Water and Fire have No Mercy

I'm saddened by the news of the Tsunami that has claimed many, many innocent lives. Not one shore that the Indian Ocean touches is spared. Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Indonesia, Malaysia... and many remote islands that may have lives on it.... The death is still amounting, and I believe, there are many more deaths that is unaccountable for.

I'm seated at the edge of my seat, saying a prayer every now and then, making my very own personal troubles, a whimsical twist and utmost insignificant and pales drastically by comparison. It shames me to think that I have troubles after hearing this.

Just being with Winnie last night was enough to break my heart. She was all in tears late last night, as a group of her colleagues and friends have flown into Phuket two nights ago for a little party at the beach side. They are only due back to their offices at the end of this week. All her frantic calls to reach either one of them was futile. We are playing the waiting game now, not knowing what to think - great fear engulfed our senses - we fear to hear the worse, and yet we hope to hear from them. I don't know any of her friends or colleagues, but I felt the burden. I cannot imagine the magnitude of the pain for those of the immediate family. It's indescribeable. Still, we have not given up hope yet.

I've frowned half the day away, thinking about this... not knowing what else to think but to share this burden with God through prayers. I believe, everyone in the world is saddened, if not angered by this epidemic, and I hope they have an outlet to share their burden too, an outlet that would not claim any more lives than it already had.

Many will say that God is blind to allow such an epidemic to take place, and I fear of such 'fire' that will be tried on me or on anyone for that matter. The fear of losing more than what any one of us could bear, like the losses that Job encountered. Russell, John and I also spoke of this yesterday too - on not lose any more than we can bear to break us onto our knees to acknowledge that God is in charge. God gives many signs to each individual in their lifetime, atuned to our ears and our eyes alone ... administered in ways that we ourselves alone, understand. Sometimes, we choose denial, and sometimes we acknowledge, we are just atuned to ourselves, our needs and our ways. How stubborn!

God gives His Salvation for free, we have the choice to either tune off, or just want things our way by ignoring the calling at times - the ways of the world is so tempting, yet we are never fully fulfilled. It seems like there's a vessel within ourselves, that is just shaped for God to fit in, and no other things in any form could fit that vessel, except for the Holy Spirit. We are tried from a higher flame of fire to the next till we submit to this acknowledgement. In the Refiner's crucible we are all at... and it's out of God's love, He never gave up on us, neither did He allow us to go through pain beyond our endurance, or let us slip into the dark side. I'm looking at this, with new eyes, a renewed heart and mind, that being tried by fire and soaked in cold water in God's care is of God's grace, and not a curse.

Tsunami, in the form of water, treacherous, unexpected, stole so many lives at this time. IT's even said that there'll be a second occurence in the next couple of days. In Malaysia, all people who believe in Feng Shui are buzzing with what Lilian too last spoke, about 2005 being swamped by epidemics stemming from Earthquakes and Floods. "It's not even 2005 yet!!! How many more of these are coming!!!", belows one of my colleagues this morning. I looked at him, my eyes round like saucers.

Even great floods, at any point of the earth, had too, usurped the lives out of many places. Bush fires and infernos as other forms of epidemics too, had claimed many lives over the course of the centuries. Truly, the physical bodies of water and fire have no mercy. Likewise, the devil, is just as merciless in stealing our souls and causing all sorts to make us fall further away from God's grace. God allows this for us to mature and be stronger soldiers for Christ, in knowing the differences, in having the experience in dealing with higher levels of things after passing each trial. God also protects us from not allowing the devil to go beyond, in claiming our lives. God is all-seeing, all-caring, and all-knowing - the spiritual warfare is waging. One way or the other, we are tools for God, and perhaps, the death of these people should not be looked upon as so negatively as in our human understanding. There's a reason, a reason that we in our human ways, cannot comprehend yet. I've written this down in the tablet of my heart, I want to ask God of this. I too, felt the injustice and the pain that this has to happen, why? Still, I'm submitting, and humbly seek God's wisdom, because He knows better than I do, and in time to come, I will too, understand.

Still, in the course of this life on earth, we will never understand why epidemics have to occur, but God truly has His reasons. It's best not to analyse and try to play God in pointing our fingers and making judgements. This is the time that the devil rears it's ugly head, in recruiting for more to be on his dark side. Negativity, hatred, shunning God, all sorts of creative ways will be injected to complete the picture of making God an emotionless, cruel liar that takes lives for fun.

Let's reflect this on ourselves, our lives, and how we have lived it. Are we epidemic-proof? Are we fully letting God be in charge of our lives, and by first submitting to obedience? Even to the extent of treating our bodies as the temple of God? Are we living in God's words with joy and not behaving like a pharisee who's all talk but no actions? Are we only Christians bound to the pew, or we are walking Evangelitics through our actions and daily lives? It's not a talent-time show. There's no race in this. It's our very own competition within ourselves, and not against anyone else out there. Are we to be clad in the Believer's armour (Ephesians 6: 16-17) at all times - in full Commitment to God. It's time, at least I could say this to myself, I've shunned it for years, afraid to take up my stand and stood by God's side. I was afraid of the responsibilites then, now I am no longer.

Clad in this armour, we will not fear the first death, as there's the promise of eternal life. There will be constant spiritual warfare to tempt us in falling into sin. Mortal sins in the form of immoral doings, deceit, luke-warmth faith robs us of our eternal life, hence, resulting in a second death. Hence, God's splashes of cold water on us, and his flame administered to us in the crucible, to remind us, and help us to be on our toes to repent, and to be obedient. There is no room for being a lukewarm Christian anymore, we are reminded in the scriptures to be actively partaking in serving God in our vocations in life.

He still has mercy and grace for us to repent in this lifetime, before our first death that will determine how our second death will be like. A choice of eternal life, or eternal death? Read the book of Revelations Chapter 2 & Revelations Chapter 20.