Wednesday, December 31, 2008
HAPPY PLUNDER 2009!
THIS YEAR, I'M GONNA TAKE MY PLUNDER! Everything he took from me, I'M TAKING IT BACK, AND I'M TAKING MORE THAN THIS!
C'MON! LET'S TAKE OUR PLUNDER!
WWWOOOOOHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOO! FOR THE LORD! WOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
FOR THE JOY OF MY LORD!
Humbled by his Majesty,
haze
But My Eyes Are Upon Thee
2008 is almost over. And prophetic declarations are now being said of the Philippines by different people - the source of those we may never truly know. But as they become too pessimistic of what is to come, I reject the urge of believing in a single word they say. So I asked my God what He has prepared for us in 2009.
The other night, I had a dream. And in my dream He showed me a verse. I had to memorize it over and over before I woke up . Funny!
Well, actually, I did have quite a quake in my memory. I couldn't remember if it was Chapter 1, verse 8.. Or it was chapter 8 altogether.. Hahaha! Hmmm.. I had to go back to my dream (oh well, not literally). I had to play it on my mind over again just to look into the verse once more. It was Matthew 1:8.. Go ahead, turn with me to Matthew 1:8..
"Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, Joram begot Uzziah."
Yes, that is Matthew 1:8..
Don't worry, we have the same initial reaction. I thought, Hmmm.. maybe I got it all mixed up. Maybe it was Matthew 8. So I looked into Matthew 8. Okay, it was a better chapter, I guess. At least, it was saying something more. But my heart wasn't at peace. I could feel my heart starting a revolution.
I went back to Matthew 1:8.. And while reading it, God impressed something on my heart. He told me to find the chapter that tells about the life of Jehoshaphat. Oooooh, interesting, isn't it?
I was led to 2 Chronicles 20.. I wouldn't be feeding you with that chapter here in my blog cause I want you to take this time to open your Bible, read it and ask the Lord to speak to you through Jehoshaphat's life.
But before I close, let me just highlight this part which I believe I (and every single follower of Christ) am called to do for the year 2009.
This is the Prayer of Jehoshaphat, and in this prayer lies the key to the peace and prosperity that not a single "prophet of the world" has ever spoken for the years to come.
5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court, 6 And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? 7 Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever? 8 And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying, 9 If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help. 10 And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not; 11 Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit. 12 O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.
May our hearts be humbled as Jehoshaphat's and may this prayer be the whisper of our lips throughout the year.
HAPPY NEW YEAR! PEACE AND PROSPERITY BE TO YOU IN 2009!
GLORY TO THY MAJESTY,
haze
The other night, I had a dream. And in my dream He showed me a verse. I had to memorize it over and over before I woke up . Funny!
Well, actually, I did have quite a quake in my memory. I couldn't remember if it was Chapter 1, verse 8.. Or it was chapter 8 altogether.. Hahaha! Hmmm.. I had to go back to my dream (oh well, not literally). I had to play it on my mind over again just to look into the verse once more. It was Matthew 1:8.. Go ahead, turn with me to Matthew 1:8..
"Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, Joram begot Uzziah."
Yes, that is Matthew 1:8..
Don't worry, we have the same initial reaction. I thought, Hmmm.. maybe I got it all mixed up. Maybe it was Matthew 8. So I looked into Matthew 8. Okay, it was a better chapter, I guess. At least, it was saying something more. But my heart wasn't at peace. I could feel my heart starting a revolution.
I went back to Matthew 1:8.. And while reading it, God impressed something on my heart. He told me to find the chapter that tells about the life of Jehoshaphat. Oooooh, interesting, isn't it?
I was led to 2 Chronicles 20.. I wouldn't be feeding you with that chapter here in my blog cause I want you to take this time to open your Bible, read it and ask the Lord to speak to you through Jehoshaphat's life.
But before I close, let me just highlight this part which I believe I (and every single follower of Christ) am called to do for the year 2009.
This is the Prayer of Jehoshaphat, and in this prayer lies the key to the peace and prosperity that not a single "prophet of the world" has ever spoken for the years to come.
5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court, 6 And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? 7 Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever? 8 And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying, 9 If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help. 10 And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not; 11 Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit. 12 O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.
May our hearts be humbled as Jehoshaphat's and may this prayer be the whisper of our lips throughout the year.
HAPPY NEW YEAR! PEACE AND PROSPERITY BE TO YOU IN 2009!
