepherd gets the benefits of the relationship.  Sheep that ignore the shepherd, fails to taste the benefits. For how can the shepherd help the sheep if the sheep keeps ignoring or running away from the shepherd?   Imagine when we see the car of our dreams at a bargain price.  “Look at that car!  It is the perfect one!  I will buy it!”  The Holy Spirit whispers, “Don’t buy it!” “Shut up!  Don’t tell me what to do.  This is a great car at a fantastic price.”  Then a month later the engine blows up.  And we blame God for not protecting the car engine.   Many want the blessings, but not the Blesser. Many want the benefits but not the relationship.  Unfortunately, it does not work like that.  The benefits and blessings come as a result of the relationship.  It cannot be provided separate from the relationship.  It is like a man saying to a woman, “I am marrying you just to get all the benefits of a wife.  But I have no desire to have a real relationship with you.”  How will that ever work? The foundation for true contentment is found in a right relationship with God.   Where is your relationship with God today?  Are you His sheep today?  Do you hear His voice?  Like Jesus explained in John 10:27 (NIV) My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. The foundation for true contentment is found in a right relationship with God.   A TRANSFORMATION OF OUR HEARTS   Psalm 23:1 (NIV) “… I shall not be in want.”   True contentment does not occur just because we are relating with the right person, but because the interaction changes something deep in us.    It brings contentment rather than carnality.   Carnality is a shown by worldly desire for more.  It is about “I want!” It is a desire impossible to satisfy.  The more we have the more we want.  More shoes, better smartphones, better laptops, more expensive cars and houses!   Russell Conwell told of an ancient Persian, Ali Hafed, who owned a very large farm that had orchards, grain fields, and gardens. Ali was a wealthy and content man. One day Ali entertained a guest who told him all about diamonds and how wealthy he would be if he owned a diamond mine. Ali Hafed went to bed that night a poor man—poor because he was discontented. Craving a mine of diamonds, he sold his farm to search for the rare stones. He traveled the world over, finally becoming so poor, broken, and defeated that he committed suicide. True contentment is about a state of heart where there is a satisfaction, a peace with what we have.   On the other hand, true contentment is not so much about whether we have all we want.  True contentment is about a state of heart where there is a satisfaction, a peace with what we have.  It is no longer, “I shall not want because He provides all”.  Rather it is “I shall not want because my desires have been transformed.”   “Truly, the secret of contentment is not having much but wanting little.” Matthew Henry.   When I was young, I thought to myself that I would like to become a famous engineer.  To build structures that people can admire!  Embossed by plaques “Built by chief engineer Wilson Lim”.  But as I walked with God, something changed inside my heart.  It no longer held the same attraction.  I rather build God’s church and I care little if my name is attached to it.  After all, it is for God’s glory.   1 Timothy 6:6-10 (NIV) 6  But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7  For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8  But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9  People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.   Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. Godliness with contentment is great gain!  Such contentment flows out of godliness!  And godliness develops as we allow God to transform our hearts.   How is true contentment cultivated?   How does our relationship with God help cultivate true contentment in us?  Let me suggest some thoughts on this.   Firstly, it helps us realise that God is a good, caring Father.  Jeremiah Burroughs explained, "Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God's wise and fatherly disposal in every condition." The fact that God is with us, is sufficient. We can be contented.    What does that mean? When we can reach that point in our faith journey where we can be thankful for what we have and remain patient in the midst of challenges. Even though we don’t fully understand, but we still trust in God’s hand.  Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)  … be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."  The fact that God is with us, is sufficient. We can be contented.    "Real satisfaction comes not in understanding God's motives, but in understanding His character, in trusting in His promises, and in leaning on Him and resting in Him as the Sovereign who knows what He is doing and does all things well." - Joni Eareckson Tada   So developing our trust in God to that point fosters contentment.  Once, a father bought a nice gift for his little daughter’s birthday. When she unwrapped, it she looked so happy.  The Father asked, “Do you like it?  Are you happy?” The little girl looked deep into her father’s eyes. ‘Daddy, I am very happy with this toy!  But I am happiest with you!”   Secondly, it enables the grace of God to fill us with contentment.  Did you realise that contentment is also a gift from God?  We can ask God to help us be content.  Philippians 4:11-13 (NIV) 11  I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13  I can do everything through him who gives me strength.   There is an inner strength which God can provide even in the midst of tremendous challenges, that helps us to remain contented.  In July 1967, a 17 year old girl dived in a pool for a swim and hit some rocks.  Paralysed from shoulders down.  She cried out to God, went through phases of self-pity but through it all she learnt to trust God.  Through the years she learnt to rely on Him for strength.  She is still paralysed today.  But she has been used by God to share the Gospel to many thousands, she acted in a movie about her life, wrote many books, produced several music albums, started an organisation to help the handicapped.  Her name is Joni Earekson.  She has passed the test.  She has learnt to be content in God. The challenges of this world become more like inconveniences.  For we have invested our contentment in the next life.   Thirdly, it helps us renew our focus on the blessed hope.  The more deeply we walk with God, we realize that our journey leads heavenward.  As this realisation deepens, we become less concerned about our life on this world.  The pressures of this world that creates discontent will have less pull upon our hearts.  The challenges of this world become more like inconveniences.  Because we are more excited about heaven and being with our Shepherd.  For we have invested our contentment in the next life.     Conclusion   True contentment is found in a Person, rather than in things or achievements.  The process towards true contentment starts with us recognising that God is that Person.  For only God has the capability, and the concern to do so.   Beyond that, it is crucial that we develop an authentic and right relationship with God.  For that provides the foundation to developing true contentment.  And it is out of the continual interaction with God, that our hearts begin to be transformed.  Where we begin to be satisfied, at peace with what we have. Copyright©️2025 by Wilson Lim & Lai Ling Lim. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.

When COVID-19 spread across the globe, suddenly everyone faced huge uncertainties.  Many were confronted with a level of unprecedented crisis. So many had to deal with upheavals to our lifestyles, our jobs, our finances, our health and even our faith!  Even though that phase has passed, yet there continues to be different forms of crisis that we may be confronted with.   In this blog we deal with the issue of crisis! Since many uncertainties are caused by crisis or the uncertainties are itself causing crisis to many.     How can we survive crisis?  How can we thrive in times of crisis?  In this blog, we look at Mark 4:35-41 where the disciples faced a crisis and they discovered that Christ-Is the solution to their crisis.    Mark 4:35-41 (NIV) 35  That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." 36  Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37  A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38  Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" 39  He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40  He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" 41  They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"   I will make 3 crucial observations that help us turn from crisis to Christ-Is.   Recognition that Christ-Is with us   Mark 4:37-38 (NIV)  “37  A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38  Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"   Imagine the small boat caught in a huge storm and huge waves.  The boat nearly capsizes as big waves crash over it.  Even the experienced fishermen amongst the disciples were beginning to panic. They were doing everything to keep the boat from being capsized but they are losing the battle against the storm.  Peter was yelling out orders, “Lower the sails quick before we are blown over. Andrew hold the rudder steady, face the front towards the waves.  Men row harder! Someone bail out the water!  We need more hands!  Where is Jesus?”   Up to that point, nobody thought about Jesus.  They were too caught up with the whole crisis situation.  Finally, someone realised Jesus Christ is with us!  Recognising that Jesus was with them was the starting point to get out of the crisis! We must recognise that Christ-Is present with us.  For Christ-Is already with Christians, through the Holy Spirit in our lives.   Where is Jesus Christ? As far as we are concerned?  The real issue is not so much where He is, but do we realise or recognise where He is!?  We must recognise that Christ-Is present with us.  For Christ-Is already with Christians, through the Holy Spirit in our lives.  Jesus is in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.   Galatians 4:6 (NIV) Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba , Father."   But often we fail to recognise that.  We function as if Christ is not with us.  At times, we are running around like chooks with our heads cut off. “Help! God!”  And He is like “Uh Guys?  I am right here!”   It reminds me of one time in my university days.  I was at a friend’s place so engrossed with TV show that I failed to notice a church friend had joined me in the room.  I wasn’t paying attention other than what I was focussed on.  It must have been about 5 minutes later that I turned and saw her standing there.  We do that a lot to Jesus! If we fail to recognise that Jesus is with us, then we fail to gain from Him being with us.   If we fail to recognise that Jesus is with us, then we fail to gain from Him being with us.  We fail to take comfort.  We fail to gain strength.  We fail because we simply do nothing even though He is present with us.   In late 2015 BBC hosted a number of Adele impersonators. They impersonated Adele because they adored her.  Each one of them got on stage to impersonate Adele singing.  One by one they did their best.  Then the last impersonator Jenny got up looking rather nervously to sing.  When she started singing, one by one the impersonators gasped when they realised that it was actually Adele!  Adele had disguised herself and even spoke with a different accent.  None of the impersonators realised it was her even after hanging out with her for a few hours.  None of them had paid that much attention to her.  After Adele revealed herself, they all had fun singing together and learning from her.  But only after they recognised she was there with them.   Why do we often fail to recognise Christ-Is with us?  Because many fail to become familiar with His presence.  Many fail to become attuned to His Presence.  To know in our head is not the same as knowing in our heart.  Crisis have an uncanny ability to expose what is actually in our heart.  Because in emotional times, we often act out of what is in our hearts, rather than in our minds. Under pressure, we often act out of what we feel, more than what we know.   How do we get out of this failure?  Learn to recognise His Presence in our lives.  Recognise His manifest presence with us.  Recognise His hand upon our lives.  When I am ministering, I gain deep comfort when I sense God’s tangible presence with me.  The ability to discern this makes a big difference in my ministry.  Remember that after all, Jesus has promised to be with us.   Matthew 28:20 (NIV) … surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Start by turning our eyes away from crisis to recognising Christ-Is with us.    How can we deal with crisis?  Start by turning our eyes away from crisis to recognising Christ-Is with us.    Significance of Christ-Is with us   Mark 4:39 (NIV) “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.”   Right there and then, Jesus demonstrated that He had authority over the wind and waves. Up to that point, even though the disciples had seen miraculous healing, they still did not understand the significance of Jesus as the Son of God.  They did not understand the significance of Jesus Christ being with them! If they knew, they would not have panicked.  They would have woken Jesus, “Can you please tell the storm to stop?” There is great significance to have "Christ-Is with us."    There is great significance to have "Christ-Is with us."  What does it mean to you to have Jesus Christ with you?  Imagine if Bill Gates came and sat beside you.  What would you say to him?  You ask, “But what is he famous for?” “He founded Microsoft that produces the most popular PC operating system in the world. You might say, “Gosh, I know very little about computer software – I don’t know what to say to him.” But what if you knew he is also the world’s 3rd richest man?  And one of the world’s biggest philanthropist? Having given away more than 55 billion USD? Suddenly you realise you could ask him to help fund your favourite projects.   If Jesus is only a man, even a wise man - it would make no difference to any of us.  What can He do to help us in our crisis? Because Jesus is God, it makes all the difference!  God who is all-knowing, all-wise, all-powerful.  He can truly help us through whatever we are struggling with. Then there is great significance when Christ-Is with us! What hinders us from grasping the full significance of Christ-is with us?   The question is do we grasp the significance? What hinders us from grasping the full significance of Christ-is with us?  The key is this.  Knowing in our head, but not knowing in our hearts.  The information in our head has to become conviction in our hearts.  It has to get through to our hearts that Christ-Is far bigger than our crisis.  No crisis is too big for Christ. Mark 4:40-41 (NIV) 40  He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" 41  They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" Christ-Is far bigger than our crisis. It took Jesus’s disciples time to grasp the significance of Jesus with them.  It usually takes time for us to grasp it too.  It is as we walk with Him and experience His work in our lives that we begin to truly grasp the significance of Christ-Is with us.  What is our conviction today?  