Faith is not the belief that God will do what you want. Faith is the belief that God will do what is right. - He Still Moves Stones

How many times have we desired that our loved ones do what we wanted them to do?  We think that if only they would do everything we desire, we’d have no more problem and we’d all end up happy and contented with our lives.  But is this really the case?

What if the person we love the most indeed does nothing else but follow our every command?  Worse, what if they don’t do anything unless we tell them to do something?  What if they consult with us every little thing that they’re about to do?  Would that satisfy us?  I believe not, for  if this is to continue, all that we’d have in the end are mere puppets that we control and nothing more.

If we end up with mere puppets, we’d also end up lonely because we’d end up with people with no real consciousness and identity.

How many times have we wanted God to do the same and answer our every prayer?  Why is it that God doesn't always give us what we ask for?

1. Giving us everything would invalidate God has having his own mind and personality.

God is not a genie who would follow our every wish just so we’d set Him free from the bottle.  God is already free and He is free to grant our prayers or not to grant them depending on His infinite wisdom.

"God is an ocean, a fire, a living fountain...That is the essence of prayer:this contact with a living God, a God who reacts, not like a simple inanimate being but like a living person, with a thrill of joy, with the gift of Himself.-Where The Spirit Breathes"

2. We don’t always know what’s best for us

We’re often incapable of knowing the things that could truly make us happy.  We’d want something and then once we acquire it, we’d want something else.  We want the kind people who could hurt us the most.  We yearn for those things we’d only regret later on.

If God were to give us automatically our every wish, He may just do us more harm than good.

3. If God always gave us everything, our faith would not be strengthened because we’d always interpret that God is deserting us everytime things don’t happen our way.

We are not only to live by reason, but also by faith.  This is because we don’t know everything, and for us to gain the best things, we have to trust the One who knows all things.

There are many things whose end we couldn’t see yet, but will eventually turn out for our good.  If God gave us only things that benefited us for the moment, our faith would be crippled and our relationship with Him wouldn’t grow.  We’d also feel afraid and alone, thinking nobody else is in charge when we can no longer take care of ourselves.

4. God wouldn’t have the ability to surprise us anymore.

If God gave us only the things we ask for, how else could He surprise us with His gifts?  God is not only a Provider, but a Father and a Lover who loves and yearns to make us smile!

God does not always give us what we ask for, only those things we ask for from deep within our soul –  our greatest and most sacred desires, for such are the desires that are most aligned to our perfect joy!

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."(Psalm 37:4)

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Why do bad things happen to good people?  And why do good things happen to those who are evil?

But I had nearly lost confidence;
my faith was almost gone
because I was jealous of the proud
when I saw that things go well for the wicked.
-Psalm 73:2-3

Lord, if I argued my case with you,
you would prove to be right.
Yet I must question you about matters of justice.
Why are the wicked so prosperous?
Why do dishonest people succeed?
-Jeremiah 12:1-2

Why doesn't God set a time for judging,
a day of justice for those who serve him?
People move property lines to get more land;
they steal sheep and put them with their own flocks.
They take donkeys that belong to orphans,
and keep a widow's ox till she pays her debts.
They prevent the poor from getting their rights
and force the needy to run and hide.

So the poor, like wild donkeys,
search for food in the dry wilderness;
nowhere else can they find food for their children.
They have to harvest fields they don't own,
and gather grapes in vineyards of the wicked.
At night they sleep with nothing to cover them,
nothing to keep them from the cold.
They are drenched by the rain that falls on the mountains,
and they huddle beside the rocks for shelter.

Evil people make slaves of fatherless infants
and take the children of the poor in payment for debts.
But the poor must go out with no clothes to protect them;
they must go hungry while harvesting wheat.
They press olives for oil, and grapes for wine,
but they themselves are thirsty.
In the cities the wounded and dying cry out,
but God ignores their prayers.

-Job 24:1-12

Is there anything more heart-wrenching than seeing the wicked succeed while the innocent continue to suffer because of the wicked’s evil schemes? Why must bad things happen to good people and why must good things happen to those who are bad?

1. God is using difficult times to help good people grow

The Lord said,
Jeremiah, if you get tired racing against people,
how can you race against horses?
If you can't even stand up in open country,
how will you manage in the jungle by the Jordan?

-Jeremiah 12:5

God is helping us understand the wound of others so we can be better instruments of His healing.

Without tasting sorrow, how could we lead others out of the dark?

The wisdom we learn from grief is often greater than that we learn from happy times, it is the kind of wisdom that can overcome darkness and that can transform every suffering into strength.

2. God has a greater plan that has not yet reached its end

Then Moses turned to the Lord again and said,
Lord, why do you mistreat your people? Why did you send me here? Ever since I went to the king to speak for you, he has treated them cruelly. And you have done nothing to help them!
-Exodus 5:22-23

Then the Lord said to Moses,
Now you are going to see what I will do to the king. I will force him to let my people go. In fact, I will force him to drive them out of his land.
-Exodus 6:1

We can only see what happens for a short period of time, for the duration of our short life on earth at most.  We do not know what happens thereafter.  And we surely don’t know what God has in store for us for eternity.  God sees the big picture, and He sees the most beautiful things in store for those who trust in Him.

“...Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” – 1 Corinthians 2:9

3. Evil people are given mercy and a time of grace to change

God’s wisdom is infinite.  He knows our every tear, our every sigh. He knows our parents.  He knows how we grew up.  He knows our every lack.  And because He knows such things, He is also merciful.

He gives every person the opportunity to change.

4. We are taught humility and faith by acknowledging how much more we do not know

Then Job answered the Lord.Job
I know, Lord, that you are all-powerful;
that you can do everything you want.
You ask how I dare question your wisdom
when I am so very ignorant.
I talked about things I did not understand,
about marvels too great for me to know.
You told me to listen while you spoke
and to try to answer your questions.
In the past I knew only what others had told me,
but now I have seen you with my own eyes.
So I am ashamed of all I have said
and repent in dust and ashes.
-Job 42:1-6

The truth is the we do not know everything yet, and we never will.  We await for God’s revelation and we trust in His wisdom and love.

If God is going to lead us for all eternity, we’ve got to learn to trust in Him.