GLORY TO THY MAJESTY,
haze
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Will I Walk By Faith? (Even When I Cannot See)
How far can you go in this race?
Until when can you run to see His face?
What if you cannot see?
Will you still walk towards Thee?
Jesus could barely walk on His way to the Cross. My imagination leads me to that humblest place and hears Him whispering "till I see your face." He didn't know the intensity of what He would have to go through but He took every single step with the faith that at the end of it all, He will see your face.. Yes.. Just to see your face..
May this song minister to you as much as it does to me.
Humbled by His Majesty,
haze
Saturday, December 27, 2008
The Angel of Death Passed By and I was Spared
Later this year, Kuya Carlo (our Pastor at Destiny Ministries Manila) has been sharing about the Power of the Blood of Jesus. The Power of the Blood WHEN APPLIED UPON OUR LIVES. This is based on the book of Exodus chapters 11 and 12.
Just about this time, the virus I will now call "cough and flu" has been haunting the Filipinos. In my office, my boss, the girl sitting right beside me, the girl sitting across me, the girl sitting beside that girl sitting across me, the girl on the ground floor (we are at the basement), and even the guards and our janitors have been taken hold by this virus. Home wasn't a safe place for me either. The girl who sleeps just under my part of the bed, the girl who sleeps across our bed, the girls at the other room, they were all coughing and coughing and coughing the whole day and the whole night through. Thinking about how I easily get infected by this kind of virus, I knew it won't be long before I myself get it in my system. My immune system is really a bit down even before (i was even hospitalized because of Dengue Fever).
Then came the preaching of Kuya Carlo. One early morning while I was having my personal time with my God, I asked Him to give me a revelation of the Power of His Blood. And I had the impression on my heart that I will never truly know the Power of His Blood lest I apply it over my own life. A bulb lit up. I knew where to first apply it. Upon my health. I prayed to God, "Lord, I apply Your blood upon my health, upon my nose." Yes, that specific, haha!
Every single day, I was doing this. When I hear my boss cough, I'd pray in a whisper, "Lord, I apply Your Blood upon my health, upon my nose." When my officemates sneeze, I'd pray in a whisper, "Lord, I apply Your Blood upon my health, upon my nose." When the girl sleeping just under my part of the bed cries because of the uneasiness she feels during the night, I'd pray in a whisper, "Lord, I apply Your Blood upon my health, upon my nose."
And you know what happens next.
The virus was just passing by all this time. Just passing by. As if I was invisible that it couldn't touch me. Praise the Lord! I applied the Blood of Jesus over my health and disease could not touch me.
With this, my faith has just jumped to a higher level. And I am just excited to see how the Power of the Blood of Jesus, when applied, will change every aspect of my life.
Let us go to the story when the Angel of Death passed by and the people of the Lord were spared. Exodus 12 says..
1 While the Israelites were still in the land of Egypt, the Lord gave the following instructions to Moses and Aaron: 2 “From now on, this month will be the first month of the year for you. 3 Announce to the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each family must choose a lamb or a young goat for a sacrifice, one animal for each household. 4 If a family is too small to eat a whole animal, let them share with another family in the neighborhood. Divide the animal according to the size of each family and how much they can eat. 5 The animal you select must be a one-year-old male, either a sheep or a goat, with no defects.
Imagine this. One family, did everything right. From verses 1-6. But one thing they forgot to do was to apply the blood on the door frames. The pail of blood was left "unapplied" at their doorsteps. Now, the Angel of Death came. It went from one house to another and to another and to another until it reached the house of that family. In one second, the firstborn child died and a loud cry was heard.
They were God's people but they were not spared because they missed to do one thing. APPLY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.
Many Christians, I believe, are experiencing the same thing today. They have the Blood of Jesus in their lives and they know the Power of His Blood, but somehow when we look at their lives, we see otherwise. Why? Because they forget to do one last thing commanded by God. They forget to apply the Blood of Jesus upon their lives.
Apply the Blood of Jesus over your life, your heart, your thoughts, your boss, your work, your finances, your family, your ministry, your leaders, and truly, truly, you shall say..
