muses

Oh, oh! I learnt another new word today! *giggles*

gar·gan·tu·an [gahr-gan-choo-uhn]

- adjective

gigantic; enormous; colossal: a gargantuan task.

Saw the word in the pitch for John Piper’s new book.

Can’t help but ask what is happening to this world when there’s news of the tainted milk scare and collapse of the financial giants. When news of AIG’s impending collapse came out, I wondered if I should call my financial planner, but figured out that there’s no reason to panic as I followed the news. One verse came to me in the midst of the turbulence:

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe

Hebrews 12:28

With such a secure inheritance, I know that I don’t have to fret. God’s kingdom is unshakable. This knowledge granted me comfort and rest. And I thanked God for that.

Is your security unshakable?

Clay is confirming that he is gay. At least that’s what the gossip columns are saying today. He is appearing on the cover of People magazine with the headline “Yes, I’m Gay.” Frankly, I’m disappointed but I still love the way he sings.

I’m reminded of a conversation that I had with some sisters last weekend: are there gay Christians? Well, I’ve heard testimonies of Christians who struggle with homosexual inclinations, and for them, the way of obedience is celibracy. Because of the fallen-ness of man, our natural desires are tainted with sin, and likewise, they can’t help with the desires that emerge. But for them to obey God with their lives, they abstain from sexual relations with the same sex. It’s the same thing when Christians start to like non-Christians even though we know that God has commanded us not to be unequally yoked (or in other words, be united with unbelievers). As much as we tell our hearts not to have feelings for non-Christians, we could still succumb. I remember Dr Ajith Fernando sharing his own experience during last year’s session. And I understand it because I’ve been tempted as well. Thank God for His grace to overcome. But even with the feelings that have developed, we can repent and depend on God as long as our hearts are set on following him. So the response for every Christian is to resolve to follow God regardless of the life’s phases and pain, for that’s what discipleship is all about.

What will Clay say? We will have to wait to find out…

Psalm 104 (NIV)

1 Praise the LORD, O my soul.
O LORD my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

2 He wraps himself in light as with a garment;
he stretches out the heavens like a tent

3 and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
and rides on the wings of the wind.

4 He makes winds his messengers [or angels],
flames of fire his servants.

Read this in worship on Sun, and I told a sister that, which means according to verse 4, every time the wind’s in our face, there are the angels.

Experienced strong winds this morning, so I thought, hmmm, that’s quite a few angels in transit…

Thanks to Mr A.W. Tozer, I’ve added another word to my vocabulary this week (actually it’s more than one; I had to turn to the dictionary 5 times reading one chapter in the book The Pursuit of God… …). And the word of the week is:

Ineffable

In*ef”fa*ble\, a. Incapable of being expresses in words; unspeakable; unutterable; indescribable; as, the ineffable joys of heaven.

[from www.dictionary.com Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary]

I was reminded of this word when we sang the first stanza of I stand in awe of you in worship today.

“You are beautiful beyond description, too marvelous for words
Too wonderful for comprehension, like nothing ever seen or heard”

My vocab and the words that exist in this world would never be able to qualify the attributes of God. Words fail us when it comes to describing the infinite God.