Words from St. Therese of Lisieux:

“It was a very great trial, but he whose Heart never sleeps taught me that he performs miracles for someone whose faith is like a tiny mustard seed.  He does this to strengthen a faith so weak, but for his close friends and for his Mother he works no miracles before testing their faith.  He let Lazarus die, though Martha and Mary had sent word that he was ill.  And at the wedding feast at Cana the Blessed Virgin asked Jesus to help the master of the house, but she was told that his hour had not yet come.  But what a reward they got when the water was turned into wine and Lazarus rose from the dead!”

5. We are being led to our greatest joy – God Himself!

When you pray that God may help you feel His love for you, don’t be surprised if He takes away your job, your health, your friends, your dreams, your noble mission, even your most beloved.  God can take them all away for a time so you may know that His love for you is enough.

Do we love God because He provides us with gifts?  Or do we love those gifts more than we love the giver Himself?

Times of trials give us the opportunity to seek God Himself, to be stripped away of every treasure that we know so that we may know who our real treasure is.

All the other things we cling on to will eventually disappear.  They can be stolen away from us, they can rot, they can leave.  God wants us to have a firm foundation in Him so that no one could ever take away our joy.

“Did you notice my servant Job? the Lord asked.  There is no one on earth as faithful and good as he is. He worships me and is careful not to do anything evil.

Satan replied,   Would Job worship you if he got nothing out of it? You have always protected him and his family and everything he owns. You bless everything he does, and you have given him enough cattle to fill the whole country. But now suppose you take away everything he has he will curse you to your face!”
- JOB 1:8-11

Times of crisis are times of great opportunity in order to prove our friendship with God.  They declare the authenticity of our faith.  And after we have been duly pruned, after the idols we worshipped have been banished away from our hearts, God restores them to us, even more than the blessings he took away.  This time, He knew our joy would always be intact and that we could now have everything without being possessed by our own possessions.

“Then, after Job had prayed for his three friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had had before... The Lord blessed the last part of Job's life even more than he had blessed the first.”
-JOB 42:10,12

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Why is love often so painful? Because there are currently so many things that blocks it. Ignorance, selfishness, fear - such are the things that bring bitterness to something that could have otherwise been so sweet, beautiful and full of happiness.

It is our imperfections that keep us from loving each other without difficulty. It is our imperfections that turn our love into hatred, and that ruins every good thing we wanted to possess.

We are embittered because we cannot fully understand another person’s feelings and thoughts.  We do not possess this wisdom.  We do not know why they’re doing something that hurts us.

In the same way, our actions have also been misinterpreted many times.  People do not know how much we really cared for them.  We do something good and even sacrifice a lot for it, only to be rejected and turned away.

God’s Perfection Is Different

God on the other hand is perfect, and with it comes perfect wisdom.  He knows us.  He knows every detail of our lives, every tear we’ve ever shed, every dream we ever dared to dream.  And that is why He is able to understand us.  And because He is able to, He can forgive us and love us without end.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could have wisdom like that?  Wouldn’t it be great to be able to love like that?

How Can We Love Without Being Perfect?

But how could we ever love perfectly if we can’t be perfect?  Unlike God, we possess very limited knowledge and wisdom.  We are weak.  We run out of strength and of resources.  We are insecure and afraid.  We worry a lot.  We doubt, we fret, we get jealous, we lose hope.  We hurt so easily that we put up a million defences against one another, even against those we love.

The Key of Faith

We may not attain the perfection of God, but a way has been opened for us in order to have access to His perfection, and that is the way of FAITH.

“Faith is the key by which an imperfect man is granted access to the One Perfect God.”

Hence, even if we cannot have perfect wisdom, we can have access to His wisdom.  Even if we could not have perfect courage, we can overcome many things, by faith.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16”

With faith in Jesus, we learn to forgive and give mercy to others because we know that we ourselves are imperfect.

With faith in Jesus, we draw the courage we need in order to love because we believe that God will always be there for us, ready to catch us if we fall, ready to defend us from all evil, even as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death!

With faith in Jesus, our selfishness and insecurities decrease because we believe that God can and will provide for our needs.

With faith in Jesus, our ignorance is healed, because we know that we can always pray for Wisdom to guide us in everything we do.

With faith, we don’t easily give up even if things don’t seem to work out according to our plans.  We know that God can make a way even when there seems to be none.

With faith, our lives become meaningful because we believe in God’s wonderful purposes for us.

With faith, we become secure in love because we know Somebody has loved us so much that He suffered and died for our sake so that we may have joy, so that we may be saved... by faith!

A Beauty That Never Fades

I have seen so much beauty in this life.
I have felt overflowing love.
I have been happy, I’ve been filled with so much joy.

But O, I have also seen so much hatred and violence and apathy.
I’ve felt so much sorrow that almost drained my eyes of tears.
I have seen how something so beautiful
could suddenly be corrupted, twisted, decayed and left to waste.
I have seen how something so wonderful
could suddenly end,
and how something so precious
could suddenly be taken away from you,
tearing both your heart and your soul.

What is this life worth then?
What does it all mean?

Why must darkness spoil the light?
Why must love be filled with pain?

Is there a way to restore everything back to wholeness?
Is there some chance that good might not end in evil things?

Only God holds the key.
From everlasting to everlasting
the One who changes not,
whose Light never dims,
and whose Beauty never fades,
He alone can save
and keep what’s good and beautiful and true.

Left to ourselves, we grow weak.
We turn love to hatred,
we hold something beautiful
and it soon withers away and dies.

With God however, all things are kept,
cleansed and made whole.
Sorrow turns to joy.
Suffering turns to strength.
We approach in ignorance
and we leave with wisdom.
We approach in fear,
and we leave with courage.
We live forever in LOVE!

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So many things have happened since that day, and somehow, I believe I was able to accomplish much.  There had been some rough times for sure, but looking back now, it has been a blessed life.

I couldn’t help but think what would happen if I happen to have the same dream again.  Would I still want to come back? What would make me desire to continue living on earth?

I then thought about the things that help people to stay alive despite of all the difficulties they encounter in life.  What are some of the things that keep people from wanting to die?

1. The Fear Of The Unknown

Some people don’t really prefer to live.  They’re just afraid to die!  This life then is better because at least, we already know what this life is like.  No matter how miserable we are, we’ve learned to cope.  What happens in the next life is a whole new story and we’re just afraid of it because we don’t know anything about it at all.

