Remember Our Identity

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure.

Psalm 16:9 (NIV)

Do your friends or family members have pets?
Maybe they enjoy taking care of a cat, dog or even a rabbit.
If you listen to their experiences of having a pet, they will tell you how hard it is, but they will also probably share how much they love their pets.
Having pets is a very interesting and unique experience.
I remember in my younger days, we had a family dog that we had to look after.
It was important that we feed it at certain time slots and wash it too.
When it passed away, it was a sad family affair for us as we had to bury the dog’s remains under our garden. 

Whilst taking care of pets is all about fostering that relationship with the animals, our relationship with God is somewhat similar but much more special, precious and of purpose.
Our identity in Christ is what separates us from all other creations!
We have the privilege to be created in His image and to call Him our Abba Father.
In God’s eye, we are His precious and special creation that He purposefully and fearfully created for His pleasure and to commune with Him. 

In Matthew 10:31, God considers us more precious than a whole flock of sparrows.
God deals with us like how we deal with pets or, more so, our own children once we become parents.
Sometimes our children/pets will not want to shower, eat or sleep according to the proposed plans.
Similarly, sometimes we want to achieve our life goals and career plans instead of following the plans that God has for us.
No matter how stubborn we are, God will still lead us back.
God always wants His children to be back on His path of righteousness. 

Our conversations with our pets are very different from our prayers to God.
Our pets sometimes don’t understand what we tell them, and they cannot reply.
But as children of God, we all have the capacity to hear our Heavenly Father’s voice.
There will be times when we don’t understand or hear from God when we pray.
God can say no, wait or yes, but for us, the most dreaded answer will simply be God remaining silent.
Our journey with God requires faith to trust that He will make the right decisions at the right time.

When we do not hear from God, God wants us to wait on Him.
Waiting is akin to holding a workout position in the gym until the instructor asks you to stop.
Let us look at some Bible verses to remind us why and how we should wait on God:

1. God promises to be gracious to us when waiting on Him in uncertainty. (Psalms 123:2)
2. He has compassion for us. (Isaiah 30:18)
3. To those who wait, He satisfies their desires (Psalms 145:15)
4. We’re never put to shame (Psalm 25)
5. We’ll have the strength we need with wings as eagles (Isaiah 40:31)
6. He is our help and our shield (Psalm 33:20)
7. He is good to us (Lamentations 3:25)

One of the hardest times of my life was when the experiments I was working on in an Electrochemistry lab for my Bachelor Thesis Project in 2018 went into a small accident that caused the entire Electrochemistry department in my university to stop my Bachelor Thesis Project in Munich, Germany.
I was quite disappointed and could not continue my academic journey.
I had to redo the entire Bachelor Thesis Project in Singapore half a year later after flying back. 

During that time, I found a lot of comfort from church friends in Munich about dealing with unmet expectations.
I knew that God was always with me, guiding me through my challenges.
It was one of the hardest times because I was just spending my time in the Munich library working on other things while asking God to show me a way to conclude my studies. 

I remember that I was so anxious that I wrote to other universities in Germany requesting to do a Bachelor Thesis Project.
However, the more anxious I was, the more it made matters worst.
When I finally placed the whole matter in God’s hands, He reminded me how He was always in control and taking care of my needs because I am His beloved child.
He got my German professor in Singapore to write me an email to fly back to Singapore to explain what happened in Munich and to start another Bachelor Thesis Project.
God certainly did move in my life.
Indeed He works at the unexpected of times. 

God has never left me, just like how a parent will always be there for their children. 

The key is always whether we are willing to wait, hear and walk with God.
Maybe that is why Hosea tells us to wait on God continually.
You will be surprised that He works at the most unusual of times and the least expected of situations.
Never forget our identity as sons and daughters of the Highest!

Prayer & Reflection:

– Who is a friend, classmate or colleague that you can pray and be a blessing to?
Ask the holy spirit to show you and bless them with an act of kindness and prayer this week.

– Consider and reflect about your current relationship with God.
Is there anything that you are doubting God about or angry with God for? 

– It could be that this is a season where God is saying no to a prayer or not answering your prayer as yet.
Pray and ask God for clarity and for peace to align to His ways.