Well, almost. Ethan weighs between 28 kg to 29 kg. So, when he fell asleep in the car on our way to fetching Nic from Boys Brigade recently, I was worried I would not be able to carry him out of the car into the shopping centre where we were to meet Henry. What if he was in deep sleep?
I suddenly had an idea to pull up the car by the road side and called Henry to gauge how far away he was (in another car). Looking back, I believe it was the holy spirit that prompted me at the right time.
The car park was quite full and we were slowly circling the car park. After awhile, I noticed people walking towards their cars - two groups of them, about two cars apart. As I waited for one of them to reverse, I looked backwards and saw Henry's car behind mine! Praise the Lord! I thought he would park in the space 2 cars away but instead he parked just next to mine! I did not even see anyone approaching the car next to me! Amazing! My heart was so thankful, I just thanked Jesus. He cares for even the little details of our lives. Even though Henry left the house slightly later, he still ended up behind me just in time. Even though there was available car park space 2 cars away, God would still make a way for us to park side by side in a fairly full car park!
It was as if we had arrived at the shopping centre in one car! It was so easy for Henry to then just open my door and carry sleeping Ethan, who is as heavy as 3 sacks of rice! Praise the Lord! Thank you Jesus for looking after even the smallest details of our lives because you love us so!
God is a personal God who loves each and everyone of us. In the case of the 10 lepers, he healed all 10 of them but only one of them returned to thank Jesus (see Luke 17:11-19 below). He cares for even the smallest details of my life, sometimes which I take for granted and I am reminded once again to thank Jesus for His marvelous works! All glory to God!
Psalm 105:5
Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced
Luke 17:11-19
Jesus Heals Ten Men With Leprosy
Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
Behind-the-Scenes on the Jerusalem MOOC!
6 hours ago
Hi Liz,
ReplyDeleteThe healing of the 10 leprous persons teaches one important thing (not that it does not teach any others) which we must take note, and it is that we, as children of God, must not take for granted the grace of God. Many believers, including myself, often said we are thankful for being born-again, and we think we are being thankful, when more often than not, how we are thankful is no more than a one-off, "past thankfulness". Think about how one should be thankful to our parents who gave birth to us, and walked with us through life. It is a life-time thankfulness towards our parents. Children who take for granted what the parents give out do not subscribe to a life-time thankfulness. There are many such children in our midst, and we may be a guilty one too. When we cannot be thankful to the ones we can see, can we be thankful to the one we cannot see? When we claim to be thankful to God, yet we are not, to our parents or even to any others who extended help or grace to us, it is doubtful we are really thankful to God, much along the same line that the Apostle John talked about in 1 John 4:20 concerning loving God. This is not an accusation of you or anyone, but may it serve as food for thought for all of us.
1 John 4:20 - If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
The lesson of healing of the 10 leprous persons was particularly targeted at children of God because of verse 18 of the Luke’s text: Was no one found to return and give praise to God except THIS FOREIGNER? The 10 persons undoubtedly were a mixed group, whether it were 9 Jews and 1 Samaritan, or a few Jews and a few Samaritans, mattered not, the point was that Jesus emphasized that it was a foreigner who came back to give thanks. The one truly understands how undeserving he is, is the one who is forever thankful. And there is “a price” to thankfulness, and the OT fervent Jews, like David, fully understood that; even the psalmist often spoke about a fulfilling a vow {thanksgiving vows} for answered prayers, in their psalms.
It is sad there is increasing teaching on Christian living suggesting God does not want anything for what He did for us. While it is absolutely true that God does not NEED anything from us, He does WANT us to walk humbly before Him (Micah 6:8). Humility and thankfulness go together. Have we, even though we are a Gentile Christian, and not a Jew, been as complacent as a Jew compared to a foreigner; have we been less thankful compared to a non-believer, receiving a ministry from the Lord? Do we make that trip to see our parents and say “thank you” personally or do we just say to ourselves, “I will just thank my parents in my heart, and that will do.”? Or do we say, “My siblings will be visiting father and mother; I would not be missed.”?
Today, we do not have to do all those elaborate thanksgiving offerings required under the Mosaic Law, but do we even bothered to go to church on weekends to thank God in wholehearted praise and worship for His grace and seeing us through, for the past week? What kind of attitude do we bring to our praise and worship sessions in our church services? Do we give thanksgiving only when it is convenient; what kind of thanksgiving is that?
Lord, may we (me, included), remember and actually thank you for your love and faithfulness for us, your children. In Jesus’ name. Amen.