2. Unfinished Business and Responsibilities

Some people have a very strong urge to survive not for their own benefit but in order to fulfill their current obligations.  Some may deem their work very important because what they do there could affect a lot of people.  Some may regard their children as their reason for living.  They just can’t let go yet until they see them grow up and happily settled in their own lives.

Others still have certain unfinished concerns that are not so positive.  This could include things they wish to do out of envy, jealousy or anger.  Thus for some people, it’s only the thought of taking vengeance that gives meaning to their very existence.  Take that away and they see no more reason to live.

3. Enjoyment of Material Things

Some people don’t care about any other kind of existence but the one we have right now with our physical bodies.  They enjoy the things that satisfy the senses and couldn’t imagine or hope for anything more.

What If You No Longer Have The Same Reasons?

There comes a time when some people could no longer fall within the 3 broad categories mentioned earlier.  What if the enjoyment of material things no longer satisfies you?  What if you’ve already met your responsibilities and been freed from all your obligations?  And what if you’re no longer afraid of death because you now have a firm faith of what awaits you in the next life?  What would give you the strength to go on and live?

I guess St. Paul had the same dilemma back then:

For what is life? To me, it is Christ. Death, then, will bring more. But if by continuing to live I can do more worthwhile work, then I am not sure which I should choose. I am pulled in two directions. I want very much to leave this life and be with Christ, which is a far better thing; but for your sake it is much more important that I remain alive. I am sure of this, and so I know that I will stay. I will stay on with you all, to add to your progress and joy in the faith, so that when I am with you again, you will have even more reason to be proud of me in your life in union with Christ Jesus. - Philippians 1:21-26

There are times when death will seem sweeter, for it is after all not really death but a new birth and a new life with Jesus, our beloved, the one we love the most.  And who wouldn’t want to be with her beloved?  But if one really loves Jesus, one would also love those whom He loves.  And for His sake, she will forgo seeing Him for the time being in order to love those whom He also loves.  Love therefore is the only remaining key to life.

How about you?  Do you live your life merely out of fear? Out of duty or responsibility? Or do you live your life for the sake of LOVE?

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I used to think that love is all we need in order to heal other people’s hurts. I used to think that if we could only give that love to the very best we could, we’d have the power to change other people’s lives for the better.

But why is it that after giving everything we could, we are still met with pain and frustration? Why is it that after so many years of trying to prove our love, wounds are still hurting and people remain unchanged?

Can’t love really heal our hurts?

My daughter (son), you are not yet a strong and prudent lover. Because you abandon what you have begun at every little adversity which you encounter, and too eagerly seek consolation.-Imitation of Christ

How strong must we be? How persistent must our love be? In our exhaustion, we say in defeat that our love could never be that strong enough. If the only hope for healing left is love, then it couldn’t be the kind of love that we have. Our love is not the kind of love that heals.

What then is the love that heals?

But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:8

Only God’s love can. For in truth, God Himself is LOVE

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." - John 3:16

All our greatest strivings fall short of God’s Perfect LOVE for us, a love that is sufficient unto itself and neither needs nor asks for anything in return. Who among us could love like Him unless He empowers us to do so?

God’s Unconditional Love

Have you ever wondered how only God can love us unconditionally? It’s because only God is perfect and doesn’t need anything from us

We can’t love like that. Our love, however good is still conditional. We want something in return because we are not perfect, and we try to get from others what we lack.

We expect something back, whether it be the praise of the one we love, his presence to soothe our loneliness and emptiness within, the feeling that we’re needed, the fulfilment of our childhood ideals, protection, financial security, or his characteristics that we yearn for but don’t possess such as a strong identity, childlikeness, excitement and strength.

This is the reason why Jesus told us to love God first for in truth, it is a command to allow God to love us, to be so embraced and ensured that we couldn’t ask for anything more. In that way only can we love others as God has loved us.

This kind of love is therefore not waiting for any condition or reward. This love is also not boastful, self righteous or looking down upon another person because it knows that whatever love it can give has come not from itself but from God, like the moon reflecting only the light cast upon it by the sun.

A Love That Heals

God’s perfect love is the kind of love that heals. Whether we receive it directly or through the people He chooses to help us along the way, only God’s love has the power to change us and to heal our hurts.

If we are to be channels of His love, we must stop relying upon our own strength and goodness and begin tapping unto God’s endless reserve of mercy, power and grace. Know God’s love and how different it is from the kind of love that failed us in the past.

GOD’S LOVE IS:

1. Benevolent

Benevolence is silent goodwill. It is like the sun shining on hard ground, softening the earth, melting the ice, but with no design or intention to heal. It is a state of naturalness which is why it works because the ground feels no debt to the sun. In the same way, to be on the receiving end of benevolence is to be receiving something for which there is no return. Not even a pressure to respond – which is why one does, so easily. – Inner Beauty

God’s love is just like that. GOD’S LOVE just IS. Even without our appreciation, even without our gaze. God’s love needs no permission nor recognition in order to shine through and give its warmth to all. Only He has that kind of benevolence.

There are times when we also feel as though we’ve already given so much kindness. But if we could really be benevolent in the same way, why do we feel so much pain when our partner leaves us or betrays us? Why do we hear ourselves say, “I’ve done everything for you all these years and this is how you will repay me for everything?”

It is not that we shouldn’t feel bad in any way. It’s but natural to be disappointed with infidelity and with things that break apart our love. But in our weakness, we fall into the temptation of making our partners the very center of our lives, the source of our joy, the meaning of our existence. God is not like that for He is not dependent upon His creatures for His happiness. He loves us but He is the Giver, not the one who expects from us something in return to fill Him back.

The only way we could somehow imitate such benevolence is when we’re able to connect to God. When we’re filled with His goodness, we’re able to give the same to others without expecting anything in return.

2. Strong

God’s love is so strong that even if we fail Him again and again, His love remains steadfast and unaffected by our changing desires.

His love is also strong enough to join us not only in our happiness but even in our pain. It is not afraid to see us in our weakness and our failures. It is strong enough to allow us to make mistakes, to hurt, and to learn from them. How very different indeed from our human love that expects perfection from one another. We’re afraid to feel our loved one’s pain and so we meddle with their decisions and keep them from being responsible for their own lives. We’d rather that they remain as babies who never grow up rather than risk falling as they learn to walk on their own.