The Angel of Death Passed By and I was spared.
humbled by Your Majesty,
haze
Just about this time, the virus I will now call "cough and flu" has been haunting the Filipinos. In my office, my boss, the girl sitting right beside me, the girl sitting across me, the girl sitting beside that girl sitting across me, the girl on the ground floor (we are at the basement), and even the guards and our janitors have been taken hold by this virus. Home wasn't a safe place for me either. The girl who sleeps just under my part of the bed, the girl who sleeps across our bed, the girls at the other room, they were all coughing and coughing and coughing the whole day and the whole night through. Thinking about how I easily get infected by this kind of virus, I knew it won't be long before I myself get it in my system. My immune system is really a bit down even before (i was even hospitalized because of Dengue Fever).
Then came the preaching of Kuya Carlo. One early morning while I was having my personal time with my God, I asked Him to give me a revelation of the Power of His Blood. And I had the impression on my heart that I will never truly know the Power of His Blood lest I apply it over my own life. A bulb lit up. I knew where to first apply it. Upon my health. I prayed to God, "Lord, I apply Your blood upon my health, upon my nose." Yes, that specific, haha!
Every single day, I was doing this. When I hear my boss cough, I'd pray in a whisper, "Lord, I apply Your Blood upon my health, upon my nose." When my officemates sneeze, I'd pray in a whisper, "Lord, I apply Your Blood upon my health, upon my nose." When the girl sleeping just under my part of the bed cries because of the uneasiness she feels during the night, I'd pray in a whisper, "Lord, I apply Your Blood upon my health, upon my nose."
And you know what happens next.
The virus was just passing by all this time. Just passing by. As if I was invisible that it couldn't touch me. Praise the Lord! I applied the Blood of Jesus over my health and disease could not touch me.
With this, my faith has just jumped to a higher level. And I am just excited to see how the Power of the Blood of Jesus, when applied, will change every aspect of my life.
Let us go to the story when the Angel of Death passed by and the people of the Lord were spared. Exodus 12 says..
1 While the Israelites were still in the land of Egypt, the L
6 “Take special care of this chosen animal until the evening of the fourteenth day of this first month. Then the whole assembly of the community of Israel must slaughter their lamb or young goat at twilight. 7 They are to take some of the blood and smear it on the sides and top of the door frames of the houses where they eat the animal. 8 That same night they must roast the meat over a fire and eat it along with bitter salad greens and bread made without yeast. 9 Do not eat any of the meat raw or boiled in water. The whole animal—including the head, legs, and internal organs—must be roasted over a fire. 10 Do not leave any of it until the next morning. Burn whatever is not eaten before morning.
11 “These are your instructions for eating this meal: Be fully dressed,[a] wear your sandals, and carry your walking stick in your hand. Eat the meal with urgency, for this is the L
Interestingly, we should take note, that the instruction was given to the Israelites, the people of the Lord. Not to strangers. Every single detail was said on how to do it, and do it right.
Imagine this. One family, did everything right. From verses 1-6. But one thing they forgot to do was to apply the blood on the door frames. The pail of blood was left "unapplied" at their doorsteps. Now, the Angel of Death came. It went from one house to another and to another and to another until it reached the house of that family. In one second, the firstborn child died and a loud cry was heard.
They were God's people but they were not spared because they missed to do one thing. APPLY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.
Many Christians, I believe, are experiencing the same thing today. They have the Blood of Jesus in their lives and they know the Power of His Blood, but somehow when we look at their lives, we see otherwise. Why? Because they forget to do one last thing commanded by God. They forget to apply the Blood of Jesus upon their lives.
Apply the Blood of Jesus over your life, your heart, your thoughts, your boss, your work, your finances, your family, your ministry, your leaders, and truly, truly, you shall say..
The Angel of Death Passed By and I was spared.
humbled by Your Majesty,
haze
Thursday, December 25, 2008
What I Got is What I Want
I believe that long before Christmas actually arrives, we already think of the things we want to give especially to our loved ones. And sometimes, to spare us the "agony" of thinking what gifts would delight them, we would go our way of asking them their "wish list". At least that narrows down our choices when we go out on our Shopping spree. Saves time, saves effort.
And I believe that same is true with our God. Long before Christmas, He already knows what to shower us with to make our Christmas a little more extra special than the Christmas we had a year ago. And yes, like little toddlers, long before Christmas, we already prepare our cute hi's and hello's to our God just so we are sure that He misses nothing on our Christmas wish list.
But it was different for me. I didn't have a list of my own. Why?
Come with me..
