While I was in the army this week, the world outside flipped. Financial Empires built over the backs of highly paid labourers over the years tasted dust within a day or a weekend. The political world in Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, United States, North Korea, South Africa continued in turmoil while I ran through the jungles and stared into the wide sky. And as I picked up the papers and for a moment allowed a thrill of shock to reverberate through my spine, it all became very clear to me....

The Stories came in waves. A friend almost diagnosed with a hereditary terminal disease, another friend with cancer relapse with a discouraging prognosis and a string of painful and very real situations. The reality of a man's mortality, the foolishness of clowning away time and the stark condition of mankind's heart were running through my head. And it all became clear to me....

That Christ is sovereign, that Christ rules every inch of it, that Christ is enthroned at the right hand of the Father and is not negligent but ruling in majesty always. That He is the portion of those who know Him and belong to Him, that He will judge all in His good time. Its not easy, because whilst the grounds shake and the people around face up to life's mountains, God seems to be at a distance. But He is not.... He is sovereign and He will have the glory. He will display His love.

Oh but man.... not in your way, not in the way you like but in the way that He intends.

I have prepared a draft of a reply from Mr Intellectual and was about to post it. Though having pondered a short while, I thought it better to consider something else here for the time being. For one, now that I am in the army, God has given grace to praise Him all the more. Its a tough struggle, but its true that His supremacy demands that I be in the army now and I pray He always gives grace to lovingly accept it with joy. How horrid that I should always allow my heart to tend towards greater comfort rather than reveling in praise mingled with suffering (army isn't that bad these days :) ). Yet God has had mercy on me, for it pleases Him to show strength in my weakness and how I do delight in that.

There is an awesome wonder that is open to all who bother to gaze upon the sky, the fantastic brilliance of coloured clouds pacing leisurely across bleached blue horizons. The creator had long infused majesty into beauty and expressed it in nature. The measured pace of the clouds, the clothing of ants and the twinkling sweetness of birdsong are all reflections of a lovely and mighty God. They are not made for man and do not express man's nature in any way, rather they remind man of the heights from which we have fallen. They mark out our insignificance, our brevity and tease us into a solemn acknowledgement of a God who fashioned us for Himself.

Oh, when I awake every morning to a roll call that beats my tired body into action, the morning clouds again declare my purpose for being. That I was made to praise Him, that the great folly would be to ignore so vast and supreme a King- to spurn His love and to delight not in His fellowship. How should man face up to God on that mighty day when they have chosen to ignore His brilliance and beauty for much of their mortal life? To not delight in Him which is the worth of life, but to dabble in counterfeit pleasures of computers, TVs, parties ... etc. Its like eating garbage while the table is packed with gourmet delights of every kind. What should one say to the chef?! I thought rubbish was better than your foie gras. Ignoring God's supremacy is the huge sin.

How should I face up to the Christ who loves me with a steadfast love if with frivolity I have dealt with him whilst I live in this mortal planet... No No, He is my one great end, my one great purpose, my one great delight, my all in all. Without Him, I am undone.

Be everything to me, O Lord, that you might have glory out of me and that I might delight in that.