Timely message on avoid the debt trap

These 2 days, I had started looking for 3 room flat to buy in Khatib MRT.
I could not find suitable flat and feel a bit discourage.
There is more 4 room flat selling than 3 room flat.
I wonder will I end up buying a 4 room flat if there is no suitable 3 room flat.

But I am debt adverse.
All I need is a simple 3 room flat.
I do not need a 4 room flat.
Nor I want to pay more than what is beyond my comfortable financial level.

Holy Spirit reminded me to trust in God's provision and timing.
Stay focus on those flat that meet the requirements that I had set before God.
That is a 3 room flat on high floor (not top level).
Near to MRT but not next to it. (due to noise)
On the quiet side of MRT so that my parents no need to walk the overhead bridge or walk a long way to my flat.
Simple flat. Not over decorate.

Today went to http://www.trinity.net/.
The Sunday message is timely. It is on "How to avoid the debt trap".
It is to avoid debt as much as possible.
As debt robs us from the freedom of choice.
When we borrow more than our means to repay, we:
i. Lose sight of God as the Source of everything.
ii. Deny God the opporunity to bless us.

Pastor shared about contentment.
To whom little is not enough, nothing is enough.

A simple 3 room flat is good enough to me.
I do not need bigger or more expensive flat to prove anything.
I do not need many things to fill the house.
Simple with God's presence is the best dwelling.
God had taught me His grace is sufficient for me.

Hebrews 13:5 (NIV) Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
Contentment is a choice. When God said He will never leave us nor faorsake us, He means He will take care of every dimension of our life; including finances.
Be contented with the amount that we earn as per the ability and talents that God has given us.

Why should we give when we have not have enough?
Because if we follow the law of giving as stated in the Bible, other men/women will be the channel of God to us what we need.
Luke 6:38 (KJV) Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
How much we want God gives to us depend on how much we willing to give to God and others.
Teaspoon giving, teaspoon receiving.
Cupful giving, cupful receiving.
No giving.... no receiving. ;)
We are created to give generously of our time, talents and resources.

When we give, we are set to fly on our Heavenly Daddy's eagle wings.
I can testify that.
The flat that I co-own with my brother and his wife is sold recently in a real good price.
We are simple people with humble income.
It is God who provides us this good flat.
He is the One who meet our every needs.

Now that I wonder will God answer my prayer for my incoming needs. I recall this verse that I like:
1 Samuel 17:37 (NIV) The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you."
Thank God for this verse that lift up my faith.
My God who is faithful to me in the past will be faithful to me in the future.
Because He is a faithful God.
When I look to God, my heart is at rest.
He is my best Housing Agent. =)

Song: If You Say Go

Live is not absence of problem.

Lord Jesus said in the Bible, John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

In time of needs, God is truly Comfort of All comfort.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (NIV)
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

And our hope is in Him, our Lord Christ Jesus.
In time of need, God comforted me with this song.

If You Say Go
Words and Music: Diane Thiel © 2002 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing

If you say go we will go
If you say wait we will wait
If you say step out on the water and they say it can’t be done
We’ll fix our eyes on you and we will come

Chorus:
Your ways are higher than our ways
And the plans that You have laid are good and true
If You call us to the fire You will not withdraw Your hand
We’ll gaze into the flames and look for You

This song is truly a great song.
To hear a bit of it, go to http://www.christianbook.com/html/specialty/1002.html
In SEARCH, key in “If you say go”.
It will show the CDs.
Click the Second CD picture (If You Say Go CD, Word Entertainment, Inc. / 2002 / Compact disc) will lead you to hear the song.

I know a bit more about Diane Thiel in
http://www.beyondmeproductions.com/wordfromlinda.html
The sharing of Linda Ryan Puffer in the link also encouraged me greatly.

Part of her sharing:
"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day, for our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

This piece of Scripture ties together many challenging seasons in my life with encouragement, hope, perspective and action. It laces together the difficult times with the promise that in comparison to the eternal glory that awaits me, my troubles this side of eternity are light and momentary. Don’t misunderstand me, they don’t feel light or fleeting—and yet, in reality, they are.

To exercise faith is to be like Peter walking on water, (Matthew 14:30) we must fix our eyes on Jesus. Jesus loves us more than we can imagine. He will solve our problem. If He doesn’t, He will give us the strength to manage it.

I believe God will heal me. As He is a God that heals.
If He does not, He is still God. And He is still worthy of all of our praise.
His ways are higher than my ways. He knows better. He has a good plan for my life.

Isaiah 55:9 (NIV)
As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Daniel 3:16-18 (NIV)
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

然

凡事由其自然，
遇了处之泰然，
得意之时淡然，
失意之时坦然，
艰辛曲折必然，
历尽沧桑悟然。

觉得这话意味深长.
特别是最后的两句。

耶稣在圣经上说：我将这些事告诉你们，是要叫你们在我里面有平安。在世上，你们有苦难； 但你们可以放心，我已经胜了世界。(約翰福音16:33)