"...let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith..." Hebrews 12:1-2

What does it mean to say that Jesus is the "author and finisher of our faith"? I always thought it sounded good, but I am just only beginning to comprehend what it really means. "Author" - Jesus is the one who if you like, creates and writes our faith. We are not the ones who find it, He is the one that gives it to us. It is a fact that we often take for granted. Our faith is a gift, a wonderful gift, given to us by the great Giver. Just like He has given us the way back to God, He has also given us the faith to believe in Him and know Him. None of us should ever glory that we know and believe in Him, and be complacent about it, because our faith is not ourselves but given by God. And we need to continue to pray that He will continue to bless others who do not have that gift of faith with it, and that He will use us as He wills in that task.

"Finisher"- so often we try to move onwards in our spiritual lives, and fall flat on our faces, or do not end up anywhere, simply because we do not realise that Jesus who gives us our faith also perfects it, "finishes" it. Just like the author who begins his great work and brings it to a glorious completion; like a great painter who conceives his work, begins it and then finally perfects it. We can do nothing without Jesus. Without His guidance, we could not go; without His supply, we could not grow; without His grace, we could not live with all our terrible weaknesses and sins; without His strength, we could not accomplish; without Him, we are nothing. We can try and try to go on our own, but at the end of the day we will always find that He is the only one who can give us the kind of faith that our hearts so desire.

Truly there is so little that we can do! But for that we should really give thanks, for Jesus' kingdom is not of the flesh or of anything in this world, but of His spirit, His love, His grace. Isn't it comforting to know that even with all our weaknesses, shortcomings, failures and inadequacies, our Lord can still work in us to author and perfect our faith? That the focus is not on us, but on Him?

I find it so wonderful. And there is one thing that we can do- pray. We can ask Jesus humbly to work in our lives, to grow and perfect our faith. Are you feeling tired or frustrated? Or perhaps you are feeling misguided, or confused, or far away from Him? Don't worry, pray. Pray sincerely and ask Him to touch your life. The author of your faith is always waiting to write the next page in the story of your life. And when He does write, what a wonderful story it is!

Over every thought, over every word
May my life reflect the beauty of the Lord
You mean more to me than any earthly thing
So won't you reign in me again

Lord reign in me
Reign in Your power
Over all my dreams
In my darkest hour
You are the Lord of all I am
So won't you reign in me again

One great problem I think we face, especially here in Singapore, is that we are too busy. We are always rushing about doing things. School, work, friends, fun, etc. From morning till night most of our days are filled with activity, leaving us not only short of time, but also really tired at the end of the day. Many people say that they do not do their quiet time because they are too busy, or because they are simply too tired at night. We do live very hectic lives.

And while being busy is not wrong, because after all we have been sent out into the world to do God's will, it becomes a great problem when we are too busy for God. Anything that takes our time takes time that can potentially be spent with God, and if we find that at the end of the day we have no time or energy left for Him, then there is a problem. Also, being busy inevitably leads to our minds being cluttered with many things, and this means that our minds end up not being focused on Him. We also start worrying more and being stressed, and this means that our hearts end up not having peace and struggling to trust in Him.

This does not just pertain to "secular" activities like work or fun (I believe that no part of our life is secular because our entire lives are lived for Him); even for those actively involved in Christian service, or in full-time work, when work becomes so busy that we do not have time for our relationship with God, then that is a problem. This is so important because everything we do stems from our relationship with Him; if we do not have that, we have nothing.

As I look back on my months in the army, even though it was tough, I give thanks for one thing- that I had so much time to spend with the Lord. Army life, with all its difficulties, is in a way very simple as well- it's just you, your buddies, and God, nothing else. I spent a lot of time and energy on Him, and I experienced God really strongly during those few months. I did my quiet time every night, prayed before I slept, and always felt really refreshed.