3. Trustworthy

We know God has no hidden agenda and only has our highest good in mind. He never lies to us and His words can be counted upon.

How different it is with people who often lie to us and betray us, people who keep us guessing whether they really love us or only care about themselves.

For those of us who have been hurt so deeply that we find it so difficult to trust again, only God’s love heals because it may just be the only love we’d be able to TRUST for a time.

4. Respectful

God respects our freewill and does not force us to do His will even if it be far better than our desires. God is powerful but He does not manipulate us. God is everywhere but He doesn’t always reveal His presence if such will not be good for us.

With people however, we often try to control others, especially our loved ones if we have come to believe that we know the best thing for them to do. We exert upon them our authority, or even use emotional blackmail just so they would do as we want them to do even if they don’t truly believe in our plans.

We could always reason that we only intend the best for them. But could it be that we’re also depriving them to learn in their own way and time? Could it be that we’re just showing them how we can’t really trust them to run their own lives?

God knows far better than we do and could surely accomplish a lot of things on His own, but He honors us by acknowledging the strength we have and what we can do for ourselves. He doesn’t want puppets who can do His will but who can’t appreciate and believe in His wisdom.

The kind of love that heals is the kind of love that is able to respect the dignity of the person, one that is able to touch but not intrude, to help but also honor the person’s ability to help himself.

5. Wise

God’s love is filled with wisdom. It knows and does what the beloved needs, not what she wants, if what she wants wouldn’t be good for her in the long run.

We in turn may be tempted to merely please other people. We think that by always doing everything others wanted us to do, we’re already loving them. A love that heals is never blind. It sees beyond what the person asks to what a person really needs.

6. Gentle

God’s love is so gentle that it could touch us in our frailty without causing us farther harm. Other people’s love seem strong, but unless gentleness be present also in that strength, we may feel threatened or even afraid to receive it. In times when we can’t even look up and extend our arms, what we need is a quiet love that merely shelters us in our moment of need, like a tree that provides just enough shade to protect us from too much rain or sun.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

7. Infinite

God’s love is infinite. There’s always something new to discover, something fresh to surprise us and to keep us awaiting His presence. He could never bore us for there is no end to knowing Him. The more we know about His love, the more we yearn to comprehend His greatness.

One reason why many relationships fail is because people also fail to grow. If we really wish to offer the best for our loved ones, we should constantly seek to improve ourselves, to grow and to become better kinds of people from day to day.

8. Unchanging

God’s love comforts us because His love remains the same, He is as reliable now and in the future as He had been in the past.

It is true that there is always something new to discover about Him, but He does not take back what He has already revealed about Himself.

“I am the Lord, and I change not.” – Malachi 3:6

9. Beautiful

The beauty of God’s love is so alluring that it gives us joy. Can we ever find something more beautiful than His love?

The kind of love that heals is a love that is given out of the beauty of one’s heart, not out of one’s fears, guilt or emptiness.

10. Eternal

We may not be able to count the number of times we wept because the love we thought we’d always have suddenly fades. Separation, abandonment and death broke our hearts and we couldn’t understand why something so beautiful had to end.

In truth, the love that we have right now is only a taste of the greater love we’d enjoy in eternity. With God’s love, we need never be afraid anymore because His love is eternal and has no end.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

Such is the greatness of God’s love that has been made available to all. We may not always be able to reflect that love to others, for we are all but hazy mirrors of His love at best. In times like that, let us not feel defeated for we know God can always continue His work for the people we love in ways we could never imagine for now. Only God’s love is infinite, wise and trustworthy. His LOVE shall never fail!

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“And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things...your Father already knows your needs.  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.” – Luke 12:29-30

Sigh...if only it were that easy.  For many of us however, we see ourselves as exceptions to that – we deserve to worry, don’t we?!  After all, we’ve just been fired from our low-paying job, the rent hasn’t been paid yet, there is no food at the fridge, and our money is only enough for this week’s groceries.  How can we not worry?

^“Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds!” – Luke 12:24

But we’re not like birds, are we? We need gasoline for our cars, gas for the kitchen, insurance for our health, mortgage payments for the house, tuition for the kids, and a little extra money just in case something else goes wrong!

“Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?  And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?” – Luke 12:25-26

Well, yeah.  You’ve got a point in there.  Worrying does lead us nowhere.  But what else can we do?

Good question, isn’t it? What ELSE can we do?  Well, it seems God has given us a lot of options in there.  We can do ANYTHING we can do to help solve the situation EXCEPT to WORRY!

That’s right.  No one ever said we should do nothing.  After all, we’re not like birds, are we?  We have a far more advanced mind that can think deeper and wider, that can explore various solutions available for us.  That’s the more practical thing we SHOULD be doing.

“But what if we couldn’t think of any solution?” we ask.  Well then, if we can’t think of any, why worry?  Worry isn’t ever going to be a part of the solution anyways.  But trust can.  Faith can.  Resting in God’s wisdom and providence can.  And I believe that’s the point Jesus wanted to make.  Let us try to do everything within our powers, and then leave the rest to God, a Higher Power that can definitely see us through!

But then we continue to ask, “We’ve only got enough for a week’s budget, or for a few days’ food.  What if no help arrives after that?”

God undestands our fears, and He knows that many times, we mistake those fears for a real need.  What’s the difference anyways?  A fear is something that may or may not happen.  A need is something we have to address at the very moment where we are.  So you’ve got a budget for a week’s groceries.  That means God has given you the means to survive today and for the rest of the week as well.  What’s bothering you is not that your current need could not be met, but a future need, a fear that may or may not come into reality.

Let’s take a look at the story of ELIJAH:

Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, “As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!”

Then the Lord said to Elijah,  “Go to the east and hide by Kerith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River. Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.”

So Elijah did as the Lord told him and camped beside Kerith Brook, east of the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook. But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land.

Then the Lord said to Elijah, “Go and live in the village of Zarephath, near the city of Sidon. I have instructed a widow there to feed you.”

1 Kings 17:1-8

Since there was to be no rain for the next few years, God provided for Elijah’s needs by pointing him towards the Kerith Brook.  And when the brook dried up, God instructed him to go to Zarephath, where his needs shall continue to be provided for.

Notice that the brook dried up first!  There was no word beforehand from the Lord saying something like, “Elijah, you shouldn’t worry about your needs.  Look! I’ve found this brook for you.  Sometime soon, this will also dry up, but don’t you worry.  I will then send you to a widow who will feed you.”

