"I Stood Up, I Cried in the Congregation" (Job 30, 28)

Sometimes God can speak to us in the unlikeliest of texts, Job 30,28. As the preacher read from the ESV, I was reading from KJV and the Lord used his Word to confirm what he was showing me. I was as if caught up in the wind/spirit, caught up into his presence. I felt a sweetness and tenderness in God's presence, indeed we are nothing but little children in the arms of the heavenly Father. How great is his love for us that we should be called the children of God. Did not Jesus say, "unless you become little children, you will not enter the kingdom of God." Again, after his resurrection, Jesus called his adult disciples, "Come my children and eat".

Job goes on to experience that, "my substance is dissolved." Even as we are united to him, we melt in his presence and our substance becomes like the spirit as those who are united with the Lord is one spirit with him. It helped today that the songs we sang were some of my favourites. "All glory belongs to you" and "peace that guards my heart." He is indeed waiting for us to enter into his presence and worship him in spirit and truth.

I was slightly fearful that after 2 months without preaching I would be less sharp and have become lazy but thanks be to God I managed to get up way before dawn and read John 5 to 7 for my devotions. At 11.15am I was able to deliver an 50 minutes' talk on the book of Revelation and took questions until 12.20pm and we finished 10 minutes early. After a long morning for almost everyone involved it was always good to finish earlier rather than later.

Only last Monday I attended a lecture that went on and on for 1 hour 45 minutes and after 50 mins, my mind was totally turned off. We need to understand how humans are wired and know that our attention span at best is about 45 minutes and any speech no matter how good should not last longer than 60 minutes. I think that only 2 politicians could hold their audiences for 1 hour plus and they are former premiers of Malaysia and Singapore, Dr M and Mr. LKY. Even President Obama's soaring rhetoric gets repetitive at times after a while and it is no longer as inspiring as before.

Job went on to lament how he cried out to the Lord and how he stood in the congregation and cried. This I also experienced this morning as I stood in the congregation and let the sweetness of God's love caress my soul.