And we start talking...
SIM2 PNF Reflections Day 7 [Isaiah 48:10-11]
Posted on Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Sharon:
"I have refined you in the furnace of affliction, but found no silver there, you are worthless with nothing good in you at all" (The living bible translation) Testings/obstacles are part of God's molding, at the end of our life time.. When we meet Jesus face to face how would we want to be greeted? "My good and faithful servant" or what is stated in v10 saying "you worthless with nothing good in you at all" - after enduring through the test of 'life' do we try our best to pass obstacles or try our best to avoid them? Live a life that pleases God -> Do not only hate the obvious sins in our lives but also the socially acceptable ones which we tend to over look or conform to due to our environment (grey areas) Life worth living is a life lived in reverence of God!
Hanyun:
Reading the verse alone made me very confused, and i checked out the previous chapters. The Israelites were stubborn people. Though they had heard and seen the greatness of God, and despite repeated warnings from God, they refused to acknowledge Him. This was when God said these verses, because God knows them well. People, are often very self centered, and sometimes we think that the world revolves around us. Being absorbed in our own problems and perceived tough times, we tend to be self centered even in our relationship with God. This is when God wants to humble and bring us back to reality. His grace and mercy towards us is a gift! All along it was ALL about God, not us! And still, though we are inadequate, God yearns to use us and show His glory through us. I pray to sit humbly before God's throne, hearing Him speak and not telling Him what i want. At all times to acknowledge that He is sovereign.
Michelle:
We are sinful in nature, but when we accept Christ, we sin less, but still not to the point of being sinless. But we are different in a way that we are being transformed to be more Christ like and that when people see the change in us, we are actually glorifying God. This reminded e of areas that I'm still sinning or I'm holding on to. And if I'm able to overcome it, I'm able to show the glory of God for humans are limited, while God is powerful. What seems impossible is possible for God. Want to pray that I'll overcome it together with God. Allow His glory to be shown through me.
Jesline:
God is not a god of contradiction. Although God can destroy us everytime we disobey and turn away from Him, when we refuse to obey him and harden our hearts, He still will be patient in teaching us His ways. He may teach us by allowing us to experience difficult or painful things in our life but it is all for the sake of upholding His promise that is both loving and just. 2 Peter 3:8-9. God is patient in transforming us in His glory.
Prayer- That i will not take advantage of God's kindness and patience towards me, even as i go through exams, i want to allow God to do His work in me so that i may be refined to become more like Christ in character.
Shuning:
God put us through these testings so that we can glorify Him through our molding. Through our molding, we become better people to glorify His name. Allow God to take control of our lives and allow Him to mold us.
Elaine:
It's by his grace and forgiveness that we are forgiven. Because Jesus died for us so we can have the freedom and eternal life. As a believer we should reflect how jesus is like. It's not easy to do that because we are imperfect, we can never be the standard of God but we should not have this mindset and stop seeking after God's intended purpose for us. As a christian is not about how we treat people well from our own strength but rather it's how god use us as a channel to show the people his love.
Prayer point- i want to find out more about his purpose for me.
Liyi:
I think this is one of the toughest passage as it took me quite some time to understand. From the passage, what i understood was that the people of Israel were full of sins and they were stubborn. Thus in v10, God talks about refining the people to purify them. By using the analogy of silver, it takes a long and tough process for the silver to become pure. In the same way, i see God as my goldsmith and He wants to refine me into someone who is pure. However, i really don't know what to expect as God will test me to get me refined and molded. Rather, i can be stubborn to not give in to God's testing. I would want to allow God to purify me and at the end of the day, i can give glory to God and say that He is the one who molds me to who i am today.
Liyin:
Didn't understand the passage, so read Isaiah 48:1-11 instead, which was about stubborn Israel. God was questioning them. For Israel, by its sinful ways, did not acknowledge God as GOD. But God reminded the ppl of who they were, where they had come from (from v1 to 2). That they were God's ppl and He was their God. And the way God phrased His words showed them that they were believers in name but not in deeds. Yes, they were called by the name of Israel, come from the line of Judah, take oaths in His name, invoke God's name, but they don't do it in truth or righteousness. God then proceeds to say "you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city and rely on the God of Israel". Through the ages, God had given them prophecies of what is to come, and then brought those things to pass, to show that He is God, to reveal Himself to them (v5-6). And He asked the ppl in v6, "Will you not admit them?" God reminded me that all His prophecies and revelations to the ppl are to build them up, but more importantly, to reveal Himself to them. He knew His ppl inside out, and knew how they would react to certain situations.?
God went to great lengths to bring Israel out of its stubbornness, its refusal to acknowledge God. "For I knew", "Well do I know". God KNEW His ppl from the inside out. He knew their character and their responses, that's why He did what He did for them. Same for us. Whatever troubles God allows us to go through, they are CATERED, specially designed to mold our character in the ways God knows best. Everyone's different, with different character flaws and mindsets. That's why what we go through is different and unique, just nice for us.?
And God says He tests and refines us for His own sake. Well, it occurred to me that if we made something, we would want it to be the best it can be, to reach its potential. God knows exactly what we need, as seen from the verses in front. And God is molding and refining us into who He wants us to be. Because God is holy and righteous. And His work is of eternal importance. He called us out. We are called out BY God and FOR God. If we call ourselves His children, and then don't live according to His Word, then we are showing the world how unreal and how small our God is. I believe that's why God said "How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another." 1 Peter 2:9 - But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. =)
Prayer: To see challenges in this light, that they are specially designed to address my character flaws and help me reach my fullest potential. And yes, to be reminded of WHO called me to do what i'm doing, WHO placed me where i am.?