About God? That He is bigger than any crisis?   Trust in Christ-Is with us   Mark 4:40 (NIV)  “He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"   Basically, Jesus is saying, “Don’t you have faith in me?  Don’t you trust I can handle this?  After all, you knew I am present with you.  I am the Son of God!”  In the same way, I want to talk in terms of who Christ-Is to us.  Is He someone we trust? It is one thing to know that He is with us.  It is one thing to know He is God.  But do we actually trust Him? To help us through our crisis?   On June 30 1959, a huge crowd were watching the world-famous tightrope walker, Charles Blondin, in his attempt to cross the Niagara Falls.  A fall from such a height would kill anyone.  Blondin crossed the rope numerous times - a 335m trip, 50m above the raging water to great applause.  The story is told that he spoke to the crowd, asking if they believed he could take one of them across on a wheelbarrow.  Of course, they all enthusiastically shouted their agreement.  Then he asked one of them to volunteer.  But no one did.  They gave their mental assent but when it came to the crunch - they did not trust Blondin enough.   Do we trust God enough to get into God’s wheelbarrow?  Bible tells us that God is absolutely trustworthy and faithful.  He keeps His promises to those who follow Him.  Deuteronomy 7:9 (NIV) Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands. Many years ago, as a young believer, I knew what the Bible said about God trustworthiness and faithfulness.  But I also knew that I would struggle to get unto God’s wheelbarrow.  I knew that I did not trust God deeply.  What was the solution?  I had to get on the wheelbarrow.  That was the only way to experience God’s faithfulness and to learn to trust Him more.  That has been my journey with God the past 30 years.  I am still in the wheelbarrow with God.  God has proven Himself faithful and a keeper of promises.  God has provided for us and seen us through the highs and lows.  Through financial challenges, through my PhD, through my career as a research scientist.  Through major ailments, through various crisis.  Through all these, God has proven himself faithful.  Indeed, He has blessed us abundantly! Remember that God is the Good Shepherd who cares for us.   Remember that God is the Good Shepherd who cares for us.  Psalm 23:1-4 (NIV) 1  The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 2  He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3  he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.   God is our Good Shepherd.  He cares for us and lovingly leads us to green pastures.  Even though there be valleys of death – God will guide us through it.  Are we willing to trust Him enough to bring us through our crisis? To get into God’s wheelbarrow? God has the power to help.  God also has the heart to help.   God has the power to help.  God also has the heart to help.  This is shown by the most sacrificial act in the universe.  Bible reveals that we are all sinners.  Sin is rotting and destroying our lives and those around us.  We all experience the evidence of such sin.  The unforgiveness, the bitterness, the jealousy, the hatred, the selfishness.  Like a raging storm of darkness in our hearts. God who is absolutely holy has to judge this sin and expel it.  The judgment is eternal punishment, eternal condemnation in hell away from everybody else. So every person has been condemned because of this sin in our own hearts.   But God loves us so much that He could not leave us in such a state.  So God himself came and paid the penalty of our sins by dying on the cross for us.  He took the burden of sin upon himself.  But we have to make a choice, a commitment to accept what Jesus did on the cross.  We have to choose to place our trust in Jesus to save us from our sins. Only God can help us overcome the power of sin. God did all of this because He wants to help us.  That is why God can be trusted.  Will you choose today to get into God’s wheelbarrow?  Will you trust in Him?     Conclusion   So in any crisis we may face, we can turn from crisis to Christ-Is.  How?  Recognising that Christ-Is with us – He is here for us now.   Understanding the significance of Christ-Is with us – that He is bigger than all our crisis.  Trusting in Christ who is here for us – He is the one who can deliver us, when we get into God’s wheelbarrow. Copyright©️2025 by Wilson Lim & Lai Ling Lim. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.

Have you found that life is getting faster? And faster? And faster? Like a runaway out of control train? Welcome to the 21st century. We live in a fast-paced and highly pressuring world. In a 2012 Australian survey of wellbeing and stress, it was found that people are generally more stressed than a year ago. 22% reported facing moderate to severe distress. 34% experience depression symptoms. Young adults were the most stressed, particularly students and the unemployed. We know we are under stress when your lecturer hands out a new assignment and you feel like crying. When the boss asks to see you and you feel your stomach tightening. When you have to take deep breaths before you step into your home. We know when we are under stress, when in your dreams instead of counting sheep, you count unpaid bills. When you finish a box of chocolates in one go, without realising it. When you look at your iPhone and you wish Steven Jobs is still around. How are Australians managing stress? The survey tells us 40% drink alcohol to manage stress. 69% eat. 57% shop! 85% watch TV. We need to understand how to deal with pressure of many different kinds in our lives. In Acts 7, we can find some keys how some men of God dealt with pressures in their life . PURSUE HIGHER PROMISES (v2-5) Have you ever being in situations or know of people who were in situations where things seem very challenging? And the key thing that helped them pull through was the hope that things will get better? Stephen recounted the story of Abraham.   Acts 7:2-5 (NIV)  “2 …The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran. 3 ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’ 4 “So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living. 5 He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had no child.” A man who faced major challenges to his faith yet pulled through. Abraham was a man who received incredible promises from God. Gen 12:1 - 2 (NIV)  1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. 2 “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. Many people think that when they receive promises from God, it is like a Christmas gift. Just something to receive and enjoy. No doubt, some promises are like that. But some other promises serve a different purpose. Some promises are intended to pull us through the challenging times that we will face. Abraham faced a number of major challenges, one of which was his childlessness.   Gen 15:2-3 (NIV)  2 But Abram said, “O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”   Imagine the pain, the inner turmoil of a husband and his wife reaching old age and unable to produce any child of their own. And particularly in the culture of those days. It was seen as a major personal inadequacy. What pressures it must bring to them? In those days, women are divorced when they are unable to produce an offspring. Sadly, it still happens to some extent today. At least today we know that the fault can be just as much the men who may be firing blanks. Yet despite the difficulty of the situation, Abraham pulled through because he had God’s promises to give him hope. Abraham pursued after the higher promises rather than resign to the hopelessness of his physical situation. It is like even when we are surrounded by total darkness, a light lies ahead and we know that is a way out. God has given us many general promises through the Scriptures. And God may have given some of us specific promises. Promises God laid upon your heart or came through prophetic words. God’s promises that keep hope burning should be clung to. Don’t let them go during tough times but cherish them. Pursue the higher promises! Nick Vujicic has no limbs but refuses to let his challenges stop him. Today he has travelled around the world as a motivational speaker and sharing his testimony about God’s grace. He pursued the higher promises! In tough times, pursue after the higher promises, the promises of God! Keep positive, have hope by focusing on the higher promises. Often we get dragged down by the many challenges around us. But look up and remember God’s promises. Cling on to God’s promises! Pursue the higher promises! To be continued in Part 2   Copyright©️2021 by Wilson Lim & Lai Ling Lim. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.

In Part 1 we noted the increasingly higher-pressure cooker we seem to live in today. It seems like our world is determined to grill us alive. We began to examine how select men of God handled such pressure in their lives. The first key was to pursue the higher promises of God for our lives. We continue the topic here. SOAR ABOVE OUR SITUATIONS (v9-11) Stephen recounted Joseph’s story. Acts 7:9-10 (NIV) “9“Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him 10 and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt; so he made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace.” Here we find a teenager who was so despised by his own brothers that they kidnapped him and sold him as a slave into a foreign land. Most would have acquired a rejection syndrome. Imagine the trauma of a favoured son who suddenly was forced into slavery in a foreign land, utterly alone. Then as a foreign slave, his master’s wife tried to seduce him and because he tried to avoid adultery, was wrongly accused and thrown into prison. Imagine the stress of being accused of a crime you never committed and thrown into prison, a rotting hell-hole. As a foreign slave turned criminal, he would have been literally treated as a non-person. How would you have responded to devastating situations like that? Yet in each and every case, Joseph soared above his situation. As a foreign slave, he became the best and most trusted chief slave in his master’s house. Even as prisoner, he became the most trusted prisoner – given opportunity to manage the insides of the entire prison. Eventually, he was vindicated and appointed by pharaoh to be the Prime Minister. The foreign slave and prisoner rose to be Prime Minister! He made it a habit to turn life’s lemons into lemonade. He soared above his situations. God did not abandon Joseph even when his family did. God saw that Joseph had the qualities that enabled him to soar high. For Joseph was a man who responded out of who he was in God instead of giving in to the pressure of the situation. Gen 39:9 (NIV) No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” He did not allow situations to become his excuses. Don’t allow your challenges to become excuses. This reflected Stephen’s attitude as well. He did not bow to the pressure but focussed on who he was in God. All of us face personal challenges. But will we choose to be like Joseph and turn life’s lemons into lemonades? People can say unkind or critical things about you or about your group or even about church. Do we let that unsettle us? Or do we challenge ourselves to improve instead? As a church leader, I had to face criticisms of various kinds, some very unfair. Some rather personally directed at me. But instead of getting hurt and wounded or giving up, I chose each time to improve, to learn from it. I stand upon who I am in God and press on. Your lecturer may inform you that you failed your assignment or test. Your boss may inform you that your project failed. Do you sink through the floor and quietly die, give up? Or do you resolve to soar above the situation, looking to God for His grace? God promises to be there for us. Isa 43:2 (NLT) 2 When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. Psa 34:9 - 10 (NLT) 9 Let the LORD’S people show him reverence, for those who honor him will have all they need. 10 Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the LORD will never lack any good thing. So look to God for strength and determine to soar! RESPOND RATHER THAN REACT (v23-29) Stephen then recounted about Moses. Acts 7:23-29 (NIV) “23 “When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his fellow Israelites. 24 He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. 25 Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. 26 The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?’ 27 “But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? 28 Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian…” How on the spur of the moment Moses killed a slave master out of anger. How he reacted instead of responding to the situation. What is the difference between responding and reacting? To respond is to rationally reflect through a situation before taking action. This reflection can take 5 seconds, an hour. A day or longer. It is not the timeframe but the fact that there was a weighing up of the situation to find the best possible solution. Responding is guided more by objectivity than by emotion. To react is a spontaneous action usually based upon emotion rather than intellect. Usually, we react when we are unprepared or overwhelmed in feelings such as anger, frustration, lust, etc. Moses had a bit of history of reacting in anger. Ex 32:19 - 20 (NIV) 19 When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. 20 And he took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it. Num 20:10 - 12 (NLT) 10 Then he and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock. “Listen, you rebels!” he shouted. “Must we bring you water from this rock?” 11 Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So all the people and their livestock drank their fill. 12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!” Moses sometimes made the mistake of reacting rather than responding. Reacting under pressure often makes matters worse. I heard there was once an argument that developed between a husband and wife. The husband came home after a tough day at work. As a result, he was less than attentive to his wife. Upset, the wife accused him, “You never give me the same attention anymore!” Frustrated, the husband reacted, “Well, you are not the same girl I married.” You can imagine more fireworks after such a statement. Often, we react the most to those closest to us. This often hurts the relationship and cause even more stress to the people closest to us. A few simple tips to move from reacting to responding: Know when to shut your mouth. Better to say nothing than to regret it. Better to have a bit of thought about how to have something constructive to say. Know when to walk away and come back when you have cooled down and have had some time to think things over. Know when not to make decisions. When your blood is boiling. When your frustration level is too high. When your emotions are running hot. Those are not good times for decision-making. CONCLUSION We all face pressure of different kinds. Let’s learn to deal with pressures by God’s grace. Learn to pursue higher promises from God in the face of our challenges. To soar above your situations by choosing to turn life’s lemons into lemonade. To respond rather than to react during times of pressure. Copyright©️2021 by Wilson Lim & Lai Ling Lim. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.