Here is the list of the little treasures I received this Christmas (as of December 25, 2008). Not in chronological order (hehe).
1. Two scarfs (and cute they are, original pa.. Haha.. God must be telling me something.. Hmmm.. I'm excited!) - from Mira Barrozo at our High School Christmas party (Thank you!)
2. One pink Tomato bag - from lovely ate zha at our short yet sweet G12 Christmas party at Mocha Blends (the sweetest thing, Thank you!)
3. One small Bench Teddy Bear - from Sir Larry at our Marketing Team's Christmas party (now I call him my Matthias, inspired by Ptr. Cesar Castellanos, haha, Thank you!)
4. One bottle of Bench Cotton Candy cologne - from Sir Larry (I love the scent, Thank you!)
5. One pair of Bench boxer shorts for women - from Sir Larry (my housemates loved it, haha, Thank you! Nice choice of color, if I may add)
6. One big pillow - at the DMI Christmas party (to whoever heard the Lord and followed His still small voice, Thank you!)
7. One Pooh pillow - from Mami Jen (simply said, Thank you!)
8. One cute pair of Bench earrings - from ate gracie (stunningly dangling, haha, Thank you!)
9. One Grab Bag - from our new Marketing director, Sir Glenn (your heart is very much appreciated, Thank you!)
10. One busy bug - from Ms. Loraine Javalera (my smile was stuck to my face when I saw it, Thank you!)
11. My New Bible with Concordance (Anglicised Version) - from my dearest Mom at our family's exchange gifts (what more can I say? THANK YOU!)
12. One personalized chain (with Princess Hazel on it) - from weene (thoughtful you are, Thank you!)
13. One organizer of Post-its (baptizing it with that name) - from Yehey.com (A delight for me, Thank you!)
14. One Tweety Bird thick and soft blanket - at GCF's Christmas party (Sorry, but I believe it's for me, Thank you!)
Here are the others which may not be considered as gifts per se but gifts they still are to me because I didn't have to pay for them to have them..
15. An oven toaster - DMI's raffle prize (last year, I won a Coffee Maker, haha!)
16. Three thousand and six hundred worth of GC's - Samsung Pa-Christmas (a bulk for my family, yey! we'll go shopping today)
17. A manicure set - Marketing Team Pa-Christmas (I have seen nothing like it before, hehe)
18. Trip to DAVAO c/o Samsung and a short moment with my G12 leader ate Kim - (Thank you!)
19. A set of pink towels (so soft) - Marketing Team's raffle prize (Thank you!)
20. and FOOD, FOOD, FOOD - at all the Christmas parties I have attended (Thank you!)
(I have to recheck if there is anything I missed but to every little thing that landed under my Christmas tree - Thank you!)
You might be wondering now - are these all you wrote on your wish list? No new cellphone? No new laptop? No new house and lot?
Haha! Of course, those are there.. but not for this Christmas.. And I believe my God is nodding with a smile on His face. And in that smile lies my confidence.. =)
This Christmas was one of the most, if not the most, exciting Christmas I ever had in my 23 years. Not that this was the time when I received the most number of presents (oh well, it really was, haha) but because this Christmas, I had a "special" life-changing encounter with the Giver.
"This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him." 1 John 5:14-15
This is just one of the many verses in the Bible that assures us, His children, that whatever we ask in His name, He shall grant it to us. My God is such a generous Giver, isn't He? Generously sweet. Oh yes, if we just ask anything, He hears us and He willingly provides for us. But not too fast there, my dear! We look at the verse for the second time and see if we haven't missed anything.
"This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him." 1 John 5:14-15
Now in bold letters are your favorite words, I must believe. Let me just state it again for the third time, slowly now, IF WE ASK ANYTHING ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, HE HEARS US.
What did it say? If we ask anything according to what? (His will) To what? (His will) To what? (His will)
Excelente!
And what is His will? What is God's will?
One of the names of our God is JEHOVAH JIREH which means, He is our Provider. A Provider of our needs. Our NEEDS. It didn't say, He is the Provider of our Wants (though He also is).
Who knows that deep within our hearts, there is a struggle of the things that we need and the things that we want? And most of the time, the easier choice for us humans are those that we want. The scale is tipped in favor of our wants. When we get what we want, it is so easy to say THANK YOU LORD! But when we receive something that we know we need but somehow doesn't reconcile with what we want, we murmur for a while (oh okay, for me, that's the way it is).
