What Now, Lord?

Life is never at a standstill. We are continually buffeted with situations and crossroads where life changing decisions has to be made. I have seen for myself some major decisions I have made that has changed the course of my life many times. The question continually pops up : "Am I in God's will?". We seems to struggle with this as the answer always seem to be elusive.

Again as I faced another crossroad, I am reminded of 3 timeless lessons from Charles Swindoll in today's devotion.

" First, God's solutions are often strange and simple, so be open. We try to make God complex and complicated. He isn't. Don't make the carrying out of God's will complicated. It isn't. Stay open to His strange yet simple solutions.

Second, God's promotions are usually sudden and surprising, so be ready. At the time you least expect it, it'll come. Just like His Son's return from heaven. Suddenly and surprisingly He will split the clouds and be with us. Just when we expect Him the least He'll be there, like a thief in the night. And that's the way His promotions are. He watches you as you faithfully carry out your tasks, and He says to you, "I know what I'm doing. In a sudden and surprising moment, you be ready. I know where you are, and I know how to find you. You just stay ready as you carry out your job."

Finally, God's selections are always sovereign and sure, so be sensitive. That applies to choosing a mate as well as losing a mate. It applies to our being moved from one place to another, even though we thought we'd remain there ten more years. It also applies to those God appoints to fill the shoes of another. How easy to second-guess God's selections! How necessary, when tempted to do that, to remind ourselves that His selections are sovereign and sure.

God is looking at your town, your city, your neighborhood, and He's looking for His people to whom He can say, "You are Mine. I want to use you there because you proved yourself faithful there." The only difference is our geography. Our calling is to be faithful in the demanding tasks, whether that is our education, our marriage, our occupation, or just the daily grind of life. That's the kind of men and women God wants to use. "

Just as I am, where I am and what I am doing right now, be open, be ready and be sensitive as I continue to be faithful to the tasks God has laid out for me.

MONEY can't buy you happiness.

Can happiness be bought with Money? That was the discussion I had with a couple of colleagues during our usual lunchtime talk. Their lunch time practise were always to drive out to the nearby food centres for a meal. Most of the time, it will also mean a visit to the Toto/4D queue for their weekly bets.

Although their reasons are varied, there is an underlying assumption that all their problems will be solved once they can hit the jackpot. For that they will be happy.
True. Money can solved a whole lot of problems and bring you happiness, albeit momentarily. However, money could also bring you a host of other problems as well.

An article in a recent newspaper mentioned that going by past examples, lottery winners rarely end up happy. Instead, many of them end up in the dumps. It cited that 2 out of 3 winners lose or spend all their money within 5 years.

So, why gamble? The odds against you winning is so high and even when you win, chances are that you will not be happy.

The answer lies in your heart. The Bible tells us that "the love of money is the root of all evil". The reason most gamblers do not stop to think about what they are doing is that they are motivated by greed. That, of course, is what gambling is all about. If you win, you get back the money you put down plus a lot more. You bet a little in hopes of winning a lot.

According to the Bible, there are three legitimate ways to get money. First, you can work for it. (2 Thessalonians 3:10) Second, you can make money through wise investments. (Luke 19:1-27) Third, you can receive a gift or an inheritance. (2 Corinthians 12:14) There is no fourth category.

Perhaps we should hear again the words of the Apostle Paul in I Timothy 6:6-10.

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 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. 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."



Let us ask God to teach us contentment with what we already have. This is the central issue in the gambling debate. Do we believe that God will take care of all our needs all the time? If the answer is yes, then we don't need to help him out by gambling. If the answer is no, then we've got problems a lot bigger than whether or not to buy a lottery ticket.