Editorial
REVIEW AND REFLECT
Praise be to God! Once again, we have come to the end of another year. It is time to look back and evaluate our past to prayerfully plan for the days ahead as the Lord graciously allows.
As children of God, in retrospection, we can say for sure, our God has done everything well in His sovereign will for His own glory. We need to humbly abide by the Lord’s purposes, for He does not make any mistakes.
Grace Alone
We should never imagine for a moment that we exist because of our own merit, health, wealth or any other reason. As Moses warned Israel, never think, ‘my strength, my wisdom, my efforts,’ etc. God, in His mercy and grace alone, allowed us to reach so far. The ultimate intention behind all these divine interventions is that we accomplish His purposes.
Certainly, constant unfocused introspection may not be a healthy habit, yet an occasional appraisal is helpful. We can assess our lives and analyse the lessons learnt, failures faced, and even the wasted time and opportunities. That will help us to consider the changes required and the steps to be followed to go forward more efficiently.
In fact, any moment can be a time of retrospection. Similarly, any time can be an occasion for a new beginning. A year-end is the best opportunity to look back and consider the days gone by.
The Mandate
In fact, the Word of God repeatedly exhorts the saints to look back, examine life and amend their ways. Notice a few scripture passages:
Isa. 51:1a “Look to the rock from which you were hewn”
Lam. 3:40a “Let us test and examine our ways…”
1Cori. 11:28a “But let a man examine himself and so let him eat of the bread...”
1Cori. 11:31 “For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.”
2Cori. 13:5 “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith...”
Gala. 6:4a “But let each one examine his own work…”
Such plenty of scripture passages exhorting the Lord’s people to reflect and assess their lives.
These not only help us to correct our ways but also make us grateful to the Lord’s gracious dealings and provisions (Deut. 8:2ff; 9:7, 8; Psa. 103: 8). A humble and confident spirit in the Lord will be another added benefit of sincere reflections and review of our past, (Deut. 8:16, 17; Isa. 51:1, 2).
Let us explore this topic in detail and experience all the benefits of self-examination as scripture teaches.
May the Lord’s name be glorified.
NTK
......................................
Outline:
“To Call to Remembrance”
I. How excellent is Thy Name. Psalm 8:1
II. How great is Thy Goodness. Psalm 31:19
III. How precious is Thy Loving kindness? Psalm 36:7
IV. How dear are Thy Tabernacles? Psalm 84:1
V. How sweet are Thy Words? Psalm 119:103
VI. How precious are Thy Thoughts? Psalm 139:17
Source: Unknown
....................................
Anecdote: 1
Unmerited Favor
When a person works an eight-hour day and receives a fair day’s pay for his time, that is a wage. When a person competes with an opponent and receives a trophy for his performance, that is a prize. When a person receives appropriate recognition for their long service or high achievements, that is an award.
But when a person is not capable of earning a wage, can win no prize, and deserves no award—yet receives such a gift anyway—that is a good picture of God’s unmerited favour. This is what we mean when we talk about the grace of God.
G.W. Knight
.................................
Anecdote:2
Self-examination
Zeng Shen, the Chinese philosopher and one of the disciples of Confucius, used to ask himself three questions every day from a very young age.
a. 'Have I sinned in my thoughts and actions toward others?'
b. 'Have I broken faith in any of my friendships?'
c. 'Have I tried to teach anything to others I have not fully learned and understood myself?'
Not only he asked these questions but also cultivated a life accordingly. No wonder he became one of the most influential and respected Four Sages of Confucianism.
Source: unknown
