a new day brings forth new strength and new hope!

I love travelling and only if I had the time to do so whenever the wanderlust sets in, I believe my family and close friends will have a hard time keeping track of my whereabouts.  However, with the various vicious terrorists’ attacks on foreign soil recently, the first thought that comes into people’s mind when travelling abroad is concerned no doubt is to question if it is save to travel anymore.  But to think further, we will come to the realisation that in actual fact, attacks have taken place in our home front here in Malaysia too.  So does it mean we are not even safe to leave the house and carry on with our daily lives?

With the uncertainty of how mad things will get in this already chaotic world, we are too afraid to even want to entertain the thought of further massacres and more bloodshed.  We have been praying a lot and ever so desperately not just for our country for the restoration of racial and religious harmony and for the political arena, but also for all nations.  I realised in my recent reflection that praying for world peace is no longer just a stereotyped question posed for or answer expected from the contestants of beauty pageants or something to be snickered at, but one that is very necessary in the present state we are in.

But I hear you say, what if we have gotten to the stage that we simply do not know how to pray anymore, or we get more and more upset over these issues that are beyond our control as we pray, or even, we are just so so tired and weary… my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us just worship God!  When we are so challenged with what goes on around us and feeling helpless, we worship God!  When we are feeling despair or anguish that our prayers have yet to be answered, we worship God!  When that small still voice in our heart is drowned out by the noises and worries of the world, we worship God!  The more we are distracted, feeling defeated and/or do not feel like worshipping, the more we need to worship God!

I remind myself often that we must not fix our eyes on the troubles and difficulties at hand but lift our eyes and shift our focus on God, and worship Him.  As we quieten ourselves down before the Lord, praise and worship Him in spirit and in truth, God will come and meet with us, and His peace that transcends all understanding will fall upon us.  We know God is ultimately in control of all things and as for now, let us hold on fast to our faith — not a great faith but faith in a great God, and trust and worship Him!

1 Chronicles 16:23-31

²³ Sing to the Lord, all the earth;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
²⁴ Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvellous deeds among all peoples.

²⁵ For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.
²⁶ For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
²⁷ Splendour and majesty are before him;
strength and joy are in his dwelling place.

²⁸ Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
²⁹ Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come before him.
Worship the Lord in the splendour of his holiness.
³⁰  Tremble before him, all the earth!
The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.

³¹ Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!”