There was no assurance like that. In fact, it was only after the brook dried up that God provided for him another way by which to survive.

This is very different from the way we want to be provided for.  We’ve been used to having a lot of surplus in our hands, or some kind of insurance that will see us through in case some unexpected things happen.  If we don’t have a big allowance like that, we become fearful because we don’t know where we’re going to find the things to address our needs.

It isn’t wrong to think logically.  God has indeed given us a mind to plan wisely and to take care of our finances.  What’s wrong is when we LIMIT ourselves to our plans.  And when our plans don’t work one way or the other, we PANIC!  We lose heart, and we forget from where all good things really come from – from GOD.

Our confidence and peace should not be anchored with the material things that can get stolen away from us.  It should be anchored in GOD alone.  That’s God’s point in wanting us to trust Him, to save us from unnecessary worries that give us so much stress and even affects our health.

Let us continue with ELIJAH’s STORY:

So he went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the gates of the village, he saw a widow gathering sticks, and he asked her, “Would you please bring me a little water in a cup?” As she was going to get it, he called to her, “Bring me a bite of bread, too.”

But she said, “I swear by the Lord your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.”

But Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you’ve said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what’s left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again!”

So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her son continued to eat for many days. There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah.

1 Kings 17:10-16

The widow only had enough for one last meal!  Note what she said: “I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.”

The widow thought she and her son were already going to starve to death!  And why not?  All that she had was only enough for ONE LAST MEAL.  But even that doesn’t say that they weren’t being provided for.  They had enough for that meal.  And after using everything she had, it was time for God’s providence to manifest itself: “...she and Elijah and her son continued to eat for many days. There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah.”

God provides JUST IN TIME, and not a minute late.  And He provides for ALL our NEEDS, not just for food, for our Father knows everything we lack.

One real concern God is well aware of is our concern for our health.  He knows how much money we need in case any of our loved ones get sick.  He knows how great our fear is, especially when we don’t have enough savings or insurance for it.

In the story of Elijah and the widow, one of our most dreadful fears happened, when a loved ones get sick and we have no money or any kind of means to help them in their sickness:

Some time later the woman’s son became sick. He grew worse and worse, and finally he died. Then she said to Elijah, “O man of God, what have you done to me? Have you come here to point out my sins and kill my son?”

But Elijah replied, “Give me your son.” And he took the child’s body from her arms, carried him up the stairs to the room where he was staying, and laid the body on his bed. Then Elijah cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, why have you brought tragedy to this widow who has opened her home to me, causing her son to die?”

And he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, please let this child’s life return to him.” The Lord heard Elijah’s prayer, and the life of the child returned, and he revived! Then Elijah brought him down from the upper room and gave him to his mother. “Look!” he said. “Your son is alive!”

Then the woman told Elijah, “Now I know for sure that you are a man of God, and that the Lord truly speaks through you.”

1 Kings 17:17-24

Indeed, our TRUE ASSURANCE is in GOD, not in material wealth, not even in the imperfect people we often depend upon!

Let’s take a look at what happens when we have all the material wealth we think we need but forget from whom all such gifts came from:

The Parable of the Rich Fool

Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops.  He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods.  And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’

“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

-Luke 12:16-21

“So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.” - Luke 12:32

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We crave for love, so much so that we look for it even in the worse of people who only hurt us and fail us constantly. Somewhere at the back of our minds, a voice tells us we can find that love in God, that He has loved us ever since, and that He is the One who has really loves us most. But we doubt this voice. We feel it isn’t real, nor is the love of God which we cannot see. How can we know He loves us when we cannot even see Him?

Below are some of the things that made me realize how much I am loved, and how real God’s love really is:

1. He created me with awareness and the ability to love and be loved.

I am not a stone that does not know the things happening around it. I am not a shell that gets tossed about by the waves, unaware of whatever shore it lands upon, without consciousness of all the beauty surrounding it.

I am aware and alive. I hear the sound of the waves crashing upon the shore and it soothes my soul. I see the sunset and I marvel at God’s fingers painting that beautiful scenery everyday. I smell the flowers and I feel at peace. I walk upon the sand and their warmth comforts me.

When I hold a baby upon my arms, I feel an ability to love and to give. I feel that I can make other people happy, and their happiness makes me glad in return.

2. He witnesses my life, my life isn’t meaningless

We look for partners in life not only so that someone might love us and take care of us. We look for them because we want them to witness the life we’re living.

How important is it to have a witness to one’s life? For many, it’s the very difference between a life well lived and a meaningless one.

We all want somebody to see how far we’ve already reached, how far we’ve already grown. It’s not enough for us to be able to achieve something. We want our achievements to be remembered, to be seen, to be the cause of inspiration of another person’s life.

With God, I know that Someone’s always watching. Even if men do not understand, even if they don’t see the good that I do, Someone always does.

3. He gives me respect and allows me to be myself

God respects me and allows me to be me. He loves me enough to allow me even to make mistakes. He knows that I could learn from them, and that even the hurts I would experience in life would make me a better person.

Sometimes we think that if we really love a person, we should always interfere in what they do so that they won’t make any mistakes. But by not letting them decide on their own and own the consequences of their actions, we are also not allowing them to grow. We’re also not expressing our belief in them, that they can rise up after they fall, that they can later on have the wisdom to choose what’s right.

4. He communicates with me, I know I’m not alone

To be able to have someone to communicate with is to not be alone. It is to know that someone else understands what you’re saying, and that someone can respond according to His own awareness and understanding. It is not commanding an inanimate object to move according to your will. It’s being part of an intelligent and conscious exchange between two consciousness that is aware of each other.

Nobody falls in love with a puppet. A puppet merely says what you wanted him to say and moves where you wanted him to go. We want someone who has a mind of his own, someone who is just like us.

"God is an ocean, a fire, a living fountain...That is the essence of prayer:this contact with a living God, a God who reacts, not like a simple inanimate being but like a living person, with a thrill of joy, with the gift of Himself.-Where The Spirit Breathes"

5. He gives me something to look forward to, my life is far from boredom

The person who is in love is far away from boredom. To her, every moment is meaningful, and every next moment is something to look forward to.

She does not know what her beloved would do next. Will he invite her out to dinner? Will he give her a bouquet of flowers? Will they watch a movie together?