I thank God for putting me in medical school, and for the many opportunities there are to serve Him. But I also realise that things are getting really busy, there are many things on my mind, and I unknowingly am beginning to spend less time and energy Him. Also I am beginning to worry much more about other things, and trusting less in the strength of God. I know my mind has drifted away from Him, and I have been trying to do things on my own, and to go my own way. And I realise, it has taken its toll. It leads to tiredness, frustration, confusion, and a sense of being lost. Of being whirled around from situation to situation, day to day, instead of being able to lean about the solid Rock. I thank God that He has never lost patience with me and has been gently nudging me back to Him.

This was the command that God gave to the Israelites, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." Deut. 6:5-7 God was calling the Israelites to spend great amounts of time on Him and with Him, and for a good reason! They were God's chosen people, and I believe so are we. And I believe that they too would have had many things to attend to in their life like us, basic needs and so on. Bear in mind that they did not have all the material comforts and conveneniences that we have today. And yet God still commanded that more important than all that was the time spent with Him.

The more time we spend with Him, the more our hearts and minds are focused on Him instead of on other things, the more guidance, strength and refreshing we can receive, and the easier it is to keep our focus on Him. Many of the things that take our time are actually self-inflicted. Even if there was nothing much to do, many of us would try to find things to do and make ourselves busy, to make ourselves feel like we are doing something important, going somewhere. But true strength and true guidance comes from the Lord. The tendency to worry and be stressed is always there, but we must believe, as is said in His Word, that knowing Him and serving Him is far more important than all of these. That the Lord is the Lord of our lives, and we must allow Him to take first place, and decide how the rest of our life is going to go. Not to take care of everything else, and then find ways to squeeze Him in somewhere and somehow. He must be first on our minds, first on our hearts, and first on our schedules too.

And actually, why do we need to be so busy, if our God is our Provider and will take care of everything in our lives?

from Hallelujah to the Lamb

Lord we stand by grace in Your presence
Cleansed by the blood of the Lamb
We are Your children, called by Your name
Humbly we bow and we pray

Release Your power to work in us and through us
Till we are changed to be more like You
Then all the nations will see
Your glory revealed
And worship You

Empower me

Nobody knows how weak I am
Better than You
Nobody sees all of my needs
Better than You
And nobody has the power to change me
From what I was born to be
Jesus be strong in my weakness
Empower me

Empower me
Like a rushing river flowing to the sea
Lord send Your Holy Spirit flowing unto me
Till I'm living as Your child
Victorious and free
Send the power of your love
Empower me

Are you feeling hurt today? Or disappointed? Upset, troubled, depressed, disturbed? With yourself, with people, with the world? Confused perhaps, or disillusioned?

Beneath the fronts of smiling faces that we see everyday there are great problems and troubles that lurk. People struggle with countless things- self-esteem, confidence, purpose, faith, anger, hate. Broken relationships, wrecked dreams, meaningless lives. We live in a world that cries out for meaning, and yet is unable to find it because it is looking in the wrong places. People turn to material world, to other people, to themselves, to find joy and peace, and yet these things never fully satisfy because they were never meant to. Many of us have doubtlessly asked ourselves before at least once, what is the meaning of all this? Is this all there is to life? Doing what other people tell me to, enduring endless pressure from schools and society, living day to day with no end in mind?

That is why we need a Saviour. A Saviour who not only forgives our sins, but also teaches us the way to live. Hear what thay Saviour said,

"I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." John 8:12

We live in a world that is so disappointing because it is a fallen one. Since creation man has chosen to live his own way, a way that is on the surface appealing but ultimately meaningless and futile. We are familiar with the facts of creation and Man's fall, but do we understand that the effects of that fall extend thousands of years on, even to our very lives? That the futility and emptiness that we feel is a direct consequence of living life the way that we want to, but in the exact way that God does not want us to?

When Jesus came He was truly the light. He showed Man the way to live, and with His death and resurrection opened the door for us to live that life. We can look all our lives for the way to live, but one day we will realise that all we have to do is open our Bibles and read about the way that Jesus taught. And that, undoubtedly, is the best way. It is a narrow path, but it leads to life. It is a difficult path, but it leads to joy. It is a struggle, but you will emerge with the feeling that for once, finally, you have found the meaning and joy you have been looking for all along. An end to all the struggles and disappointments and depression you have faced.

The light of life.