The concept of tithing can be a point of contention amongst Christians.  Some practice it almost religiously while some on the other extreme reject it utterly. We believe this can be resolved by a careful examination of Scripture to unlock the truths about tithing.  For if we can correctly understand God’s intentions and heart behind it, we can then align ourselves to His ways and reap the benefits of practising it in the way that best touches God’s heart.   This will be the first in a series of studies about tithing, seeking to unlock the biblical truths associated and inform us on how it should be practiced today.  This study will examine the biblical basis for tithing.    WHAT IS A TITHE?   Leviticus 27:30–32 (NIV)  30 “ ‘A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord. 32 Every tithe of the herd and flock—every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod—will be holy to the Lord.   The word tithe in Hebrew is maasar  and means one-tenth. Essentially God is declaring that one-tenth of all the produce of the land and of the livestock belongs to God. That is essentially what it means to be made “holy” or sacred for God.  Fundamentally, God views that a tenth of all their income and/or production belongs to God and the Israelites should return it to God.    WHERE WAS TITHING COMMANDED?   The clearest commandment on tithing was in the Law of Moses, as given in Lev 27:30-32. In many other passages in Scripture the command is reinforced, and God’s expectations expressed. In fact, when the Israelites failed to give their tithes to God, God judged them for robbing Him.   Malachi 3:8–10 (NIV) 8 “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. The failure to tithe was not simply a failure of generosity or even just a failure of obedience.  It was all that but most importantly, it was robbing God of what rightfully belongs to Him.   Hence, the failure to tithe was not simply a failure of generosity or even just a failure of obedience.  It was all that but most importantly, it was robbing God of what rightfully belongs to Him. No wonder God declared that His judgment was open the entire nation. This underscored the importance of the principle of tithing to God.   Yet it is often argued by some that tithing was a legalistic requirement in the Laws of Moses and thus it should no longer be practiced today. However, is that argument biblical?   TITHING BEFORE THE LAW OF MOSES   In Gen 14 is recorded the story of how Abram rescued Lot from 4 kings who plundered Sodom and Gomorrah.  Abram went after the 4 kings and in an amazing military feat, defeated them all and rescued Lot and his family.  In addition, he plundered the kings. When Abram met Melchizedek, the king of Salem and priest to God Most High, Abram offered to Melchizedek a tithe of the spoils of war.   Genesis 14:18–20 (NIV)  18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. 20 And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.   In effect, Abram was tithing to God by giving to God’s priest (see also Heb 7:4). Thus, Abram understood the principle of tithing to God in recognition that the spoils of war represented an increase of his income or possessions.   Some have argued that since Abram was tithing out of the spoils of war it cannot be used to support the view that Abraham was tithing as a lifestyle.  Further, they supported this by arguing Scripture did not ever show Abram tithing besides this point. [i]     Two major responses.  Firstly, because Scripture is silent on whether Abram tithed as a lifestyle, we cannot say either way.  It is obvious that the writer of Genesis did not seek to focus on tithing, as it had other matters of greater concern.  It only mentioned tithing to show Abram’s reverence towards God’s priest Melchizedek.  Secondly, we are not arguing that Abram necessarily was practising tithing as a faith lifestyle but that he had understood the principle of the tithe as a means of honouring God.   We also find the concept of tithing was clear to Jacob, the grandson of Abram.   Genesis 28:20–22 (NIV)  20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear 21 so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the Lord will be my God 22 and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”   Jacob made the vow should God protect and provide for Him, then he would regard God as his deity. Accompanying that he would honour God with a tithe of all that God gives him. This showed that the concept of tithing was clear in His mind.  If he followed God, he would honour God by tithing.    We can only assume that Jacob was true to his word and kept his vow to tithe of everything that God gave him, which was a huge amount as we discover later in Genesis.  After all, Jacob had proven himself to be a man of his word through the many accounts.  Yet interestingly Scripture did not record him giving tithes back to God [ii] .  Why?  Perhaps because the writer had concerns other than tithing in Genesis.  Just as it was for the narrative on Abram. The Law of Moses codified an existing principle rather than introduce it.    The above practices demonstrates that the principle of tithing was understood and practiced long before the time of Moses.  In other words, the Law of Moses codified an existing principle rather than introduce it.    It must be qualified here that we are not stating that God demanded nor expected His followers of that era before the Law of Moses to tithe as a lifestyle.  Rather, simply that the principle of tithing was understood as a means to honour God.  However, the Law of Moses marked a shift in God’s expectation where God now demanded tithing as a lifestyle expectation of all who followed Him.  What Jacob did on his own initiative because he believed in its principle to honour God, God now expected of all His people.   TITHING DURING THE LAW OF MOSES   Since tithing was codified only in the Law of Moses, does that therefore indicate God never intended it to be an expectation for all believers today?  The key is understanding God’s intent.  There is always a reason for every regulation in the Law of Moses. Was it for health, relationships and social cohesion and function?  Was it to point towards a truth?  Was it a principle by which God wanted His followers to implement in their lives?    It is clear from the Old Testament why God demanded tithes of all His people.   Practically to support the Levitical priests and the functions of the temple as they had no other sources of income (Num 18:21-24).   To recognise and honour God as owner and provider of all things (Lev 27:30-32).  Hence to withhold tithes is to dishonour and rob God (Mal 3:8-10).   The question to be answered in New Testament times is this. Has any of these truly changed? That is, should nullify the practise of tithing?  Has the need to support God’s work and His workers that have given up on other sources of income changed?  Has God changed from being the owner and provider?  Does God no longer require honouring from His people through their giving?  Has God given another manner to honour God that replaces tithing?    TITHING IN THE NEW TESTAMENT   Now that we have shown tithing was practised by God’s people in the Old Testament, the question is does it carry through to the New Testament?    Matthew 23:23 (NIV)  23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. Jesus affirmed the practise of tithing in the New Testament.    Jesus rebuked the Pharisees who religiously practised tithing without showing justice, mercy and faithfulness. Jesus corrected them by stating that they should practice both. Therefore, Jesus affirmed the practise of tithing in the New Testament.  If Jesus had wanted the practice of tithing to be stopped or modified, He could have taken this opportunity to correct the concept or practise.  This He did with marriage and divorce, ceremonial washing, sabbath and others.  But not for tithing.   Some pushed back against this by arguing that Apostle Paul’s taught that the Christians should give willingly, not out of compulsion.  Hence, tithing should not be a New Testament command.   2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV)  Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.   However, this argument fails because they failed to take the context into consideration. Apostle Paul was not talking about tithing but rather about giving to help the Jerusalem churches during the time of famine (1 Cor 16:1-3). Paul was requesting for offerings, not tithes.  We do, however, accept the principles expressed by Paul in giving is universal.  That it should be out of our convictions (what we have decided in our hearts), willingness and not out of compulsion.    TITHING THROUGH THE CROSS   Some argue that after the crucifixion of Jesus ushered in New Testament grace, the legalistic practise of tithing should not be continued.  However, that represents a failure to appreciate God’s intentions of maintaining His eternal principles in both the Old and New Testaments.  In the Old Testament, principles are often introduced in the form of commands, ceremonies and more rigidly applied. In the New Testament, the eternal principles are expressed much more clearly and applied with grace.  The cross of Jesus represents the transforming connection between both Testaments where under grace, the forms, ceremonies are shed and most commands. But the principle remains and is clarified. I expounded these principles in greater depth in my blog articles “Covenant in the Bible (Part 5): How the Old connects with the New” and “Covenant in the Bible (Part 6): How the Old became New.” The cross of Jesus represents the transforming connection between both Testaments where under grace, the forms, ceremonies are shed and most commands. But the principle remains and is clarified.   The fact that tithing was practised before the codified form and commands of the Law of Moses and continued to be affirmed by Jesus in the New Testament leads us to conclude it is an eternal principle. Hence, tithing should continue to be practised, as a principle.   THE BIBLICAL PRINCIPLE OF TITHING   To understand why tithing is a biblical principle, we need to understand why God required tithing in the first place.  Let me unpack some of the key reasons.   It reminds us that God is the true Owner of all and Provider of what we have.  Psalm 50:10–11 (NIV)  10 for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know every bird in the mountains, and the insects in the fields are mine. It reminds us that we are merely stewards.  Everything we possess, even our every breath, is a gift from God. Since God is the rightful owner, He can require anything He desires of us.  The very act of tithing helps keeps in the fore of our minds that all we have is God’s.     The very act of tithing helps keeps in the fore of our minds that all we have is God’s.     We should trust God for His provision, His blessings.  Malachi 3:10–12 (NIV)  10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the LORD Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty. God challenges us to trust Him for abundant provisions and blessings.  Indeed, God promises to provide and bless in abundance. Tithing is therefore an act of faith in God’s faithfulness to provide. Tithing is therefore an act of faith in God’s faithfulness to provide. We tithe as an act of honouring God.  By tithing we are obedient to God’s expressed desire that His people return to Him what is His, as it has been made holy or sacred unto God.  Leviticus 27:30–32 (NIV)  30 “ ‘A tithe of everything from the land … belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord. 32 Every tithe of the herd and flock … will be holy to the Lord.   Our tithes support God’s work.  What we give unto God, God gives to His Church. This enables the Church to undertake God’s work.  For what is given will help support and release those who had set aside income to serve God’s purposes. Without such support, the ministry of the Church would suffer greatly as happened in the time of Nehemiah.  Nehemiah 13:10 (NIV)  I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them, and that all the Levites and musicians responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields. What we give unto God, God gives to His Church. This enables the Church to undertake God’s work.  CONCLUSIONS   We demonstrated that tithing is a biblical principle. It was practised by the patriarchs.  It was instructed in codified form in the Law of Moses.  Jesus affirmed its practice in the New Testament.  The Scriptures provide us key reasons of why tithing is a biblical principle and ought to be practised even today.  However, because it is a principle, we should not approach it in a legalistic fashion.  But we should regard tithing as the principle of the tenth as a benchmark to aim for and even exceed because of our generous desire to honour God and His Church. We should regard tithing as the principle of the tenth as a benchmark to aim for and even exceed because of our generous desire to honour God and His Church. Some who had railed against tithing have rejected it because they viewed it as a legalistic requirement, a product of the Law of Moses.  Yet in rejecting it, they have also inadvertently neglected the biblical principles undergirding it.  By doing so, they have also rejected a benchmark which God provided as a guide to what is a reasonable manner to honour Him as well as to stretch our trust in His provision.    In fact, much of the issues with tithing applies to the practise of sabbath rest.  In my article “Rhythms of Refreshing: Biblical Basis” I showed how sabbath should be practised today as a principle.  Besides sabbath pointing to the truth that Jesus is our ultimate rest, it has practical benefits when we practise its principles and its benchmark of regular rest to refresh.  It also provides a weekly benchmark for our gathering to worship God.   In the next study we will examine the various forms of tithes and offerings required by God and its objectives. [i]  This article was expanded in May 2025 to address this objection as well as make clearer the difference and implications of tithing as a principle in contrast to legal requirement. [ii]  See further arguments why Jacob would have fulfilled his vow in “Jacob’s Tithe: Did Jacob Keep His Vow To God?” Brian Neil Peterson, JETS (The Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society), 63.2 (2020): 255–65. Copyright©️2025 by Wilson Lim. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.

