Contributed by Dr Loh Siew Yim • Sep 11, 2023

In a recent sermon, Pastor Mike reminded us that as children of God, we have a loving Heavenly Father whom we can approach with confidence. Reflecting on Acts 15-16, we are reminded that God’s work can progress even in the midst of human disagreements. Like the Apostle Paul, we are called to pursue God, relying on the Holy Spirit throughout our journey.

As I considered joining a mission trip in 2023, I felt God leading me into six weeks of solitude to seek Him fully. During this time, God revealed many things to me, including His key attributes—omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence—which I had captured in my new Holy Spirit-inspired song, “You Are God.” Despite the fact that I had a full plaster cast over my right arm for a fractured wrist, I found myself journaling my daily encounters with God. God freed my fingers to type, and within six weeks, I completed my first devotional book, and finished it entirely in seven weeks! Some of you received the early copies of this book, titled “When Life Hurts: Blessings Behind Burdens, Treasures Behind Trials..”, which is now available at Canaanland Bookshop.

I also reflected on the times my small group gathered to prepare for our mission trip in June. We shared our testimonies, and mine was based on Exodus 33:20, where I described a surreal encounter with a tall, majestic figure whose face I could not see. With the mission trip, I was confident of God’s calling, but I still found my faith shaken in the face of challenges during the mission preparations. In the fourth week of preparation, I was drawn back to Exodus 33. Deep inside, I felt assured of God’s protection, especially after receiving an image of a bird cradled in a palm (during the first week). However, my eyes were fixated on Exodus 33:3, where God warns the stiff-necked people. I wasn’t sure if this warning was for me, a team member, or the whole team. It’s a difficult feeling—on the one hand, seeking God’s presence, but on the other hand, fearing that God might consume us if He goes with us!

I rejoiced when we all returned home safely, without any delays or difficulties. Indeed, I had a rich sense of God’s presence during my time in the foreign land. The trip was a deeply spirit-filled experience for me. It seems clear now, that God had prepared me for this rich encounter with Him months before my first mission trip. During one moment, I even felt a strong, peculiar gust of wind moved through the small, closed room where I was praying for a distressed woman. Later, as I listened to two online sermons, I was reminded that the Holy Spirit is like the wind (Acts 2:2), symbolizing God’s guidance and presence. As I relied on the Holy Spirit, God gave me the right words to minister to those I was asked to pray for.

Although the mission field was unfamiliar to me, it was not to God. He made my gifts usable and perfectly timed. Truly, there are blessings and treasures amidst life’s burdens and trials, and they come from intentionally seeking God. During the mission, I sang my song, “You are God,” but after returning home, I found myself singing another song, “You are MY God”—to me, it’s a clear reminder that we worship a personal God who knows us intimately. He has given us beautiful feet to go where He leads, but the pursuit of God has a price. It’s a continuous journey of transformation, filled with twists and trials. For some, this journey will reveal blessings and treasures through the Holy Spirit.