It’s the same with God. We know God loves us because He forms a relationship with us. In that relationship, He gives the gift of Himself. He pours out from a heart of love such surprises we could never have dreamed of!

6. He enlightens my mind and gives me wisdom

Life is a continuous discovery of the mysterious. And when we have a relationship with God, He allows us to discover a part of Him. He reveals Himself and gives us spiritual wisdom we could never learn elsewhere.

This wisdom enlightens our mind and satisfies our thirst for spiritual food. We continuously learn new things that benefit us and other people. We are delighted with what we learn and such things can never be stolen away from us.

7. He heals my wounds and help me love myself more

Only God knows me. Only He can understand my innermost wounds and fears. With His guidance, I am healed, and I am able to love myself more.

Other people have their own wounds that may cause them to avoid me when I hurt. They have desires which I cannot satisfy, expectations that I may fail to meet. With God, I am loved even if I fail, even if I can’t always be strong enough or beautiful enough. In truth, it is His love that makes me beautiful in time.

8. He receives with gladness everything I offer Him

Other people may not need what I can offer them. Others may be too proud to accept help from someone like me. But God, even in all His greatness and glory receives with gladness every little offering that comes from me.

He knows what I can do. He knows the love with which I’ve made the gift I’m offering Him. And He receives the same with love and gladness, He honors me by receiving and appreciating all that I do for Him.

9. He directs my path and leads me back whenever I go astray

If I were the only one who’s trying to maintain my relationship with God, I’d be in great trouble. I know my limits and imperfections. I know how often I change my mind and lose heart.

But God is so good. He cares for His sheep, and He will not allow any to be lost or stolen away. Whenever I start to lose my way, He is there to remind me of His love. He pursues me. He lets me know how much I matter. He leaves the 99 sheep behind just so He can find me and take me gently upon His arms.

10. He saved me and gave me eternal life and lasting joy

Is there a greater act of love than to lay down one’s life for His beloved? There is no greater love, and this is just what God has done.

He could have just offered me the world and I would have been overwhelmed. He could have given me the entire galaxy, or a constellation of stars, but He did not stop there. I receive joy of the most precious kind, one that lasts unto eternity, one that comes from the offering Jesus made upon the cross – the offering of His own Self!

God's love is like a mother's love.  To a mother, each child is loved, each one important, each deserving to be saved and protected from all harm.  Even if a mother has ten children, it is not enough to save only seven,or even nine.  She has to save them all.  She cannot rest until she has saved them all!

Indeed, nothing can separate us from the love of God. His love for us does not only manifest with the material things He provides for us, nor in the relationships we have with the people we love. His love is greater and far surpasses all our needs and expectations.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:38:39

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“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”-Mark 15:34

Forsaken. Rejected.  Abandoned.  To be given up entirely:  forgotten, deserted, and without hope.  Is there a far lonelier cry than this?

Whosoever cries out in this anguish has lost everything, and has been declined of every kind of help or assistance one has ever sought.  To him, no door is open, even from a distant dream.  To him, no friend is present, and all that have remained serve only to mock him in his hurts.

This is the cry of those dying in the streets, their worm-infested bodies decaying even before their breath has gone.  This is the cry of the abandoned mother, not knowing how to feed the child she is yet to bear.  This is the cry of the old man alone in his room, afraid of his death and yet even more terrified of dying alone.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from my cries of anguish?
My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, but I find no rest.-Psalm 22:1-2

This is the kind of darkness that covers all light from one’s soul, the kind of grief that burrows deeply and sharply upon the heart, rendering it unable to move, unable even to ask for healing.

All that it knows is this pain, this darkness.  And in the darkest of all hours, it cries out to the only One who could possibly hear it, yet seems unwilling to, “My God, why have you forsaken me?”

To be forsaken even by God. To be unable to understand why such an evil has to happen, has to be allowed to happen by the One Good God who can do all things.  Why hasn’t He stopped this from happening?  Why has He allowed me to be hurt like this?  And where is He now when I need Him most of all?

But there is no answer.  There is no sermon.  There is no comfort.  All that follows is silence.

What must a soul do?  In all its pain, a soul cries out even louder.  It hurls all its frustrations towards heaven.  It narrates a long list of all the good deeds it has done, of all the noble acts that have been unrewarded.  In frustration, the soul asks why such a punishment is given in return?  The soul asks for justice and for mercy, but there is none.  All that follows is silence.

Hanging upon the cross, Jesus uttered the same words, and asked the same question:

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

In that very hour, it’s as though all the powers of heaven were absent and never even existed.  In that hour, all that existed were darkness, grief and pain.  Where was the Hand of the Father who Provides and Protects?  Where was the Hand that stopped the storm and raised even the dead back into life?  Every trace of God’s goodness is missing.  There was no sign of Him at all!  There was no nod from heaven.  No miracle that turns water into wine.  No angel to cheer him on.  Could it be that the Father has forgotten?  Could it be that He changed His plans and left Him?  What of His promises?  How could it all come true now?  If there is no justice now, how can there be justice in the future?  If there is no sign of life right at this moment, how can there even be an eternity?

Haven’t we felt the same thing in our loneliness?  With our faith we declare that we believe in God’s goodness, that we believe in heaven.  Yet when difficult times come, heaven quickly loses its meaning for us.  It does not only become distant, it becomes absurd, something that cannot co-exist with the darkness we’re currently going through.

Think of Joseph The Dreamer.  He received a vision from God, he knew God has a special plan for him.  But what happened?  He was sold as a slave, and after that, he even went to prison!  How can God’s plan for him come true now?

This is the darkness where the soul cannot even trace his own faith, where even his spiritual eyes are shut closed.  What do you do when you cannot even see the face of faith?

To this, Mother Teresa has an answer. BLIND FAITH. I used to think all faith is blind, but no faith is ever as blind as this, when one is passing through the darkest night of one’s soul.

“Pray for me – for within me everything is icy cold. – It is only that blind faith that carries me through for in reality to me all is darkness.”-Mother Teresa

Jesus had BLIND FAITH.  For even if forsaken, Jesus never stopped with those words of anguish.  In total surrender, His last words had been: “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.”

How can you entrust yourself to the One who has forsaken you?

I used to be unable to understand this until I felt the same darkness from within me.  Having lost all hope and faith that things are going to be better, having lost even the love of the One God who alone can uphold you, what more could you possibly do?