When you go back to my list, you will notice some gifts that are so ordinary but this I tell you.. A month before Christmas, God was already dealing with me to buy those things for myself because truly, I NEED THEM. The Bag (you have to see my bags and you'll definitely say, OH YES! You got to buy one. NOW!). The Pillows (the only pillow I have is the pillow I had since elementary. If it's food, i'd say it's already rotten. Yulk!). The Towels (Ed Carla Mae, would you like to do the honor? haha!). The Blanket (Go ahead, Ed Carla Mae. You still have the floor. haha!).
I am so grateful that I understood what He was trying to teach me about the gifts I will be receiving for Christmas early on. And that made all the difference!
When I prayed for every gift, I prayed that God will give me that things that HE THINKS I need. I trust His heart wholly for every little gift that is on its way to my door.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5
Sometimes, when we receive something that are not on our visible (take note, we do have an invisible wish list) wish list, we often ask in a murmur, "Ngek.. Bakit ito? (Why this?) Hindi naman ito hiningi ko ah (This is not what I asked.)" What a very wrong heart, isn't it? And with the wrong heart, you can never be grateful for the things that you have.
But when you trust His heart, knowing that every little thing has come to fulfill a special purpose in your life, there is no room for murmuring or grumbling of any kind. Mas magaan sa puso, di ba?
So every time I receive something, it was so easy for me to say, Thank you! Never, as in perfectly NUNKA! did my heart find a difficult time thanking Him for another gift.
"In everything, GIVE THANKS; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you!" 1 Thessalonians 5:18
So easy. So easy. And what a delight to say it over and over again.
My eyes were focused on My Giver that every time a gift touches my hands, I could only say, THANK YOU! Imagine this.. You are looking up to heaven (or to your dad) with your palms up (like in worship) and when you feel a weight on your hands, you can only say, Wow! There's another. Oh, and another. And another. And another...
And what does He has to say on this?
"Delight in the Lord, and He will give You the desires of your heart." Psalms 34:7
I can only imagine what is next in there for me.............
Now, as I open my eyes, I go back to where I first started.
I will "Trust in the Lord with all (my) heart and lean not on (my) own understanding." Proverbs 3:5
So "In everything, (I will) GIVE THANKS; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for (me)!" 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Only then will I "Delight in the Lord, and He will give (me) the desires of (my) heart." Psalms 34:7
What a precious gift I received this Christmas, ayt?
MY ALL TO YOU, LORD!
Humbled by Your Majesty,
haze
And I believe that same is true with our God. Long before Christmas, He already knows what to shower us with to make our Christmas a little more extra special than the Christmas we had a year ago. And yes, like little toddlers, long before Christmas, we already prepare our cute hi's and hello's to our God just so we are sure that He misses nothing on our Christmas wish list.
But it was different for me. I didn't have a list of my own. Why?
Come with me..
Here is the list of the little treasures I received this Christmas (as of December 25, 2008). Not in chronological order (hehe).
1. Two scarfs (and cute they are, original pa.. Haha.. God must be telling me something.. Hmmm.. I'm excited!) - from Mira Barrozo at our High School Christmas party (Thank you!)
2. One pink Tomato bag - from lovely ate zha at our short yet sweet G12 Christmas party at Mocha Blends (the sweetest thing, Thank you!)
3. One small Bench Teddy Bear - from Sir Larry at our Marketing Team's Christmas party (now I call him my Matthias, inspired by Ptr. Cesar Castellanos, haha, Thank you!)
4. One bottle of Bench Cotton Candy cologne - from Sir Larry (I love the scent, Thank you!)
5. One pair of Bench boxer shorts for women - from Sir Larry (my housemates loved it, haha, Thank you! Nice choice of color, if I may add)
6. One big pillow - at the DMI Christmas party (to whoever heard the Lord and followed His still small voice, Thank you!)
7. One Pooh pillow - from Mami Jen (simply said, Thank you!)
8. One cute pair of Bench earrings - from ate gracie (stunningly dangling, haha, Thank you!)
9. One Grab Bag - from our new Marketing director, Sir Glenn (your heart is very much appreciated, Thank you!)
10. One busy bug - from Ms. Loraine Javalera (my smile was stuck to my face when I saw it, Thank you!)
11. My New Bible with Concordance (Anglicised Version) - from my dearest Mom at our family's exchange gifts (what more can I say? THANK YOU!)
