-
Loving Father, Please Remind Me That I Am Not Alone
Lately, I’ve been going through a series of pains that greatly challenged my faith. I don’t know where to start, and I don’t have any clue what’s really going on. I just knew that I was not okay, and something inside was bothering me. Every time I try to face all these uncertainties on my own, I can’t help but wonder why I feel like I am the only human being in this world. The people around me looked so happy and successful. They put smiles on their faces, and it seems like they don’t have any problems at all. But here I am, struggling for something that I don’t…
-
A Beautiful Mess
Have you ever tried creating a masterpiece out of your hands? If you tried to recall the beautiful things that you did before, did the process always appear smooth and perfect? You see, a mess is somehow part of the journey. Sometimes, we treat it as our enemy, but little do we know that the difficulties we experience in life are essential for our growth and maturity. They are like beautiful mess. They look like obstacles, but if you try to see the bigger picture, you will realize that you badly need those messes to see things clearly. They will open our hearts and teach us about the important things…
-
Trust That God Will Give You Enough Blessings
Sometimes, when we face challenges in life, it’s easy to worry about what tomorrow brings. When we experience unexpected situations, we fear the future and forget about the blessings that we have in the present. Life may be difficult, but keep in mind that you have a God who is so in love with you. He cares for what you need. You may feel like your resources are getting smaller but focus on the blessings in front of you so that you will be reminded about the reason why you can still smile. Trust that God will provide. He may not always give you what you exactly want, but he…
-
God’s Ways Are Different
I may have my own plans, but God’s will must prevail. His ways may sometimes be unpredictable, but his plans are better than my plans, and He sees things differently. These are the truths that I need to slowly accept, especially when I encounter situations that are out of my control. This may be hard to fathom, but what helped me the most was simply reminding myself about who God is. He moves in ways I can’t always see. His hands are there, but they’re not always visible. That’s why I need to constantly remind myself that God is doing miracles behind the scenes despite the troubles and challenges I…
-
Paul Went Through Many Challenges, But He Never Gave Up
The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Acts 16:22-23, NIV When Paul cast out the evil spirit inside a woman, a group of people complained and attacked them because their hope of making money was gone. Because of this, Paul and Silas were beaten with rods and severely flogged. Aside from that, they were also thrown into prison. Indeed, doing God’s will was not smooth and comfortable, especially in Paul’s life. There were instances when…
-
He Chose To Pray And Kept His Faith Despite What He Experienced
To you, Lord, I call; you are my Rock, do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who go down to the pit. Psalms 28:1-2, NIV Every time David was in despair, he would call upon the name of the Lord and remind himself that He was his rock. He believed with all his heart that God would be his source of strength, stability, and foundation. Even though he went through difficulties in life, he knew that he could count on God. He chose to pray and kept his faith despite what he experienced. His life may not have been…
-
It’s Because Of Faith
God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Acts 15:8-9, NIV The Jewish Christians were trying to impose the law of Moses on the Gentiles, which led to an argument between them and Paul and Barnabas. Peter reminded them that God purified the hearts of the Gentiles by faith and not by works. He has no favoritism. Instead, God treats His children equally. He showed that He accepted them by giving them the Holy Spirit. Peter simply acknowledged God’s unexplainable…
-
Let’s Not Discredit The Works Of God In Other People’s Life
Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” Acts 15:1, NIV A group of Jewish Christians came down from Judea to Antioch and tried to impose their customs on the Gentiles, who had a different cultural background. They don’t believe that these new believers were saved not unless they are circumcised. They wanted them to follow the customs that Moses taught. It seemed like this group of Christians discredited the grace that God poured out to the Gentiles, and they tried to insist that they should follow the law. Have…
-
The Man Was Healed Not Because Of His Own Effort, But Because He Listened And Kept His Faith
In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. Acts 14:8-10, NIV There was this man who knew how it felt like to lack something. Perhaps, all throughout his life, he was looking for hope and healing. And here comes Paul, trying to present him the possible answers to his prayers. He listened to his message and received the hope…
-
God Is Your Strength
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. Psalms 28:7, NIV Have you ever experienced those moments when you just don’t know what to do? You feel overwhelmed by the situation around you to the point where you can’t find hope and peace. If you are in this situation right now, this verse is a perfect reminder to trust God. The Lord is your strength and shield. If you think that nobody cares for you, then God is there to help you. In these moments, when you surrender your…