NOTHING.

There was nothing more that we could do.  We couldn’t force God to come to our aid and do as we wish.  But we also couldn’t do anything for ourselves.  Any rebellious behavior would only destroy us more, would only bring more hurt and pain, not only for us but for those we also love.  We also couldn’t count on anybody else, for all have rejected us and deserted us.

Considering all these, there is really no other alternative for us but to entrust everything upon GOD!

Why?  Because despite and in spite everything that has ever happened, He is still the One hope we’ve got.  He’s still the only One who could possibly hear us.   If we have nobody else to bet on, why not bet on God?  Why not risk on God?  He is after all our last recourse.  He is in the end, the Only One we have.

“From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.   “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.  Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go?” – John 6:66-68

By the way, in God’s perfect time, Joseph became the Governor of all Egypt, saving the entire nation as well as His family from famine.  And Jesus?  He rose again to a new life free from all death, pain and suffering, a life He purchased for us all during His darkest hours when He cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the one Israel praises.
In you our ancestors put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.
To you they cried out and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

-Psalm 22:3-5

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We have a God who understands how it’s like to be hurt.

People with questions.  The Bible is absolutely full of them.  A crook on a cross. A wildman in a cemetery. A five-time divorcee.  A despondent cripple. A grieving sister. A father at the end of his rope.

Why are these portraits in the Bible? So we can look back with amazement at what Jesus did? No... these aren’t just Sunday school stories.  They are historic moments in which a real God met real pain so we could answer the question, “Does God care when I hurt?”

– Max Lucado, He Still Moves Stones

God cares for our hurts.  The God who hears each heartbeat also hears the cry of every broken heart.  He is not a God who is faraway and watching over the clouds, untouched by our miseries or unaware of our limitations.  He knows our frailty.  He knows our frustrations, and He has shared in our deepest griefs.

"In sinking to the depths he rose to the heights. Now he has radically fulfilled the commandment of love, he has completed the offering of himself, and in this way he is now the revelation of the true God, the God who is love. Now we know who God is. Now we know what true kingship is. Jesus prays Psalm 22, which begins with the words: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Ps 22:2). He takes to himself the whole suffering people of Israel, all of suffering humanity, the drama of God's darkness, and he makes God present in the very place where he seems definitively vanquished and absent. The Cross of Jesus is a cosmic event. The world is darkened, when the Son of God is given up to death. The earth trembles. And on the Cross, the Church of the Gentiles is born. The Roman centurion understands this, and acknowledges Jesus as the Son of God. From the Cross he triumphs ­ ever anew." – Pope Benedict XVI

We have been so used to hearing the Christmas story and the Passion of Jesus that we no longer see the meaning and reality of everything that has happened.  Such stories were not written to amuse us, but to help us understand how the Unseen God has left His place of glory to dwell in the darkness and poverty where we are.

Jesus felt real pain and distress.  He felt how it was to be criticized.  He knew how it felt to be convicted by those to whom He did nothing wrong.  The very people he helped and healed were the same ones who asked for His death.  The very friends He chose were the ones who betrayed him and denied Him during the time He needed their presence the most.  He suffered injustice, abandonment and mockery.  He saw His very own mother weeping with a broken heart as she watched her Son in the hands of those who knew no mercy.

No one can ever lead another into the light unless He is first able to come down into the darkness where such a one is lost.  He came down right where we’re hurting and understands every suffering we’re going through.

He was despised and rejected by men;

a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;

and as one from whom men hide their faces

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he has borne our griefs

and carried our sorrows...

-Isaiah 53

God sometimes allows pain to bring us back to Himself.

So I am going to take her into the desert again; there I will win her back with words of love. I will give back to her the vineyards she had and make Trouble Valley a door of hope. She will respond to me there as she did when she was young... Then once again she will call me her husband...Hosea 2:14-16

We look after many kinds of lovers in our lives.  Lovers that only disappoint us and shame us and leave us empty after using us.  It is not God’s will that these objects of our love cause us pain, but sometimes, God allows us to be hurt so we’d know we’re looking after the wrong kinds of affections to fill our emptiness.

I will show love to those who were called "Unloved," ... -Hosea 2:23

There is no limit to His mercy.

God is just, that is true.  But it is because He is just that He is also merciful.  He knows our weaknesses.  He knows how forgetful we are.  He knows how easily we are tempted and swayed into the wrong direction.

The Laws He gave were not meant to burden us.  They were meant to protect us, because God loves us so.

In times when we’re not able to do the right thing, God does not wait behind our backs so He could quickly condemn us.  He is the same Jesus who bestowed His mercy upon a thief while hanging at the cross.  He is the same Jesus who condemned not the woman caught in adultery but said, “Whichever one of you has committed no sin may cast the first stone at her.”

Tell them that no soul that has called
upon My mercy has been disappointed
or brought to shame.

I cannot punish even the greatest sinner if he makes an appeal to My compassion, but on the contrary, I justify him in My unfathomable and inscrutable mercy.

Jesus: My mercy is greater than your sins and those of the entire world. Who can
measure the extent of my goodness? For you I descended from heaven to earth;
for you I allowed myself to be nailed to the cross; for you I let my Sacred Heart be
pierced with a lance, thus opening wide the source of mercy for you. Come, then,
with trust to draw graces from this fountain. I never reject a contrite heart. Your
misery has disappeared in the depths of My mercy. Do not argue with Me about
your wretchedness. You will give me pleasure if you hand over to me all your
troubles and griefs. I shall heap upon you the treasures of My grace.

-Jesus to Sister Faustina, Diary of Divine Mercy

It is not because I have been preserved from mortal sin that I fly to God with loving confidence.  I know I should still have this confidence even if my conscience were burdened with every possible crime.  I should fling myself into the arms of my Savior, heartbroken with sorrow.  I know how he loved the prodigal son, I have heard his words to St. Mary Magdalene, to the woman taken in adultery, and to the woman of Samaria.  No, no one could frighten me, for I know what to think about his love and his mercy.  I know that a host of sins would vanish in the twinkling of an eye like a drop of water flung into a furnace. – St. Therese of Lisieux

Its not whether God can forgive our gravest sins, it’s whether we'd even want to ask for His forgiveness.-Joyce, itakeoffthemask.com

Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
the one I love, in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
He will not quarrel or cry out;
no one will hear his voice in the streets.
A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out...

