Help! I've Lost My Voice

I was assigned to lead worship in GetReal 2007 Youth Camp. According to the schedule, I would lead on the first night, then followed by the final 2 sessions.

When I was approached for the job, my first reaction was, "Okay, this time don't blow it... I must control myself from shouting too much during the camp."

You see, for the previous few instances when I led worship for camps (youth camps especially), I would have no more voice at the final session, where normally it would be the most powerful and anointed.. The camps would be too much fun, and I just can't control myself from screaming and shouting during the activities.

So, this time I have been reminding myself over and over again... "control!". Everything went well on the first day of camp. I was so prim and proper... such a good boy and well behaved. Then we went for our first worship session... and during the fast songs itself, my voice cracked. Probably the songs were too high, probably because I was over doing it. Oh well... There were still 2 more days before my turn to lead again... Perhaps I can recuperate by then.

Still no good! For the next 2 days I can't even talk properly. I led devotion times in the morning, telling stories to some BB boys, and they can hardly understand what I said... my voice was so cracked! Oh God, help!

Then came my first worship session. Situation didn't get any better, I can't sing that much, and the worship session went... emm... okay, could be better. I was not that satisfied, but it's an offering to God anyway.

On the next day I was getting concerned. My voice was still cracked and I can't speak properly. I need God to help me! I quickly grabbed Alisha to pray with me, and remembering one of Ps. Prince's messages, we did holy communion there in the canteen. He mentioned that Jesus' body was broken so that ours may be made whole. And then I went on to bed, can't do much, just have to trust God.

On the next morning when I woke up, the condition still haven't improved. I had breakfast and did devotion again, and still no voice. Worship session started, still the same, but this time I was determined that I will worship God nonetheless. Voice or no voice, I'm still going to enjoy the worship...

And then it happened... halfway through the worship session, I found that my voice was okay. Wow! I thought to myself, this must be God... I tested my voice cautiously to sing some higher notes and, I can do it. Towards the last song, I thought to myself, this is already the last song of the last session, let's do it!

At that last song, I went on a really high note, and encouraged the youths to really give all out to worship God. It was an intense time of worship... i don't know about the rest, but I definitely enjoyed it very much. It was such a fulfilling and satisfying experience worshipping God.

Praise God for his healing!

The reason why David was a man after God's own heart. Part 2 : The Reason

The answer can be found in the following passage:

O LORD, remember David and all the hardships he endured.
He swore an oath to the LORD
and made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
"I will not enter my house
or go to my bed -
I will allow no sleep to my eyes,
no slumber to my eyelids, .... (Psalm 132:1-4)

This passage says that David had a life purpose, a passion and a deep desire, he said that he will not enter his house or allow sleep to his eyes until he does something.

What was the burning passion of his life, that David said that he will not rest or be contented with his life until this one thing is fulfilled? Before we go into the answer to this, let us look at the background to the story of David in order for us to fully appreciate the significance of David's life purpose:

The Background:

The background to this story can be found in 1 Samuel 4-7. At that time in history Israel still had no king yet, and the Israelites were having battles with the Philistines. When they realised that they were losing the battle, they brought the ark of the covenant of God with them into the battlefield, hoping that they can now perhaps win the battle.

However, the Israelites lost the battle that day and many Israelites were killed on that day. The Philistines captured the ark of the covenant and brought it to their homeland.

The Philistines at first brought the ark of the covenant into their pagan temple, but after a series a 'mishaps', the Philistines became very afraid and they decided to send the ark back to Israel.

The returning of the ark was halted halfway when many people were struck down and died when they looked inside into the contents of the ark. The Israelites, too, became afraid and decided keep it instead at a place called Kiriath Jearim.

The bible says that the ark was kept there for some 20 years. Throughout that entire time, no one in Israel had a heart to bring the ark back to Jerusalem.

David's Heart Desire

With that background in mind, let us go into the one thing that David had desired in his heart:

"I will allow no sleep to my eyes, no slumber to my eyelids,

till I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.

(Psalm 132:4-5)

When David was still a youth tending his father's flock in the field, he has heard about the news of the ark being captured and that nothing was being done to bring it back to its place in Jerusalem.

David has set it his life purpose to bring the ark back into its resting place.

And when God sees that David's desire was to fulfil what was in God's heart himself, God was so pleased with David that He lavished on David all the blessings and resources required to accomplish this task.

Personal Comments and Application

This is something I have learnt from listening to Ps. Joseph Prince's sermon. The question to this is indeed something I have been thinking about since I was a new believer. Many possible answers have been considered, but none of which so far has settled in.

Not until recently when this message was being preached by Ps. Prince... when I heard it, I knew deep inside me, "yes.. this is it!".

How does this apply to my life? We need to translate this to our present lives: The ark of God represents God's manifest presence, and Jerusalem is the centre point of Israel.

Personally, this is how it applies in my life: I will set my life purpose to bring Jesus into the hearts of people. For me, this will mean sharing the gospel to unbelievers, strengthening God's church and establishing God's covenant of grace. This will be the theme for my life.

The reason why David was a man after God's own heart.

David was a fascinating character in the Bible. At a young age God has already chosen him to be king over His people Israel. He was the only person in the Bible whom God declared was a man after God's own heart.

For God to say that David was a man after His own heart, it means that David knew what was in God's heart, in other words, he knew what God's desires was, and that he was actively seeking God's heart, and seeking to accomplish what God desires.

David made God's desires his own desires.

God so pleased with David, that it was stated in the Bible that God actually liked him.

Howbeit the LORD God of Israel chose me before all, the house of my father to be king over Israel forever: for he hath chosen Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he liked me to make me king over all Israel: (1 Chronicles 28:4 KJV)

And God did not stop there!

Not only was God pleased with David, God was pleased to bless him. When we read the story of David in the bible, we can't help but notice that David's whole life was so filled with success, so successful that even the king of that day, King Saul was afraid of him. (1 Samuel 18:14-15)

• God granted him great wealth and prosperity.
• God gave him wisdom beyond that of his enemies (Psalm 119:98)
• God gave him victory over his enemies and greatly increased the boundaries of his kingdom
• God protected him from all his enemies
• He had favour with many other other people. Some of his friends loved him so much that they were even willing to risk their lives to get David a drink of water (1 Chronicles 11:15-19)
• "In everything he did he had great success, because the LORD was with him" (1 Samuel 18:14)
• This is a recurring theme in his story: "The LORD gave David victory everywhere he went" (2 Samuel 8:6, 14; 1 Chronicles 17:6, 13)
• God was pleased to make a covenant with David, a covenant which is everlasting and irrevocable, that his throne will be secure through all generations. This covenant was known and referred to as "the sure mercies of David". (Isaiah 55:3, Acts 13:34)

It seemed that David's whole life has been marked out for God's blessings!

But, what was the main reason why David was a man after God's own heart? What was the main attribute that has set him apart from all other great heroes of the Bible?

The answer to this is really a great revelation for myself. I have been meditating on these truths for the past few days, it was so exciting... I have decided that this will be my personal theme and goal for the year 2008 and beyond.

I have purposed in my heart that I want to be like David, to be a man after God's very own heart.

In my next post: THE REASON.

My Diary

I have often found myself to have forgotten about things that has happened in life. I have always wished to start somewhere to record it down so that i can look back and start to think on how i have grown in life.



This Life Journal is intended to be a diary to record down experiences of how God has been real in my life. I wish to have a record of my spiritual journey, so that i may one day look back to see how God has helped me in the past, to give me encouragement that God can come through for me in my future challenges.