Have you ever wondered why the Bible refers so much to God’s glory? What is the significance of God’s glory? What is the implication to us, the church?  In the book of Exodus, we find that a large portion of the book is devoted to the building of God’s tabernacle.  In fact, the building of the tabernacle reflects God’s intention to build His people, His Church. It gives us glimpses of what God has in mind for us, His people.   Exodus 40:33–38 (NIV)  33 Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work. 34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36 In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; 37 but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. 38 So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites during all their travels.   We find in Exodus 40:33-38, at the very end of Exodus, that the glory of God came and dwelled in the tabernacle.  The word “glory” in Hebrew is kabod.  It speaks of the majestic manifestation of His presence and being.  What is the significance of this for us today?  We will unpack 4 key aspects about moving towards God’s glory.   A VESSEL PREPARED FOR GLORY   Exodus 40:33 (NIV)   Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work.   Moses had been preparing the tabernacle to ensure that it was ready to every specification for God to come with His glory.  Every part of the tabernacle.  Every intricate design, every element of the tabernacle is intended for God to come in His glory.  God’s design for the tabernacle reflects God’s design for His Church.   The spiritual truth is that the tabernacle is a type of God’s church.  God’s design for the tabernacle reflects God’s design for His Church. It has implications for every believer because all of us are part of God’s church.  The tabernacle reveals the truth that…   God wants to prepare us for His glory   The tabernacle was God’s design. Every glorious detail was God specified.  The design, dimensions, materials, colours, function, etc.  Everything prescribed to receive His glory.   In the same way, from the very beginning God designed us to be vessels of His glory, that we should reflect and contain His glory.  As Scriptures state in Genesis 1:26 (NIV)  Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, …”  God designed us to be vessels of glory, but we became vessels of gory.   Mankind was meant to multiply forth and fill the whole earth with God’s glory.  But Adam and Eve mucked up and we have been filling it with sin ever since.  Man became filled with violence, strife, hatred, murder.  God designed us to be vessels of glory, but we became vessels of gory. Through Jesus, God is redeeming us back to God’s original objective.  To be vessels of His glory!    But God was not thwarted, as He had His plan of redemption ready.  Jesus is the centre of the master plan.  Through Jesus, God is redeeming us back to God’s original objective.  To be vessels of His glory!  God desires every believer and every church in the Body of Christ to be prepared for His glory to dwell within fully.  2 Corinthians 6:16 (NIV)  … For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”   In every genuine believer, the spirit of God is already with you.  But His glory?  That is another matter. For God’s glory will not dwell anywhere. We have to be prepared by God for God.   2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV)  And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever–increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.   God is transforming us progressively.  God’s glory will be revealed in us more and more the further we are purified.  That is God’s desire, his heartbeat. But we must also understand this.   We have to prepare ourselves for His glory.   The tabernacle was built by human hands according to divine instructions. God wanted man to participate in the making of the tabernacle. In the same way, we are responsible also to prepare ourselves.  Not according to human instructions but divine. We are participants in preparing the vessels of glory. God wants to prepare us for glory. But we have to cooperate with God.    God wants to prepare us for glory. But we have to cooperate with God.  We are to work hand in hand with God.  We have our part in preparing for God’s glory.  2 Timothy 2:20 - 21 (NIV)  20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble.  21 If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.   We should clear out things from our lives that are ignoble.  Are we filling our lives with things that are not eternal?  Are we filling our lives with everything else but the glory of God!  Facebook, TikTok, Fortnite, CNN, Netflix?  All but the glory of God!  What do we need to do?   Connect to God for glory   We need to walk in right relationship with God. Communicating with, committing to and cooperating with God for Him to purify us. We must be connected to God.  We need to walk in right relationship with God. Communicating with, committing to and cooperating with God for Him to purify us.  Hence, we should focus on our relationship with God and the disciplines we will need such as devotions and prayer. Besides connecting, we must avail ourselves to God to work on us. So that He may:   Purify and mature us for glory    God is working on us.  To bring us to purity and maturity, that we may be more Christlike.  Like a master craftsman, God is lovingly, skilfully, patiently, deftly shaping us.  Firmly, surely, sometimes seemingly rough yet always carefully chipping away at us, carving, honing, sanding to shape His glory in us.   2 Corinthians 4:17 (NIV)  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  God’s glory will be in worked in us more when we realise there has to be less of ourselves.    When God is finished it will be a great work of art.   But we must cooperate with Him.  Ultimately, God’s glory will be in worked in us more when we realise there has to be less of ourselves.  Less of our selfish, self-centred, sinful self.  But more of God holy character in our lives. John 3:30 (KJV)  He must increase, but I must decrease.    A RESIDENCE FILLED WITH GLORY   Exodus 40:34–35 (NIV) 34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.   Once the entire tabernacle was completed precisely to God’s specifications, God came and filled the tabernacle with His presence.  So intense was God’s glory that even Moses, who had a glimpse of God’s glory before, could not enter in.  Notice it refers to the cloud.  It is the glory cloud, a manifestation of the presence of God. In Scriptures we often find God’s glory connected with the cloud.   While the cloud reveals God’s glorious presence, it functions to veil God’s glorious presence.  Because God’s glory is full of pure light. So pure and holy, no man can look at it.  So, the cloud serves to shroud this glorious light.  Even with this cloud, man can feel the tangible presence of God.  At times, God’s shrouded presence is already so great that people will collapse.  Imagine when the cloud lifts to reveal God’s full glory.  God wants to fill His people, His Church with His tangible glory continually and fully.    God wants to fill His people, His Church with His tangible glory continually and fully.  But we are not fully ready.  Not yet!  We have to be prepared first, as mentioned earlier.  Not just individual believers, but the church as a whole.  The church has to be purified and matured in Christ.  Ephesians 2:21 (NIV)  In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.    So how do we see God’s glory manifest in our church? We have to grow together in God, as a community.  We need to commit to one another, to body life.  To being connected together, helping one another to grow in God.  Note that the tabernacle and all the articles inside the Tent of Meeting were covered in gold, signifying purity.  Only when all the articles were ready did God come!   The Devil has deceived many believers to be unchurched believers, to be uncommitted believers.  They float from one church to another.  They are not committed to any local church.  They are not connected in a life group.  Not doing life together, God’s way.  Such unconnected, uncommitted believers will struggle to grow towards glory.  They become easy picking for the Devil.    God’s design for every believer is to be fully connected to a good local church.  Where they can grow through the fellowship, support, teaching, even through the friction together.  Our vision should be to see a glorious church develop.  A church where we help one another in our journey together with God towards glory.  A church full of people from all walks of life, all cultures and nations.  A church full of people who are imperfect yet committed to grow together, despite our failings and weaknesses.  Growing together in purity and into Christ-likeness.  Together we will be filled with God’s glory!  And not just filled with God’s glory occasionally, but a people reflecting God’s glory and carrying it even into the marketplace!   A PEOPLE LED BY GLORY   Exodus 40:36–37 (NIV)  36 In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; 37 but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. God's Presence comes that He might lead us into His purposes.   The glory of God did not just dwell amongst them but led them.  The Israelites were obedient to the glory of God that led them from place to place.  Wherever the cloud of fire and smoke, the cloud of glory went – the people obeyed and went.  They were obedient to God’s leadership.  In other words, the glory of God, the presence of God is not just for us to enjoy or to get excited about. God's Presence comes that He might lead us into His purposes.   The important principle is to seek God, not the manifestation.  Don’t seek the gift and miss the Giver. If we truly seek God, then we will be obedient unto God.  The key is to understand the principle of obedience to God’s leadership.  The people of God, the Church of Jesus Christ – must be obedient to God.  God delights in such obedience, as expressed in 1 Samuel 15:22 (NIV)  “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.   How can we fully obey unless we understand God’s purposes?  That is why we encourage everyone to study God’s Word.  Put time aside, enrol in your church study classes.  In Hope Church our desire is to help every believer be instructed in the things of God and equip unto every good work.  That way we can obey God effectively.  When God says run, we can run.  When God says organise, we can organise well.  When God says teach, we can teach faithfully.  When God says evangelise, we can evangelise effectively, When God says shepherd, we can shepherd others lovingly.  When God says prophesy, we can prophesy reliably.    A SHINING LIGHT OF GLORY   Exodus 40:38 (NIV)  So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites during all their travels. When the glory of God is in a church, it will cause the church to become influential because of its impact.  The column of God’s glory that revealed itself in smoke in the day and light at night was like a focus point that was visible to all.  Anyone who approached the Israelite camp would immediately see the pillar of cloud.  When the glory of God is in a church, it will cause the church to become influential because of its impact.    In 1969, Jack Hayford became the pastor of a tiny church of 18 people.  During the early days of the church, it grew to a small congregation of 100.  One day in 1971 as he was leaving the church sanctuary, he experienced the glory of God.  It was as if a light glorious mist hung in the atmosphere, and it was just for a moment. Things began to happen to the church and people just started coming!  The “Church On The Way” grew to over 10,000 people over the decades of his ministry.   When God’s glory fills the church and as the church obediently moves in God’s purposes, there will be healing in lives, there will be nourishment for the soul, there will be power to cast out demons, power to heal the sick. There will be righteousness and purity.  There will be godliness.  Micah 4:1-2 (NIV)  1 In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. 2 Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.   Imagine when the church’s influence is such that even the people of the world will stream to it.  In search of answers, solutions, the peace, the joy, the grace and power of God.  I believe that God desires His churches to be amongst those influential in the Kingdom and in the world.  When the church does the will of God effectively, it gives glory to God.   John 15:8 (NIV)  This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.   God’s glory will shine throughout the land. Shall we move towards glory by God’s grace?   CONCLUSION   God intends for us to be vessel of His glory. To be filled with His glory and be led by Him. To be shining with His glory. Do you want the more of the glory of God?  Do you want to move towards the glory of God?  Copyright©️2025 by Wilson Lim. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.

