13 & 14 Sep 2025 (Pastoral Page) LET GO; LET GOD

by Ms Lilian Poon

During my personal devotion recently, the impression to let go and let God have His way came quite clearly. I remember writing the phrase “Let Go” as the opening thought in my journal that morning. After committing the issues of my heart to the Lord, I walked away with a newfound lightness and freedom. Little did I know a little test would come not long after. Later that evening, I was out grocery shopping when a charming retro teapot set caught my eye. I bought it and, on my way home, I kept thinking to myself, “Why did I buy this when I actually do not need it?”. As I approached my apartment, I ran into my neighbours, a young couple, who mentioned they were just returning from celebrating the husband's birthday. We exchanged warm wishes, and in that moment, I felt an unmistakable prompting: “Give him the new teapot set as a birthday gift.”

I wish I can tell you that I obeyed the prompting immediately. But I can’t, I was honestly a little shocked. Pondering over this at home as I slowly peeled off the price tag from my precious purchase, a little exchange with God raced through my mind. “Surely Lord, I can give them anything but this beloved teapot and cups. I have plenty of other stuff that could make a good birthday gift. But this is so difficult to come by and is just perfect for me (even though I have other teapots already).” “Perhaps they have no need of a teapot, these are young people and for all you know, they have plenty of teapots already.”

Well, thankfully I caught myself before spiralling into the abyss of endless arguments and rationalization. I took a deep breath, packed the teapot and headed out to my neighbour’s house. After giving them the gift, the morning’s devotion came flooding back. It was a perfect, living lesson in what it truly means to let go and let God.

This experience made me recall the many heroes of faith who exemplified what it means to “Let go and let God”. Hebrews 11 gives us snapshots of brave patriarchs who forsook all to seek after the kingdom of God by faith. By faith, Abraham left Haran, a familiar place he called home, to go somewhere he did not know. By faith, Moses fled Egypt, where He was a royalty, to dwell in Midian for forty years, where he was only known to a bunch of sheep as their shepherd. In Genesis 12-50, Joseph was forced to leave home as the most favoured son of Jacob and to live as a slave due to betrayal of his own brothers. All these heroes of faith experienced what it means to let go of everything they held dear, valued or loved to let God lead them to something far greater – His kingdom and perfect will. All of them emerged from their experiences changed and transformed, with new purposes and mission.

One of the most poignant images would be Genesis 22:1-9 where we witness Abraham taking the painful journey up to a Mount Moriah with his son, Issac. As parents, perhaps we cringe when it comes to the part when he binds and lays the boy on the altar to prepare him as a sacrifice to God. How can one commit such an unthinkable act? Yet this profound act foreshadows our Heavenly Father Himself, who let go of His only Son to fulfil His redemptive plan for the world. And how can we forget our Saviour’s own extravagant abandonment. Philippians 2:6-8 shares with us that the Son of God made Himself nothing and took on the form of a servant that was totally counter to His divinity and became obedient until the point of death. He let go of the majestic glamour of heaven, to exchange it for a status so impoverished and foul, to set in motion the divine plan of salvation.

What is God speaking to us to “let go and let God” in this season? He invites us to release our unyielding mindsets and hearts so that He can reshape us for His purpose. However, we must let go and forsake old ways and comfort zones to let God transform us. We are never too young or too old to pursue our destiny in Christ. May we resist the pull of complacency and fear, and instead embrace the grace to fully let go, and let God lead us to higher ground to grow and be His channel of blessings to many.