Hebrews 12:1-3

The Lord met us – powerfully, intimately and tenderly.

Alas! The school holidays have ended and it has been a week back at school for families with children of school-going age. I hope everyone has had a good break for rest, refreshing and rejuvenation for the next half of the year.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us (Heb 12:1)

Our Young Adults ministry had a Retreat in Batam over the Hari Raya long weekend. As some of you may know from recent news headlines, the queue at Batam’s ferry terminal over that weekend was unprecedented, and our YAs were not spared. Our ferry docked at the ferry terminal as scheduled but we were not allowed to disembark as the queues at the terminal had stretched all the way to the berths. By the time we alighted from the ferry, it was more than an hour later. Little did we know that the real difficulty had only just begun. There we were, for another 2 hours, stuck in a long snake-like queue with no wind and no ventilation, lugging our bags and instruments, and at the mercy of a very disorganised immigration crew. Many of us questioned why we put ourselves through this arduous journey.
Over the 3 days of Retreat, the Lord God answered our question – it was a pilgrimage of sorts that He had designed and brought us on, to prepare us to encounter Him. It was nothing as dangerous as the journeys Israel took in the wilderness, but a pilgrimage nonetheless. And over the next 3 days, the Lord met us – powerfully, intimately and tenderly. It was a time where He searched our hearts, uncovered past hurts and hidden issues, began deep works of emotional and spiritual healing, and recounted to us His faithfulness in our lives and His call upon us to be His people purposed for His Kingdom use. There is nothing quite like the presence of God, and moments like these anchor us for what is ahead.
Hebrews 12:1-3 tells us,
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy that was set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
May the Lord grant us such pilgrimages and encounters with Him that we may not grow weary or lose heart, but be strengthened with zeal and fervour in our continuous pursuit of God and His Kingdom. Amen.