Trials.

The O' level results will be coming out in a few hours time.
At this point,
I'm sure most of us will have the fear kicking on us.
Fear of failure,
fear of not getting into the course we desire,
fear of losing out to our friends.
Even I've got to admit,
I'm having these fears within me at this moment.
But I've learnt alot during these past few weeks.
God has truly taught me many things.

Somehow I have the gut feeling that I won't be able to get into a JC.
I was very depressed as I really hoped to at least be able to get into a JC.
But God told me this,
"give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus"
- 1 Thessalonians 5:18
And I really believe this is true.
How we often fail to thank God when we come into trials.
Instead,
we would blame Him.
"If You love me, why are you doing this to me?!"
We would often tell God when we don't get what we want.

I really admire this person in the bible called Job.
This who he is:
"In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. He had seven sons and three daughters, and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.

His sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send and have them purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, "Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." This was Job's regular custom."
- Job 1:1-5
Job was so righteous and sinless,
but the Lord one day decided to test Job's faith in Him by allowing the Devil to curse Job.

This was Job's first trial:
"One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. The Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?"

Satan answered the Lord from roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."

Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."

"Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face."

The Lord said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger."

Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

One day when Job's sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!""
- Job 1:6-18
God allowed Satan to curse Job just as God will allow Satan to curse our lives.
But that doesn't mean God does not love us.
A parent sometimes has to spank his/her child in order to make him/her learn.
Does that mean that parent doesn't love his/her child?
"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
- Hebrews 12:11
That's exactly God's purpose for giving us trials.
We go in weak,
but come out stronger.
Looking at the effects Job suffered,
it looks like we would be cursing God.
But this was what Job did:
"At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said:

"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.""
- Job 1:20

At this point,
you guys must be thinking to yourselves,
"Siao arh! Cannot be one la. Confirm fake one."
But I've got to tell you guys this fact,
nobody and I mean,
NOBODY on earth has been able to prove the bible false.
Now tell me,
would we have done what Job done?
I don't think so.

There's more:
"On another day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. And the Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?"

Satan answered the Lord, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."

Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason."

"Skin for skin!" Satan replied. "A man will give all he has for his own life. But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face."

The Lord said to Satan, "Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life."

So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.

His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!""
- Job 2:1-9

Now God decides to test Job again, just as He will continually test us,
and at this point,
I'm guessing that we would really just curse God and die.
But not Job.

Despite even his wife telling him to just give in to the Devil's tricks,
he persevered.
This was what he said:
"He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?""
- Job 2:10

Indeed,
we often thank God for the good things in life and complain when He sends us trouble.
Typical human beings!
Job, despite continuous trials he was put into,
he said,
"God may kill me, but still I will trust Him."
- Job 13:15

Shouldn't we trust in Him?
Trust that He has our future in His hands.
Trust that He does everything for the good of us.
Trust that everything He does is meant for His purpose for us.
Instead,
we often curse God.

If we think we've suffered a great deal,
think about how much Jesus Christ suffered.
Some of you may not believe in Him,
but that's the truth,
Jesus Christ came and died for our sins.
Even when He has the option to skip this step of obedience,
He said this before He knew He was about to die:
""Father, everything is possible for You. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want Your will, not mine.""
- Mark 14:36

Jesus surrendered His all to God.
Why can't we?

"We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and He chose them to become like His Son"
- Romans 8:28-29
and
"Every test that you have experienced is the kind that normally comes to people. But God keeps His promise, and He will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, He will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out."
- 1 Corinthians 10:13

Now,
no matter what your O' level results,
will you choose to trust in God?

Beauty.

Have you ever woke up wishing that you weren't who you were?
That you would looked better?
That you were skinnier?
That you were taller?
Walking around in public and feeling inferior even to strangers whom you do not know?
"How I wish I looked like that."
You would think to yourself.
You then try your best to change yourself by going to the gym to work out,
by skipping the rope,
by buying all the SK-II facial mask,
by putting on make-up on your face,
by wearing weird accessories hoping that people would notice them instead of your inferiorities.
But in the end,
you realise that you're still the same.
You then begin to blame God for making you who you are.
"Try again." says the Devil.
Nothing happens and you blame God again.
This cycle is repeated time and time again.

We often forget that we were made for a purpose.
We ought to thank God for giving us two eyes, two ears, two arms, two hands, two legs, two feet, one nose, one mouth and our five senses.
Instead,
we blame Him.
You complain when you see zits all over your face,
but have you taken a look around you?
There are people who are disabled;
people who are mentally unsound,
people who can't see,
who can't walk,
who can't hear,
who can't even talk.
These people serve as a reminder to us by God;
that we're lucky enough to be who we are.
These people are not useless.
In fact,
they're beautiful people.
The fact that they know who they are and are everyday guided by God make them the most special and most beautiful people.
Never look down on these people!
For they can do great things if they allow God to use them.

My aim in saying this is that we shouldn't worry about our outlook appearance.
Look at me!
I am dark, short, not good looking and do not get good grades
but do I stay at home and moan over that?
No!
Instead,
I trust in God.
Trust that He'll help me grow taller,
trust that He'll provide me with a wonderful future wife,
trust that He holds my future.
For He created everything and He knows each and everyone of our future.
"It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and put our hopes up, He had His eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose He is working out in everything and everyone."
- Ephesians 1:11

So what is beauty?
The dictionary says: "a quality that a place or person has that makes them very attractive to look at."
Is seeing believing?
The bible however,
gives a different point of view.
"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the blood of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."
- Ecclesiastes 3:11
The bible says everything is beautiful.
Aren't we all part of this 'everything'?


So what if one may look beautiful?
If the inside is rotten, isn't it useless.
Ever heard of the phrase 'seeing is not believing'?
"...You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean."
- Matthew 23:27
Keep a clear conscience!

If you feel that you're the ugliest person on earth,
or if you're never on par with anyone,
the Devil is working on you.
For the Devil is here to deceive us.
If you feel this way,
make this prayer to God, even if you're not a Christian,
for God hears all prayers.
"Dear God, I am weak. Get me out of this bottomless pit of inferiority. Get the Devil away from me. Lord, I need you."
A short and simple prayer and yet,
God will know that you're in need.

In order to prevent inferiority from spreading,
Do not insult your friends!
What you say to your friend may be nonsense to you but to your friend,
that 'nonsense' may hit your friend at some point.
"Do not testify your neighbor without cause, or use your lips to deceive."
- Proverbs 24:28

Get this fact into your head:
We are all created uniquely and are beautiful in every way.
"You created every part of me;
You put me together in my mother's womb.
I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
When my bones were being formed,
carefully put together in my mother's womb
when I was growing there in secret,
You knew that I was there--
You saw me before I was born.
The days allotted to me
had all been recorded in Your book,
before any of them ever began."
- Psalms 139:13-16

Now, are you beautiful?