The devotional passage from March 2, 2011 with the subject heading Hear and Obey is taken from Luke 5:5, "But on the ground of your word, I will lower the nets [again]" (Amplified Bible).
Based on the context of Luke 5, I thought of my own situation. I had attempted a number of things before but stopped trying because they didn't lead to fruition. Among them include: a) taking mom to church on Sunday, b) recruiting new piano students through ad posting, c) applying university teaching job. I believed that God wanted me to take some action. Yet it's not clear to me which of these items I should lower the net again. (I must say that the plural form of "nets" didn't register until today when I reread the passage to write this entry.)
Because it involved very little work--writing a small cheque and updating my information--I immediately called a Christian newspaper and arranged an ad to be posted in the following month. Next, I worked on one job application. It was a lot of work. Back in February, I saw a teaching job opening with requirement and work location matching rather closely to what I can offer. The job opening was reposted in March, shortly after me reading Luke 5:5, and so I decided to apply. I didn't have high hope. I applied because I felt that it's my responsibility to lower the net.
Taking mom to church is the 3rd net to lower, which is an equally daunting task. I wasn't sure at first if that's a net that God wants me to lower again so I didn't act on it. But I heard it clearly through a number of occasions. I heard this verse read during a sermon "If anyone does not provide ... especially for his immediate family, he ... is worse than an unbeliever," 1 Timothy 5:8. That did it. I was convicted. It so happened that the new church plant in San Gabriel has recently rescheduled its worship to 3.30pm. I started to clear my Sunday afternoon schedule, and asked for assistance from mom's caregiver. To make the long story short. Yesterday was a success: I brought mom to church and she sat through the worship service without incidents. Thank God. She didn't remember the Eucharist, not even the Doxology. She held on to the dollar bill which I gave her 30 sec before the offering plate was passed. But she nodded her head when I read her the lyrics of the hymns. Hopefully, she'll remember more when she resumes Sunday worship on a regular basis.
Thank God that the 3 nets have been lowered!
2 comments:
Congratulation!
This acting on His words and the last post on plagiarism reflect that you're more and more sensitive to God, both in action and spiritual reflection.
Thanks for your encouragement.
The background of my last post on plagiarism has its own story. God put me in a situation that allows me to reflect on and put into practice 1 Cor 13:5d, "[love] does not take into account a wrong suffered."
The Greek word for "take into account" is logizomai, as I have learned, is an accountant's word which literally means "to keep a mathematical calculation." The Scripture tells us how God does his accounting (Romans 4:3, 5; 2 Cor 5:19), how Paul does his (Romans 8:18, Phil 4:8), and how I should do mine，
The situation that God put me in forces me to review my ledger book. A couple of people's wrongs were on it. Now they're off my book.
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