Years ago, someone once asked the late Dr. Yonggi Cho, then pastor of the largest church in the world of almost 800,000.  “What is the key to your great success?” His reply was very simple “I pray and I obey”   The most fitting response to undeserved blessing is unreserved obedience!  Your obedience to God today determines what you’ll be for God tomorrow   A few centuries before Christ a man named Alexander the Great conquered almost all of the known world using military strength, cleverness and shrewd of diplomacy. The story is told that Alexander and a small company of soldiers approached a strongly fortified walled city. Alexander, standing outside the walls, raised his voice and demanded to see the king. He insisted that the king surrender the city and its inhabitants to Alexander and his little band of fighting men.   The king laughed, "Why should I surrender to you? You can’t do us any harm!" But Alexander offered to give the king a demonstration. He ordered his men to line up single file and start marching. He marched them straight toward a sheer cliff.   The townspeople gathered on the wall and watched in shocked silence as, one by one, Alexander’s soldiers marched without hesitation right off the cliff to their deaths! After 10 soldiers died, Alexander ordered the rest of the men to return to his side. The townspeople and the king immediately surrendered to Alexander the Great. They realized that if a few men were actually willing to commit suicide at the command of this dynamic leader, then nothing could stop his eventual victory.   Are you willing to be as obedient to the ruler of the universe, Jesus Christ, as those soldiers were to Alexander? Are you as dedicated and committed? Think how much power Christ could have in our area with just a portion of such commitment. [i] God always works for our benefit when we are in obedience to him.    Remember that  God always works for our benefit when we are in obedience to him.    Romans 8:28 (NIV) ...we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.      Imagine if the church had such a “Yes Sir!” attitude. Imagine if God’s church had such obedience to God!  In Exodus 39-40  we will look at some key aspects of obeying God completely.   HEARING COMPLETELY WHAT GOD HAS COMMANDED   Exodus 39:42 (NIV) The Israelites had done all the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses.   It is important to see the sense of the verse.  They had completed the Tabernacle just “as God commanded Moses.” In crafting all the various components of the Tabernacle, it was critical that Moses heard completely what God had instructed and that the workmen also likewise heard completely what Moses had instructed them.  In fact, the phrase “as the Lord commanded” appears 20 times in this passage.   To obey God we need to hear what God is saying clearly and completely. If we do not hear, we cannot respond to God.  If we do not hear properly, we will not be able to respond to God properly.  The problem is this. Too many people are presumptuously doing what they think God wants done, but not actually hearing God first, nor completely.   Samuel the prophet urged King Saul to take careful note of what God was about to instruct him in 1 Samuel 15:1 (ESV) And Samuel said to Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel; now therefore listen to the words of the LORD.”  King Saul was to listen God’s instructions carefully. But he presumptuously thought he could change what God instructed. God’s instructions are clear and precise.  Whenever we get confused, we just need to go back to what was actually said.  Many times, when things become unclear, I can get clarity by simply getting back to what God had clearly said.  What did God actually say as opposed to what I thought God said?  When we distort hearing from God, it leads to distorted obedience and that is dis-obedience! Sometimes we may have heard from God, but we distort what God actually said to what we want to hear Him say. For example, God may say to us “Buy a cheap car!” but we only heard “buy a car”.  This could lead to us spending more than we ought to. When we distort hearing from God, it leads to distorted obedience and that is dis-obedience!   We should have a high level of respect for what God has said in His Word. Not adding our own favourite emphasis, nor remove from it what we want to de-emphasise.  There was once an over-sized boy who after Sunday school, ate even more than usual. When asked, he responded that he wanted to learn to pray more.  For the Sunday school teacher taught that they needed to feast and pray.   Revelation 22:18 - 19 (NIV) 18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.  19 And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.   Let us be people who are passionate about understanding God’s word, His instructions to us.  So that we can obey Him completely!  When we obey, we will experience God’s blessings.  Jesus said in Luke 11:28 (NIV) He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”   DETAILED OBEDIENCE TO WHAT GOD HAS SAID   Exodus 39:43 (NIV)  Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the Lord had commanded. So Moses blessed them.   Moses found that the workmen were detailed in carrying out exactly what God had commanded Moses.  In chapters 36 to 39, we find that the craftsmen built the tabernacle exactly as specified by Moses in chapters 25 to 30. Many tiny details were specifically commanded by God in making the various furniture articles.  The dimensions, the form, the ornaments, the materials, the weights, the liturgical steps, etc. The people did not try to modify the instructions or cut corners.  We need to simply obey God’s Word, even in details that may seem unimportant to us.    We need to simply obey God’s Word, even in details that may seem unimportant to us.  After all, the Scriptures tell us in Isaiah 55:8 that God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are different from ours – He knows best. Isaiah 55:8 (NIV)  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.   There was once a young woman who went to a petrol station to refuel her car.  Then unexpectedly she sensed God telling her to stand on her hands.  She hesitated but finally decided to do so. She did a quick handstand and feeling rather embarrassed, decided to quickly get into her car and drive off.  Suddenly another woman ran out of the petrol station calling out to her. Surprised she listened to what this woman had to say.  This woman explained that she was going through a difficult time and was seeking if God was real.  She had prayed a simple pray for something unusual to happen to prove that God existed.  She prayed that someone would do a handstand in front of her. And lo and behold she saw this young woman do a handstand.        King Saul was someone who obeyed God only to a point. Saul’s obedience was only partial.  In 1 Samuel 15:1-3, the prophet Samuel had instructed Saul to destroy everything from the Amalekites.  But King Saul figured it was unreasonable to destroy the fine livestock.  He probably thought that was just an oversight on God’s part. So he would help God, by re-interpreting the instructions to something more reasonable!  Saul assumed that God wouldn’t mind if he spared Agag, the king, as a trophy of his great victory. He assumed wrong. God had said to “utterly destroy” everything.   Deliberate partial obedience is actually complete disobedience.   It’s easy at this point to try to vindicate Saul by thinking, “Well, he almost did everything God said to do.” But the truth of the matter is, deliberate partial obedience is actually complete disobedience . To miss by a little can mean to miss by a lot.  Imagine if the scientists that launch space probes to the moon were to miscalculate the trajectory by fraction of a degree.  This slight error will lead to the probe missing the moon by thousands of kilometres! When we choose not to be detailed in our obedience to God, our partial obedience is not obedience, but disobedience.    Sometimes going further than what God has said can also lead to disobedience!  Dr Yonggi Cho shared about a massive church building project that God laid upon his heart.  He was to build a large multi-storey church auditorium.  But in the midst of the construction project the nation faced a large economic downturn and the church building project became mired in debt. He almost committed suicide over it due to the enormous stress and shame. He eventually came to the realisation that he had added an additional building to the project which God did not ask him to build.  That was what unravelled the project. To get the details right we need to be Spirit-led and Spirit-empowered.   To get the details right we need to be Spirit-led and Spirit-empowered.  Sometimes, God does not spell out all the details but when we are Spirit-led and empowered, we will get the details right.  With the Spirit we better discern the details that God seeks.  Exodus 31:2 - 3 (NIV) 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,  3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts—    In the Scriptures above, God spelt out many details for the tabernacle but not all.  Yet He empowered the craftsman to interpret God’s intention with creativity and to get it right. Notice the key is the Spirit of God upon the lead craftsmen.  The detail we go to shows our attitude.  Is your attitude: “Near enough is good enough” when serving God?  Or is it: “Let’s get it right?”    TIMELY OBEDIENCE   Exodus 40:17 (NIV)  So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month in the second year.   There was a specific timing that God was aiming for the entire tabernacle to be set up.  Approximately 12 months from their first Passover in Egypt. They received instructions from Moses about 6 months into the year. The workmen acted immediately and completed everything in about 6 months.  Their obedience was timely. We ought to learn to carry out what God has commanded when He commands.   Why?  Because delayed obedience is disobedience! King Saul was unable to wait for God. He was a man who was either disobeying God, or was too eager and ended up rushing ahead of God.   1 Samuel 13:8 - 14 (NIV) 8 He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter.  9 So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered up the burnt offering.  10 Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him. 11 “What have you done?” asked Samuel.  Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash,  12 I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”  He did what was forbidden to do. 13 “You acted foolishly,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.  14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.”   It is like surfing a wave.  Too far ahead and you lose momentum, and the wave will overtake you or worse will crash down on you.  Too far behind and you either fall off the back or are crushed in the curl!   Obedience too early or too late can be disobedience.  We need to obey God in God’s time!   Are you seeking for God’s timing? For example, in boy-girl relationships. Even if she is the one, is the timing right?   Watchman Nee was a preacher and writer greatly used of God in China. As a young man, he was attracted to a Christian girl, Charity Chang.  But he quickly discovered that she did not share his passion for God.  She was more concerned about worldly matters.  God challenged him one day as he read Psalms 73:25, “There is none on earth that I desire beside thee.”  God spoke in his heart, “You have a consuming desire upon earth.  You should give up your attachment for Miss Chang. What qualification has she to be a preacher’s wife?” He tried to bargain with God.  Finally, he gave in and threw himself into the ministry.  He made a God-centred decision.   This was not the end of the story.  Years later, God worked a radical change in Charity’s life, and she became a devoted follower of Christ.  God caused both to cross paths again and they became man and wife!   PRIORITISED OBEDIENCE   In obeying God’s instructions in Exodus 40:18-33, they prioritised what had to be done and focussed on completing it step by step.  It was carefully planned.  We can see the sequence.  First the bases, then the frames, then the crossbars, then the poles, etc.  There was priority and focus on what they carried out.   If we are to finish the work that Christ has given us we need to see what is most important clearly, and not get distracted by what is just permissible or secondary!  1 Corinthians 10:23 (NIV)  “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive.    Paul loved the Roman Christians.  In fact, he himself was a Roman Jewish Citizen.  He obviously wanted to visit the Romans but focussed on what was his priority. To finish preaching the Gospel where it had not been preached yet.  So Paul states that He will visit them but only as he is on his way to Spain! Romans 15:20 - 24 (NIV) 20 It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.  22 This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to see you,  24 I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to visit you while passing through ...    There are many things I would love to do in my life.  But I have to be careful to prioritize in obeying God’s call upon my life.  For I desire to remain obedient to God in every way.   CONCLUSIONS   How is your attitude to obeying God? The most fitting response to undeserved blessing is unreserved obedience! Jesus made a very important observation in John 14:15 (NIV) “If you love me, you will obey what I command.    In other words, love produces obedience, or obedience to Christ’s command is the result of genuine love. It is possible to obey Jesus words and not love Him, but it is impossible to love Him and not obey Him.  Let us obey God completely because we love Him. 1.  James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) pp. 102-103.

