Resources

Security in the Midst of Loss

The kinds of loss people face include the loss of job, career, dreams, marriage, significance, health, loved ones, meaning, purpose and hope. The experience of loss is especially common to people everywhere as we find ourselves struggling to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. Nations are doing our best to respond to this unprecedented crisis, but the daily death toll continues to climb and the pandemic continues to do damage to individuals, families, communities, businesses and economies. While we understand that loss is inevitable in human experience, we cannot help the strong feelings of insecurity that develop in our hearts.

How can I feel secure again? Why is this pandemic happening? When will all this turmoil end? Is there a place that can provide me security? Is there a practice I can adopt? Is there a purpose I can embrace? Is there a person I can turn to?

There can be no security unless we can have certainty that things will be alright in the end.

The victory of Jesus Christ over sin and death provides the basis for the believer’s security. This security is not a mere feeling, transient and subjectively dependent on the believer’s circumstances. God offers an objective and everlasting security to everyone who would believe in His Son Jesus Christ. You and I can have eternal security in our lives because Christ suffered the loss of His life on the cross for our sake. Because Christ paid for all our sins, we won’t have to pay for them ourselves on judgment day when Christ returns to judge the living and the dead. Because on the third day Christ left behind the grave, so will we on the day when Christ returns to gather His people to Himself. We will receive resurrection bodies that are immortal and make our eternal home in the City of God when He renews the heaven and the earth. Everything will be alright in the end…provided that we put our faith in Christ and trust in Him for the salvation of our souls and bodies. Believers will forever dwell in God’s presence in the fullness of joy and gladness. Our lives are secure in God’s hands and on His appointed day He will give to us all His promised blessings according to His perfect plan.

Written by Ps Ivan Ho

 

Below we offer some resources to help you in your journey of getting to know God and growing as a Christian.

SERMONS

“Finding Security in the Midst of Loss”, by Ps Barney Lau: https://sermonresources.cefc.org.sg/file/1551

 

On the Resurrection of Christ:

“The Heartbeat of Christianity”, by Rev Edmund Chan: https://sermonresources.cefc.org.sg/file/96

“Resurrection: The Hope of Man”, by Rev Edmund Chan: https://sermonresources.cefc.org.sg/file/1050

“Resurrection: God’s Glory”, by Rev Edmund Chan: https://sermonresources.cefc.org.sg/file/1051

 

On Suffering:

“How to Deal with Dark Times”, by Dr Timothy Keller: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ulmaUtbayGY

(Dr Keller expounds on Psalm 88 and explains the realism of the Bible and the Psalms. ” He shows how in our darkest times we can find hope in Jesus Christ. Listen out for his insightful and powerful closing.)

 

ARTICLES

Three-part discussion on pain and suffering, by Rev Dr Chua Chung Kai:

Coronavirus, Suffering and Psalm 91 The Human Problem of Suffering

TESTIMONY

“Trusting God’s Hand When I Couldn’t See His Face”, by Timothy Paul Jones: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/trust-hand/

 

SONG

Psalm 42”, by Tori Kelly: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GOIQJVMD1jU

(With deep feeling and passion, Tori Kelly sings of the soul’s need for God just as the deer pants for the water, and how we really need Jesus.)

 

SCRIPTURE

Psalm 88

Psalm 39

Job 1-3; 42

Lamentations 3:19-24

Habakkuk 3:17-19

You may also like these posts...

Download this Building Fund QR Code  and upload it to your banking app via your gallery/album. 

Download this General Fund for East QR Code  and upload it to your banking app via your gallery/album. 

Download this General Fund for WDL QR Code  and upload it to your banking app via your gallery/album. 

Daily Devo
Daily Devotional Journal
Scripture:
Daniel 10:11-12, 14-19
Tue, 26 September 2023

A Man of High Esteem

Observation:

What significant observations can you make about Daniel being called “man of high esteem” (vv.11, 19)?

Deeper Reflection
One of the heavenly beings called Daniel “man of high esteem” (v.11). This honour was bestowed on Daniel emphatically, in that it was repeated twice (v.19). This “high esteem” did not come from man, but from God Himself. God gave this honour to Daniel toward the end of his life when God called him to “enter into rest” (Dan 12:13). As a youth, Daniel “made up his mind not to defile himself with the king’s choice food” (Dan 1:8), and as an old man, he was faithful to God in spending time with Him in his “three times a day” devotion, even if it means to be thrown into the lions’ den (Dan 6:10). Daniel was finishing well in his life with “humbling yourself before your God” (v.12). When we think of finishing well in terms of successful accomplishments, we must be careful that we are not exalting ourselves.It is not for us to see ourselves in any way as a person of high esteem before God. It is for God to say that to us (2 Cor 10:17-18). Daniel never saw himself as a “man of high esteem”. A key emphasis in Daniel 10 is Daniel being greatly overwhelmed by the holiness and glory of God represented by the heavenly being with an awesome appearance (Dan 10:5-10, 15-18). And it was in this encounter with God when he was called “man of high esteem” that Daniel said, “How can such a servant of my Lord talk with such as my Lord?”50 (v.17). The man highly esteemed by God saw his unworthiness before God.
50 I have theologically translated “my lord” to “my Lord”, since the heavenly being is a representation of God.
Application:

What does being highly esteemed by God mean to me?

Prayer:
Write a prayer to God as your response from your meditation on and application of the Scriptures.
Prayer Pointers:
  • Give thanks and praise
  • Pray for pastors and staff: To be able to see oneself as God sees
  • Pray for significant people
  • Pray for those in need
  • Pray for self

Download this New Life Fund QR Code  and upload it to your banking app via your gallery/album. 

Download this General Fund for BPJ QR Code  and upload it to your banking app via your gallery/album. 

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.