-Matthew 12:18-20

O my divine Master, must it be only your justice which has its victims? Hasn’t your merciful love need of them too? It is everywhere rejected and ignored. Those on whom you long to lavish it seek a wretched, fleeting happiness in other creatures instead of flinging themselves into your arms and welcoming the flames of your divine love.  Must your rejected love stay shut up in your Heart? It seems to me that if you found souls offering themselves as sacrificial victims of your love, you would consume them speedily and would rejoice to unloose those torrents of infinite tenderness you hold within yourself. – St. Therese of Lisieux

He has not rejected my prayer; nor withheld his love from me.-Psalm 66

We can search for hope in the strongest of places, and in the best of people,and they shall fall one by one. Only God suffices. Only God.-Joyce, itakeoffthemask.com

Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
I will not forget you!
See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands...

-Isaiah 49:15-16

Why does Jesus say “I thirst”? What does it mean? Something so hard to explain in words –  ... “I thirst” is something much deeper than just Jesus saying “I love you.” Until you know deep inside that Jesus thirsts for you – you can’t begin to know who He wants to be for you. Or who He wants you to be for Him. – Mother Teresa

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WHY SEEK THE INVISIBLE GOD?

Seeking God

There are times when we’re just so lonely and hurting that we can’t help but wonder if there is indeed a God who sees us, a God to whom we can go to when we have no else, not even our own strength.

But we are disheartened by our miseries, and by all the tragedies we see in the world.  In our minds, we fail to see a good God who cares for His children.  We ask, “How can there be a God in all these?”

Is There a God?

If I say that there is no God, I'd say there is no God who is responsible for all the unfairness and brutalities in this life, but then I'd also say that there is NO HOPE for all the victims of these brutalities. So I'd say there is a God, and that there is HOPE, and all is not yet lost.

Some people say that there is so much darkness in this world, and that is why we shouldn't believe in God anymore. But I say that it is because there is so much darkness that I dare declare there is a God who can all bring us into the LIGHT. ;) Jesus suffered and died, but God did not stop there. Jesus came out from death and lived again, and that is God's plan for everyone.

I will show love to those who were called "Unloved," ... -Hosea 2:23

The Unseen God

Have you ever wondered why God is invisible? Why can’t we just see Him or even hear Him? Wouldn’t it have been better to be able to hear exactly what He wants us to do in our lives? But then again, do we really want that to happen?

The truth is that God is not invisible! He is only invisible because we wanted Him that way. We don’t want God meddling in our affairs or even showing His approval or disapproval in what we do. We want independence and freedom. We want to be apart from God!

Yet is God really apart from us? Not at all. God is watching us ever more closely, though with a veil so as not to be seen by those who don’t want to see Him. But in moments when we can’t take it anymore, in those moments in our lives when we’ve done all we could and achieved everything we felt like achieving and still felt empty, God is still there, ready to listen and to take us back. All we need is to approach the unseen God so we can finally see clearly the meaning of our lives.

Why We Come To God

We come to God in our restlessness, in our defeat, because we sought the answers to our troubles and we haven’t found what we’ve been looking for.

God understands our sorrow and our emptiness, and He is willing to heal us and to fill our hearts to the full so we can be whole again.

Oftentimes however, He is not able to do that because we remain unwilling to receive His answers.

Even in times when we seem to seek God,  in our hearts, we are not really looking for Him.  What we are looking for is a kind of genie whose powers can give us the world – the job we wanted to have, the partner we wanted to marry, the repentance of the person who caused us pain.  We do not seek God in order to find God, but to fill our hearts with something else!

Imagine courting a girl not because you really love her but because you want to have her wealth or acquire a good position in society.  Would this arrangement really be able to give you true and lasting joy?  What is it that you really seek?

God is More Than Enough

We often wonder why God often takes too long a time before He could answer our prayers, and the answer is that it took us that long a time before we could surrender to Him all our concerns.

How long did it take you to pray, “God, help me, do as you please and may Your best plan be done in my life!”

His best plan, not our own plans from our limited powers and understanding.

We don't come to God so we can gain the world. We come to God because when we have God,we won't need anything more!

One who is truly HAPPY in GOD is far away from evil. Her heart is so full of JOY that there is no more room for resentment, or anger, or unforgiveness or pride. All that there is is LOVE and utmost gratitude for all that she has received. There is no temptation that can steal her glance away from her LOVER for nothing and nobody else could ever be more beautiful than HE!

What Has God Done For Me So Far?

For many of us, God seems to be that faraway deity who watches over our troubled affairs, and never really doing anything to help us.  For many of us, God is a god who does NOTHING at all that benefits us!

In truth, it is God who does EVERYTHING, everything that is GOOD.

It is God who made the world we’re living in, who made the day and the night, who planted every tree that yields its fruits and who gathered the clouds to fall as rain and cause the crops to grow.  It is God who gave us breath, who gave us freewill, who gave us the opportunity to love and be loved in return.

It is God who gave us enough time on earth to know Him and to turn from our harmful ways.  It is God who sustains the sun and the earth, for both the good and the bad, for both the ones who acknowledge Him and for those who don’t.

It is God who sees each heartbreak.  It is God who came down to live as a man like us, and to be broken as well, so He might heal us and lead us to the Light.  It is God who chose to suffer injustice, betrayal and contempt so we may know that there is always One who understands us in our sorrows.  It is God who rose from death to life, so He might lead us to an everlasting One, far from any sickness and imperfection we now suffer from.

It is God who made everything for us, and who gave us the power to choose between life and death, between good and evil.  God isn’t just a God who waits, but a God who pursues us always until we can find our way back home to Him.

The One Who Pursues Us

It is God who pursues us

who uplifts us

and protects us

and provides for everything we need

It is God who loved us first

who showers us with every good thing

we do not even know

All that is required of us

is the faith to believe

that He is there

that He is our Greatest Lover

the source of all that’s wonderful

there is in our lives

It is our part to be able to receive

such a love

to rejoice

because we have been called

because we have been found

because we learn

that despite the mundaneness of what we see

we are special

we are cherrised

we are in truth

God’s beloved ones.

Related Posts:

When God Prays

What Is The Story of Jesus All About?

© Jocelyn Soriano for I Take Off The MASK!, 2011. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
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