Have you ever been in the situation which is totally bleak?  You are facing an unexpected economic crisis and you could lose your house.  Or the doctor just gave you a terminal cancer diagnosis.  Or certain people have let you down truly badly.  Or perhaps you have mucked up bad? It is the darkest hour for you.   In Exodus 32, while Moses was away on a spiritual pilgrimage for just 40 days, the people backslid horribly. It was not that they got lazy in their spiritual walk.  They built a golden calf, an idol and worshipped it.  A total abomination to God.  And worse, Moses’ own brother Aaron was the one who built it!  This was the darkest hour for Moses and the people of Israel.  That would be like my wife Lai Ling and I went on a sabbatical for 40 days to seek God only to come back and to our horror, discover that this is no longer Hope Church but Hare Krishna Church.    Now things got worse, God was so upset with their abomination that He declares He will no longer go with them to the Promised Land.  For He might end up wiping them out because of their continual resistance. He will only send an angel to represent Him.  They had mucked up so bad, they have no place to hide their faces! And God concurs they have mucked up so bad, that He does not want to see their faces at all!    Everything seemed lost!  So what was left?  But the amazing thing is this.  In the midst of the darkest hour, Moses came to his most incredible experience of God!  Perhaps you might be in your darkest hour. Or you might encounter that one day. Yet like Moses, your darkest hour can turn into the brightest day!  How can this be so?  If we learn some lessons from this passage.   TURN FROM IDOLATRY TO GOD   Exodus 33:7–11 (NIV) 7 Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. 8 And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. 9 As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses. 10 Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent. 11 The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.   In those days, before they built the Tabernacle of Moses as we learnt about in chapters 25 to 30, there was a temporary tent that Moses had set up outside the Israelite camp area. It was known as the Tent of Meeting because there Moses met with God.  The cloud and pillar of smoke would move there when God met with Moses. When the phrase “face to face” is used, it is intended to mean have a one-to-one or personal meeting rather than a literal face-to-face.   This passage was included to explain how Moses would often meet with God.  This provided the context of the current meeting that Moses had with God.  What is important for us to note is that after God declared He was fed up with them and would not go with them any longer, Moses did not just throw a tantrum and walked away.  Or resigned himself to accept the decision.  Or got all bitter and discouraged. So what did he do?   Turn back to God   What Moses did was turn to God and sought to meet with God.  That was the key.  The Israelites had fallen into idolatry, and it was necessary to turn back to God. Moses took the initiative in v12 “Moses said to the Lord...”.  Moses recognise that the people had turned away from God and he had to turn to God first, to help the rest turn back to God.  Zechariah 1:3 (NIV) Therefore tell the people: This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the LORD Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the LORD Almighty.    What is the lesson for us?  Perhaps we ended up in our darkest hour because we have somehow turned away from God.  Perhaps we slipped just that little away from God and failed to listen to Him.  Perhaps we disobeyed God!  Perhaps something else became an idol in our hearts – our money, our career, our girlfriend/boyfriend, our needs, etc.  Perhaps we thought we could just have a little more of something but now we cannot let go.  It is like the traditional way of catching monkeys.  A small hole is cut in a coconut big enough for the monkey to put its hand in.  Then a bright shiny object is put inside and the coconut tied to a tree.  A curious monkey will put its hand inside to grab the shiny object.  Because its hand has formed a fist, it cannot pull out its hand. So the monkey is caught by its greed.  The only way to escape is to let go, but the monkey simply cannot conceive of doing so.  So too are we often caught by our idolatry.   Let go of the idolatry.  The key is to turn back to God.   Turn not to human solutions   Moses did not just convene a meeting and say, “Fellas, as you know, God will no longer be with us.  But we can sort this out.  Let’s do some SWOT analysis of our situation and make some smart, creative strategic decisions to get us out of the mess.  Maybe we can rely on the Americans military.  Smart bombs, stealth fighters, high-tech warfare.  We will blitz our enemies!”   One of the greatest mistakes we could ever do is to turn to a human solution in our darkest hour.  Isaiah 31:1 (NIV) Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the LORD.   What we need is God Himself to intervene!  Now there is nothing wrong in committee meetings, in SWOT analysis, etc.  There is a time and place for such meetings and planning.  But first, we need God!  Sometimes the hardest thing to do when we face our darkest hour is to meet God.  Some just want to drink their problems away.  Some just want to run away.  Some just want to lie in bed.  Some just want to blame somebody.  Some will desperately grasp at straws.   But the key is to turn to God.  When David and his men were in a place called Ziklag, they came to their darkest hour.  The Amalekites had raided Ziklag in 1 Samuel 30:2 - 6 (NIV) 2 and had taken captive the women and all who were in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way. 3 When David and his men came to Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.  4 So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep...   6 David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.   The key that turned the whole situation around was that David determined to meet with God at that crucial time.  And because David met with God, he found strength in God.  As a result, he was able to motivate his men to pursue after the Amalekites and regain all that they lost plus more! In our darkest hour, we should not sink into despair but sink into God’s hands.   In our darkest hour, we should not sink into despair but sink into God’s hands instead!  There we will find grace.  There we will find the answer!  Jeremiah 15:19 (NIV) Therefore this is what the LORD says: “If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me...”   TURN FROM FAILURE TO FAVOUR   Exodus 33:12–13 (NIV) 12 Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ 13 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”   In chapter 32 the Israelites failed God.  But in chapter 33, Moses resolved not to remain in failure.  He did something about it. Moses moved from failure to favour before God. Moses pleaded with God to show him how to remain in God’s favour. This revealed his determination to continue to find favour before God. Moses understood that unless he continually walked in God’s favour, the whole exodus could end up in vain. So he pleaded with God.  So masterful was His pleading that God immediately agreed to continue to go with them. No matter what has happened, we must get back into God’s favour.   Why?  God was obviously very pleased with Moses heart to remain in God’s favour, no matter what. No matter what has happened, we must get back into God’s favour. Perhaps we have mucked up and fallen out of God’s favour. Then repent, turn around, confess and seek to find God’s favour again.  God will receive us back!  1 John 1:9 (NIV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.    God has been good to Hope Church over the last 15 years, we have continually seen the church grow and seen God’s blessings.  I believe a critical reason is because we have determined to remain in God’s favour.  Psalms 5:12 (NIV) For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favour as with a shield.   This involves keeping to God’s principles, to being faithful to the things God has called you to.  To maintaining integrity in all that you do.  So do not compromise in all that you do. If there is sin or compromise, you must deal with it.  With love, grace and mercy – but you must deal with it. It is far better to please God than to please men.    It is far better to please God than to please men.  I have had to make a number of very tough decisions over the years.  Decisions that have not always made me friends.  But I stuck with it because it is more important to find favour before God than before men.    TURN OBSTACLE INTO OPPORTUNITY   At that time, Moses had a huge obstacle.  God Himself was reluctant to continue to be with them.  Otherwise, He might destroy them all.  If you are familiar with the rest of Biblical history, God did destroy many of them.  But that is another story and another lesson.  With God, the darkest hour can turn into brightest day.    Sometimes when we hit our darkest hour, we may be discouraged and feel like giving up.  To throw in the towel. Because the obstacle looks too huge! But with God, the darkest hour can turn into brightest day.  Moses discovered this.  What are some ways that obstacles can turn into opportunities?   Opportunity to learn what really matters   Exodus 33:14–17 (NIV) 15 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”  17 And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”   Sometimes we may not understand what the most crucial things are or may forget about it until the darkest hour.  The people of Israel had taken the Presence of God for granted and it was only upon God’s threat to withdraw His presence that it became obvious they needed God’s Presence.  That is why Moses pleaded for God’s Presence to be with them.  Without God’s Presence, Moses knew that the nation would fail in its destiny. It was not worth continuing. But with God, victory is certain. It is God with us that makes all the difference. Men may fail but God is faithful.   Moses also realises that it is God’s Presence that distinguishes the Israelites as God’s people.  For it is God with us that makes all the difference.  When God is with us, things will turn out well in the end.  It gives us tremendous security to know God is with us.  Men may fail but God is faithful.   In the end, it is not so much the leader, but whether God is with us!   Loren Cunningham and the YWAM leadership were convinced that God wanted them to purchase a ship to use as a means of outreach into the islands. God’s providence seemed to be leading their plans. Loren saw the 450-foot ship the Maori in 1973 and made a deposit for it for $72,000 provided by a English businessman.  Cunningham recalled, “Every day, we saw some new release for the ship—either a volunteer or money or a special offer… Everything seemed to be falling into place, and the fulfillment of the vision of the ship was happening fast”.    Progressively, the amount of time, energy and focus required to prepare the ship increased.  Then one night Cunningham had a dream.  In the dream the ship was finally ready at the dock. There was much celebrations and the ship sailed off.  Yet as he looked upon the dock, he noticed a sole man left behind on the dock. It was Jesus.  It dawned upon him that YWAM had focussed so much upon the gift, they had forgotten the Giver. But it was too late.  Mysteriously, the flow of money, gifts and volunteers that had been streaming into the project mysteriously stopped, and within a matter of weeks the plans for purchasing the Maori were sunk. Cunningham called the British donor to inform him that their venture had failed and why it did.  The godly businessman told him that the most important think is that YWAM had learnt the lesson. If we learn the lessons well, we will come out wiser, stronger, and more able to fulfil God’s destiny.    When we face our darkest hour, do not be dismayed.  But ask ourselves what important lesson does God want us to learn?  If we learn the lessons well, we will come out wiser, stronger, and more able to fulfil God’s destiny.  As I observed great man and women used of God, they learned their lessons even from the darkest hours and came out stronger.  So don’t be afraid of those dark hours but learn from it. Romans 8:28 (NIV) And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.    Opportunities to encounter God   Exodus 33:18–23 (NIV) 18 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” 19 And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” 21 Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.” The darkest hour can become a glorious opportunity for God’s intervention!    Moses had the audacity to ask to see God’s glory!  Moses turned the darkest hour into great opportunity!  And God promised Moses that he will encounter God’s glory like never before.  The darkest hour turned into the brightest moment because Moses responded with humility and purity of heart.  The darkest hour can become a glorious opportunity for God’s intervention!  Not all is lost, if we will have faith.   CONCLUSIONS   We may have mucked up bad before God.  Yet will you determine to turn back to God?  To find favour before God rather than men?  To learn the lessons that God intended you to learn?  Then you will return to God’s favour eventually. Copyright©️2025 by Wilson Lim. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.