"I have refined you in the furnace of affliction, but found no silver there, you are worthless with nothing good in you at all" (The living bible translation) Testings/obstacles are part of God's molding, at the end of our life time.. When we meet Jesus face to face how would we want to be greeted? "My good and faithful servant" or what is stated in v10 saying "you worthless with nothing good in you at all" - after enduring through the test of 'life' do we try our best to pass obstacles or try our best to avoid them? Live a life that pleases God -> Do not only hate the obvious sins in our lives but also the socially acceptable ones which we tend to over look or conform to due to our environment (grey areas) Life worth living is a life lived in reverence of God!
Hanyun:
Reading the verse alone made me very confused, and i checked out the previous chapters. The Israelites were stubborn people. Though they had heard and seen the greatness of God, and despite repeated warnings from God, they refused to acknowledge Him. This was when God said these verses, because God knows them well. People, are often very self centered, and sometimes we think that the world revolves around us. Being absorbed in our own problems and perceived tough times, we tend to be self centered even in our relationship with God. This is when God wants to humble and bring us back to reality. His grace and mercy towards us is a gift! All along it was ALL about God, not us! And still, though we are inadequate, God yearns to use us and show His glory through us. I pray to sit humbly before God's throne, hearing Him speak and not telling Him what i want. At all times to acknowledge that He is sovereign.
Michelle:
We are sinful in nature, but when we accept Christ, we sin less, but still not to the point of being sinless. But we are different in a way that we are being transformed to be more Christ like and that when people see the change in us, we are actually glorifying God. This reminded e of areas that I'm still sinning or I'm holding on to. And if I'm able to overcome it, I'm able to show the glory of God for humans are limited, while God is powerful. What seems impossible is possible for God. Want to pray that I'll overcome it together with God. Allow His glory to be shown through me.
Jesline:
God is not a god of contradiction. Although God can destroy us everytime we disobey and turn away from Him, when we refuse to obey him and harden our hearts, He still will be patient in teaching us His ways. He may teach us by allowing us to experience difficult or painful things in our life but it is all for the sake of upholding His promise that is both loving and just. 2 Peter 3:8-9. God is patient in transforming us in His glory.
Prayer- That i will not take advantage of God's kindness and patience towards me, even as i go through exams, i want to allow God to do His work in me so that i may be refined to become more like Christ in character.
Shuning:
God put us through these testings so that we can glorify Him through our molding. Through our molding, we become better people to glorify His name. Allow God to take control of our lives and allow Him to mold us.
Elaine:
It's by his grace and forgiveness that we are forgiven. Because Jesus died for us so we can have the freedom and eternal life. As a believer we should reflect how jesus is like. It's not easy to do that because we are imperfect, we can never be the standard of God but we should not have this mindset and stop seeking after God's intended purpose for us. As a christian is not about how we treat people well from our own strength but rather it's how god use us as a channel to show the people his love.
Prayer point- i want to find out more about his purpose for me.
Liyi:
I think this is one of the toughest passage as it took me quite some time to understand. From the passage, what i understood was that the people of Israel were full of sins and they were stubborn. Thus in v10, God talks about refining the people to purify them. By using the analogy of silver, it takes a long and tough process for the silver to become pure. In the same way, i see God as my goldsmith and He wants to refine me into someone who is pure. However, i really don't know what to expect as God will test me to get me refined and molded. Rather, i can be stubborn to not give in to God's testing. I would want to allow God to purify me and at the end of the day, i can give glory to God and say that He is the one who molds me to who i am today.
Liyin:
Didn't understand the passage, so read Isaiah 48:1-11 instead, which was about stubborn Israel. God was questioning them. For Israel, by its sinful ways, did not acknowledge God as GOD. But God reminded the ppl of who they were, where they had come from (from v1 to 2). That they were God's ppl and He was their God. And the way God phrased His words showed them that they were believers in name but not in deeds. Yes, they were called by the name of Israel, come from the line of Judah, take oaths in His name, invoke God's name, but they don't do it in truth or righteousness. God then proceeds to say "you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city and rely on the God of Israel". Through the ages, God had given them prophecies of what is to come, and then brought those things to pass, to show that He is God, to reveal Himself to them (v5-6). And He asked the ppl in v6, "Will you not admit them?" God reminded me that all His prophecies and revelations to the ppl are to build them up, but more importantly, to reveal Himself to them. He knew His ppl inside out, and knew how they would react to certain situations.?
God went to great lengths to bring Israel out of its stubbornness, its refusal to acknowledge God. "For I knew", "Well do I know". God KNEW His ppl from the inside out. He knew their character and their responses, that's why He did what He did for them. Same for us. Whatever troubles God allows us to go through, they are CATERED, specially designed to mold our character in the ways God knows best. Everyone's different, with different character flaws and mindsets. That's why what we go through is different and unique, just nice for us.?
And God says He tests and refines us for His own sake. Well, it occurred to me that if we made something, we would want it to be the best it can be, to reach its potential. God knows exactly what we need, as seen from the verses in front. And God is molding and refining us into who He wants us to be. Because God is holy and righteous. And His work is of eternal importance. He called us out. We are called out BY God and FOR God. If we call ourselves His children, and then don't live according to His Word, then we are showing the world how unreal and how small our God is. I believe that's why God said "How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another." 1 Peter 2:9 - But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. =)
Prayer: To see challenges in this light, that they are specially designed to address my character flaws and help me reach my fullest potential. And yes, to be reminded of WHO called me to do what i'm doing, WHO placed me where i am.?
Labels: Our Reflections
WOOHOO! I LOVE JESUS! 10:16 AM