A young man wrote to the love of his life.    “My dearest darling, I will do anything for your love.  I will scale the highest mountains, plunge into the darkest abyss, cross the harshest deserts, brave the fiercest storms.  Nothing will keep me from you.  Forever yours.    PS – I long to see you for our date tomorrow evening.  But if it rains, I will have to cancel as I do not wish to catch a cold.”   What beautiful words.  But what shallow convictions.  Have you ever wondered why there are some people with such shallow convictions and yet at the same time others with such deep convictions?  Perhaps you may have wished to be a person of conviction.  In fact, the Scriptures encourage us to be people of conviction.  And when we examine history, we find that those who have made impact upon this world are invariably people of conviction.  Conviction is the differentiating factor between people who get fired up and make a difference, in contrast to people who get hyped up and make no difference.   Why is this important for Christ-followers?  Because we do not want to be fired up for just a moment but have no lasting power.  Further, how much we can genuinely fire up will depend upon our convictions.  Conviction is the differentiating factor between people who get fired up and make a difference, in contrast to people who get hyped up and make no difference.   Let me unpack the value of having deep convictions and how we may develop such convictions.  From 2 Timothy 1:11-12 we discover some of these principles.   2 Timothy 1:11–12 (NIV) 11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.   CONVICTIONS ANCHORED ON THE DIVINE CALLER   Paul’s deep convictions were not primarily reliant on some system of beliefs that he subscribed to.  It did not develop because of he was faithful to some church institution that ordained him.  This is not to say that the above do not contribute towards our convictions.  But there is something greater. Paul’s convictions was anchored upon the caller, God Himself.  Why?   Due to personal relationship “...I know whom I have believed...”.   The word “know” in the Greek is oida which carries the idea of knowing with certainty. Paul’s convictions came out of a personal and intimate relationship with God who had called him.  This begun when He had encountered Christ on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-6).    He had continued to experience God’s grace again and again in his life and ministry.  He had seen the miraculous power of God at work numerous times. He had seen how God healed, protected, strengthened, and guided him through the most challenging times even.  Through all these, it had only served to deepen his convictions in Jesus the Christ.  His faith was refined and his connection with Christ strengthened.  As apostle Peter explained in 1 Peter 1:6 - 7 (NIV) 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.  The deepest convictions we could ever develop in our journey of faith is built upon our relationship with God Himself.    Paul’s convictions were anchored upon the God he knew and knew well because of what he has gone through with God.  Many who served in the army experience and understand how their tight bond developed as they face life threatening situations together.  The deepest convictions we could ever develop in our journey of faith is built upon our relationship with God Himself.  Often, we trust the people we know well, so will we trust the God we know well.  Often, we trust the people who have proven themselves to us, so will we trust the God who has proven Himself to us in our experience.   Hudson Taylor was the founder of China Inland Missions who made incredible inroads in reaching the Chinese and inspired thousands of other missionaries.  Yet before he commenced on his missions, he resolved that he had to learn to develop a high level of trust in God and His provision.  He resolved that he was not going to depend on anyone else for provisions except God. That he was not going to remind his forgetful employer to pay him his salary but entrust it to God.    At one time his employer had forgotten to provide his pay for an extended time.  Hudson despite his best efforts at frugality was down to his last shilling. Then in his medical rounds, he met a poor starving family.  He felt the Holy Spirit prompt him to give his last shilling to them. He struggled because he knew that he had no more money to pay for his lodging and food. Yet in that moment, he decided he would obey God’s prompting.  As he gave away his precious last shilling, he felt God’s peace wash over him.  He went home glad but had to forego any food that evening.  The next day, his employer came to him apologetically and gave him all his backpay.  Hudson developed deep convictions in that season in trusting God. A key to growing deeper in our convictions is to throw ourselves into the hands of the living God.    A key to growing deeper in our convictions is to determine to grow in our relationship with God.  A key to growing deeper in our convictions is to throw ourselves into the hands of the living God.    In 1990, my own faith journey had reached a point where I realised the only way for me to grow further was to learn to hear God’s voice, obey and trust Him. Shortly after, I was invited to a meeting where they discussed planting a new church. At that time, I had taken too long to complete my Engineering PhD.  My scholarship had basically run out.  I had just informed an elder in the church that I had to step back from my leadership role in the student ministry so that I could finish my PhD.  Yet during the meeting the Holy Spirit spoke clearly into my heart, “Join”. I knew that to be part of a pioneering church venture would involve considerable commitment.  Time and energy I did not have if I was going to quickly complete the rest of my PhD.  But I resolved to obey God and trust Him.  I threw myself into the hands of God for my PhD.   I chose to give up a part-time job which was supplementing my income because of the time commitments involved. But God came through. I was awarded a small research grant to undertake what I had already planned to do in my PhD.  The grant amount was better than my scholarship or even the income I would have earned in the part-time job.  In effect, God had provided for me, and I had to do next to nothing. It grew my convictions that I could trust God to provide.  The church planting experience also grew me in many other areas of faith, maturity and leadership. None of that would have happened unless I threw myself into God’s hands.   Will you choose to know God more?  Choose to rely on God more?   Due to God’s capability “...and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.”   Paul testified that God is dunamos or powerful enough to guard what Paul has entrusted to God.  The Greek word for “guard” was a military term used for a soldier on watch duty.  Paul’s convictions were based not only upon his personal knowledge of God’s trustworthiness.  It was based also upon God’s capability, God’s power to do what He promised. Romans 8:35 - 39 (NIV) 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ...   38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Paul’s convictions was based also upon God’s capability, God’s power to do what He promised.   As far as Paul was concerned, God is totally capable of delivering on His promises.  It was not enough that Paul had a personal relationship with God, God also had to be capable to deliver on His promises. That is why Paul could entrust his soul unto God fully. Because God is fully capable to take care of his soul.    CONVICTIONS UNDERGIRDING THE CALL   Why do you think Paul had strong convictions about his call to be a herald, an apostle and a teacher (v11)? Paul was very clear about the fact that he had been called by God to his life task.  It probably helped that he encountered Christ on the road to Damascus, who commissioned him to bring the Gospel.   Prior to that encounter he was the chief persecutor of the infant church. Acts 9:1 - 2 (NIV) 1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.    Yet when he encountered Christ on the road to Damascus, it totally turned him around.  And God declared to Ananias in Acts 9:15 (NIV) …Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.    There have been many others who also had dramatic encounters with God, yet not all have developed convictions to serve God.  Why?  The parable of the sower in Matthew 13 gives us some insights.   Spiritual understanding   Matthew 13:18 - 19 (NIV) 18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means:  19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.    In v19, the seed that falls on the road never got to the earth.  The evil one snatches it away.  Why?  There was no understanding.  Ever sat in a lecture and you didn't understand what the lecturer was saying?  Usually you would also forget the details of what he taught and probably even the topic.   Ever sat through a sermon and it was just over your head?  Where you forget the details and even the sermon topic.  The problem is compounded by our enemy Satan who tries to snatch away that Word from us as well.  Bill Hybels once preached a sermon that he felt was one of his best.  He was excited to hear what his congregation thought about it. That Sunday afternoon he attended life group.  Nobody brought it up and he thought they conspired to pull his leg.  Finally, he could stand it any longer, and asked his friends what they thought. No one could remember much about what he preached that morning.   This is a common problem.  I have met many Christians who have attended church for years - and they say to me, “I have a very poor understanding of the Bible”.  Is it because their church doesn't teach them adequately?  Or is it because they did not have spiritual understanding and as a result lost most of what they heard?  Amazing thing is I then meet other Christians from the same church, sat through the same sermons and they have a great understanding of the Bible.    Some tips on how we can avoid the Devil stealing God's Word from us. ·      Pray for spiritual understanding. ·      Value God's Word.  Unless we value it, we will never make the effort necessary to retain it. ·      Soften our hearts, be humble to learn.  ·      Be obedient to God's Word, submit to it.  Don't fight against it.  But apply it in our lives. Application helps make it tangible in our own lives.   Heart change   Matthew 13:20-21 (NIV) 20 The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.  21 But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.    The seed in rocky ground was not able to penetrate into the soil sufficiently.  Its roots were too shallow.  The seed that is in good soil, its roots penetrate deep into the soil.  Its roots rearrange the structure and fabric of the soil.  There is change, deep into the soil. For deep convictions to develop, there must be change in the heart that goes deeper than simply spiritual understanding.    In the same way, for deep convictions to develop, there must be change in the heart that goes deeper than simply spiritual understanding.  When there is no change in our heart, it merely means our minds or our emotions were engaged.  There is no real change in our lives.  Therefore, we must apply what we believe to bring change in our lives!   Wholeheartedness.   Matthew 13:22 - 23 (NIV) 22 The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.  23 But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”   Convictions can only properly develop if we are whole-hearted.  When we are half-hearted, we waver and convictions cannot firm up.  The seed amongst the thorns allowed itself to be distracted, divided amongst competing interests.  As a result, it could not develop fully. Convictions can only properly develop if we are whole-hearted.  When we are half-hearted, we waver and convictions cannot firm up.  Kingdom of God or kingdom of the world?   In the highest levels of any sports, the athlete must be whole-hearted otherwise they will not invest the time, energy or sacrifice needed to reach the very top.  It is this conviction that they have got what it takes, that helps them invest what it takes.  God desires a whole-hearted person.  Psalms 86:11 (NIV) Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.   E. Stanley Jones states it graphically, "If you don't make up your mind, then your unmade mind will unmake you.  Here is the place where there must be no dallying.  For any dallying will be the Trojan  horse that will get on the inside and open the gates to the enemy.  God can do anything for the man who has made up his mind; he can do little or nothing for the double‑minded."[i]      Let’s be whole-hearted in the things of God!   CONVICTIONS GREATER THAN COST Even as Paul wrote the letter, he was in prison because of the Gospel he was preaching.  And it is because of his convictions to preach the Gospel despite the persecution, that landed him there. The depth of our convictions will be tested when we face trials.  The depth of our convictions will be shown by the cost we are willing to pay to carry out our convictions. The depth of our convictions will be shown by the cost we are willing to pay to carry out our convictions.   A hen and a pig were discussing how they may provide for their kind farmer.  The hen said, “I know!  I can give some eggs, and you can give some pork!”  The pig thought for a moment and replied, “That is easy for you to say.  For you it is convenient.  For me it is conviction.”    What shall it be for us?  Living our lives for convenience?  Or out of conviction?   CONCLUSIONS   Let us be a people of biblical conviction.  Such convictions will be a firm foundation upon which we can be fired up for God!   [i] The Way to Power and Poise, p.258 Copyright©️2025 by Wilson Lim. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.

Sometimes our generosity comes from mixed motives. It seems that some vandals had cut down six royal palms along Miami’s Flagler Street. Since the palms were very expensive, Dade County authorities weren’t sure if they could replace them very soon. But then someone donated six more and even had them planted. The old ones had been about fifteen feet tall and provided a nice foreground for a “Fly Delta” billboard. The new palms are thirty five feet tall completely hiding the sign. The new donor: Eastern Airlines.[1]   I could not verify the facts surrounding this story, but it highlights an important point for our attitudes in giving.  God seek givers who give with the right heart.  Who give for God’s purposes.  In this article we expound through Exodus 35:4 to 36:7 to discover some key attitudes we should develop to give excellently for God’s work.   In the passage, God had given instructions to Moses for the building of the tabernacle, which would become a meeting place of God.  It represented God’s house in the desert.  The Israelites were instructed to build the tabernacle, and they gave abundantly towards its building.  The way they gave is instructive to us at this point of our fund-raising.  There are 4 key principles that we can observe. GIVE OF WHAT WE HAVE   Moses commanded the people to give from what they had to build the tabernacle.  From this passage we discover 2 key principles that apply to us.   We are our own resource solution   Exodus 35:4-5 (NIV) “4 Moses said to the whole Israelite community, “This is what the Lord has commanded: 5 From what you have; take an offering for the Lord.  Everyone who is willing…”   Did you notice the way God instructed the Israelites to contribute towards the tabernacle?  God only instructed the Israelites to give.  There was no mention of seeking external help.  The Israelites were the solution to building the tabernacle.  All the necessary resources resided within the Israelites themselves.  God had blessed them sufficiently. They had enough to contribute towards building the tabernacle.   Back in Exodus 12 when the Israelites left Egypt after some 400 years of slavery. Ex 12:35 - 36 (NIV) 35 The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing.  36 The LORD had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians. God will provide sufficient resources for His purposes through His people.   God had blessed them in abundance of materials, enough for God’s purposes. The principle is this. God will provide sufficient resources for His purposes through His people. Of course, we can also look outside for assistance and resources.  But often, when God calls, God will provide. When God calls a church to a task, a project, God will often provide from within the local church. When a wise leadership properly manages the project, there will be sufficient from within. In faith, give of what you have and God will increase what you have.   Over the years since our own church building project started, I have noticed a very significant trend.  The wealth within our church membership had increased significantly.  Why is that?  Because they have been faithful in committing to build God’s house and God is rewarding the members’ faith.  God blessed the members so that they may bless His work.  In faith, give of what you have and God will increase what you have.   Givers will be blessed both here and in heaven.  Luke 6:38 (NIV) Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”    Now I want to clarify that I am not preaching a hyper-prosperity doctrine.  That teaches: the more you give the more God will bless you materially, regardless of your attitude. It is giving so that you may get.  Often that promotes greed. But the Bible teaches that we should give unto God for His purposes, not so that we can get a multiplied return. And when we give with the right heart, not in greed, God will bless the most.  It could be materially, emotionally, spiritually or in heavenly rewards.   “The millionaires in eternity are the givers in time”. Vern McLellan[2].  When our heart is right, we will have no problems giving even if God does not bless us materially as we may hope.   We can provide a variety of resources   Exodus 35:4–19 (NIV) 5 From what you have, take an offering for the Lord. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the Lord an offering of gold, silver and bronze; 6 blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair… 9 and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece. 10 “All who are skilled among you are to come and make everything the Lord has commanded: 11 the tabernacle with its tent and its covering, clasps, frames, crossbars, posts and bases… 19 the woven garments worn for ministering in the sanctuary—both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests.”   The Israelites were instructed to give from what they had.  Whether it be precious metal, fine cloth, fur, leather, select wood, oil, spices, precious jewels, etc.  In the same way, we can give from our resources whether it be money, gold, silver, diamonds!  Even cows, chickens and vegetables!  Of course, it is best to be something the church can easily make use of.   Those with the right skills were also requested to contribute their talent towards building the tabernacle.  Skills in carpentry, woodwork, metalwork, cloth, embroidery, perfumery, etc.  A wide range of skills were required. In the same way, we too can contribute of our specialist knowledge and skills to build God’s house.  Whether it be architecture, engineering, construction, interior design, landscaping, carpentry, painting, bricklaying, etc.  God will help raise many of these skills from within.  When I was a member of my first church in Melbourne, we had a church building project.  A young bricklayer donated a year of his time and basically laid the facade of the large church building almost single-handedly.  It was an amazing contribution.   GIVE FROM A WILLING HEART   In v20-29, we discover 3 aspects about giving from a willing heart.   After due consideration   Exodus 34:20 (NIV) “Then the whole Israelite community withdrew from Moses presence…”   The whole Israelite community withdrew from Moses and had time to consider the request.  They did this because they were sincerely willing to contribute.  That they may pray and carefully consider God’s instruction. In the same way, our willingness to commit to God’s purposes is shown by our willingness to seek God. It is crucial to ask God about how we should contribute towards significant projects.  For we believe that there are great benefits in seeking and hearing God.   Firstly, it is an opportunity for us to grow in our willingness to contribute towards God’s purposes. Secondly, we grow spiritually as we learn to hear God’s rhema word. Thirdly, we learn to nurture and persevere in faith based on God’s rhema word. Fourthly, such faith will be rewarded by God.  God will move upon our situation to help us.  Nothing is impossible for God.  Impossibilities are nothing to God!    In 1 Kings 17:7-16, the widow heard the rhema word from the prophet Elijah and believed.  1 Kings 17:16 (NIV) For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah.   As a result, she and her son had enough to eat during the terrible famine!   As a freewill offering unto God   Exodus 35:21, 29 (NIV) “ 21…and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him came and brought and offering to the Lord for the work on the tent of meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments… 29 All the Israelite men and women who were willing brought to the LORD freewill offerings for all the work the LORD through Moses had commanded them to do.   The Israelites began to come forward and to give willingly unto the building of the tabernacle.  All kinds of things were given.  A freewill offering is an offering given freely, without compulsion, without obligation. A giving because our hearts moved us. Hence it must be distinguished from tithes.    Tithes are required by God.  A tenth of our gross income is a tithe unto God.  It is an obligation to God, not in a legalistic sense but as a principle.  Lev 27:30 - 32 (NIV) 30 “‘A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD... 32 The entire tithe of the herd and flock—every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod—will be holy to the LORD.” Freewill offerings are given on top of the tithe because we are to give freely extra. When we give freewill offerings, God is extra pleased because we gave out of the abundance of our hearts.   When we give of our tithes, God is pleased because we obeyed His commands and honour Him. When we give freewill offerings, God is extra pleased because we gave out of the abundance of our hearts.   While Eric Hulstrand of Binford, North Dakota, was preaching one Sunday, an elderly woman, Mary, fainted and struck her head on the end of the pew. Immediately, an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) in the congregation called an ambulance. As they strapped her to a stretcher and got ready to head out the door, Mary regained consciousness. She motioned for her daughter to come near. Everyone thought she was summoning her strength to convey what could be her final words. The daughter leaned over until her ear was at her mother's mouth. "My offering is in my purse," she whispered.[3]  How is that for dedicated giving?   As a response to a need   Exodus 35:27–28 (NIV) 27 The leaders brought onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece. 28 They also brought spices and olive oil for the light and for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense.   The Israelite leaders gave of the onyx stones and other gems.  The leaders gave the most expensive parts, and the most specific part suited to the function of the priest in the Holy Place.  The giving of the Israelites, especially the leaders, were not indiscriminate. They recognised the significance and the need, giving where it was most helpful.   So we may choose to give, say for community work, for missions, for the poor, for the building fund, etc.  It is up to us as we respond to certain needs.   GIVE TO BRING EXCELLENCE   Exodus 36:1 (NIV) So Bezalel, Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the Lord has commanded.”   The skilled workers were gifted by the Spirit of God in such a way to be able to bring excellence into their craftsmanship.  They eagerly worked to bring about excellence in the tabernacle.  We see evidence of the Spirit of God in the construction site.  Equipping the people to carry out the work with excellence (v32-25).   In the same way, we can contribute in a manner that brings about excellence in God’s work.  Perhaps we have giftings and experience that can bring the project to the next level in excellence. It could range from highly technical expertise to simpler hands on experience such as landscaping or planting.  The key motivation is to give excellently to bring about excellence for God’s house.   Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni painted the Sistine Chapel over a period of 4 years from 1508-1512.  Originally Pope Julius II wanted the 12 apostles, but Michelangelo proposed an incredibly more ambitious scheme portraying key scenes from Genesis plus many characters from the Old Testament leading to Christ.  Altogether some 300 figures. Once, when he was painting in some obscure corner, a friend asked why he bothered to put so much effort on a part nobody can see.  He replied, “God will see.” Michelangelo further stated, “Many believe - and I believe - that I have been designated for this work by God. In spite of my old age, I do not want to give it up; I work out of love for God and I put all my hope in Him.”   Excellence is about giving our best unto God!   GIVE MORE THAN ENOUGH   Exodus 35:5 (NIV) “…the people are bringing more than enough for doing the work…”   The people continued to give morning after morning.  There was an incredible line of people just lining up to give towards God’s work.  Until the craftsman had to cry out “stop”.  Such was the heart of the people that wanted to give more than enough for the completion of God’s work.  Even the workers were generous in their time and skills commitment.  We should not give in a minimalist way but in a generous way, giving more than enough.   We should not give in a minimalist way but in a generous way, giving more than enough.  Because we desire to see the glory of God’s work.  King David demonstrated this principle in his preparation for the building of God’s temple. 1 Chr 29:2 - 5 (NIV) 2 With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God—gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, … and all kinds of fine stone and marble—all of these in large quantities.  3 Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple:  4 three thousand talents of gold (gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents of refined silver, for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings, 5 for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen.”   He gave with great abundance so that one day his son Solomon may build this magnificent temple for God.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we can do likewise?   CONCLUSION   In considering how we may contribute towards God’s work, let us consider what we have to give, whether in finance or gifting, with a willing heart. Let us give in such a way that it will help bring about excellence.  Let us consider giving in such a way that there will be more than enough. [1] James S. Hewett, ed., Illustrations Unlimited: A Topical Collection of Hundreds of Stories, Quotations, & Humor for Speakers, Writers, Pastors and Teachers (Tyndale House Publishers, 1988). [2] The Complete Book of Practical Proverbs and Wacky Wit (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1996). [3] Fresh Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching (Baker), from the editors of Leadership Copyright©️2025 by Wilson Lim. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.