12. One personalized chain (with Princess Hazel on it) - from weene (thoughtful you are, Thank you!)
13. One organizer of Post-its (baptizing it with that name) - from Yehey.com (A delight for me, Thank you!)
14. One Tweety Bird thick and soft blanket - at GCF's Christmas party (Sorry, but I believe it's for me, Thank you!)
Here are the others which may not be considered as gifts per se but gifts they still are to me because I didn't have to pay for them to have them..
15. An oven toaster - DMI's raffle prize (last year, I won a Coffee Maker, haha!)
16. Three thousand and six hundred worth of GC's - Samsung Pa-Christmas (a bulk for my family, yey! we'll go shopping today)
17. A manicure set - Marketing Team Pa-Christmas (I have seen nothing like it before, hehe)
18. Trip to DAVAO c/o Samsung and a short moment with my G12 leader ate Kim - (Thank you!)
19. A set of pink towels (so soft) - Marketing Team's raffle prize (Thank you!)
20. and FOOD, FOOD, FOOD - at all the Christmas parties I have attended (Thank you!)
(I have to recheck if there is anything I missed but to every little thing that landed under my Christmas tree - Thank you!)
You might be wondering now - are these all you wrote on your wish list? No new cellphone? No new laptop? No new house and lot?
Haha! Of course, those are there.. but not for this Christmas.. And I believe my God is nodding with a smile on His face. And in that smile lies my confidence.. =)
This Christmas was one of the most, if not the most, exciting Christmas I ever had in my 23 years. Not that this was the time when I received the most number of presents (oh well, it really was, haha) but because this Christmas, I had a "special" life-changing encounter with the Giver.
"This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him." 1 John 5:14-15
This is just one of the many verses in the Bible that assures us, His children, that whatever we ask in His name, He shall grant it to us. My God is such a generous Giver, isn't He? Generously sweet. Oh yes, if we just ask anything, He hears us and He willingly provides for us. But not too fast there, my dear! We look at the verse for the second time and see if we haven't missed anything.
"This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him." 1 John 5:14-15
Now in bold letters are your favorite words, I must believe. Let me just state it again for the third time, slowly now, IF WE ASK ANYTHING ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, HE HEARS US.
What did it say? If we ask anything according to what? (His will) To what? (His will) To what? (His will)
Excelente!
And what is His will? What is God's will?
One of the names of our God is JEHOVAH JIREH which means, He is our Provider. A Provider of our needs. Our NEEDS. It didn't say, He is the Provider of our Wants (though He also is).
Who knows that deep within our hearts, there is a struggle of the things that we need and the things that we want? And most of the time, the easier choice for us humans are those that we want. The scale is tipped in favor of our wants. When we get what we want, it is so easy to say THANK YOU LORD! But when we receive something that we know we need but somehow doesn't reconcile with what we want, we murmur for a while (oh okay, for me, that's the way it is).
When you go back to my list, you will notice some gifts that are so ordinary but this I tell you.. A month before Christmas, God was already dealing with me to buy those things for myself because truly, I NEED THEM. The Bag (you have to see my bags and you'll definitely say, OH YES! You got to buy one. NOW!). The Pillows (the only pillow I have is the pillow I had since elementary. If it's food, i'd say it's already rotten. Yulk!). The Towels (Ed Carla Mae, would you like to do the honor? haha!). The Blanket (Go ahead, Ed Carla Mae. You still have the floor. haha!).
I am so grateful that I understood what He was trying to teach me about the gifts I will be receiving for Christmas early on. And that made all the difference!
When I prayed for every gift, I prayed that God will give me that things that HE THINKS I need. I trust His heart wholly for every little gift that is on its way to my door.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5
Sometimes, when we receive something that are not on our visible (take note, we do have an invisible wish list) wish list, we often ask in a murmur, "Ngek.. Bakit ito? (Why this?) Hindi naman ito hiningi ko ah (This is not what I asked.)" What a very wrong heart, isn't it? And with the wrong heart, you can never be grateful for the things that you have.
But when you trust His heart, knowing that every little thing has come to fulfill a special purpose in your life, there is no room for murmuring or grumbling of any kind. Mas magaan sa puso, di ba?
So every time I receive something, it was so easy for me to say, Thank you! Never, as in perfectly NUNKA! did my heart find a difficult time thanking Him for another gift.
"In everything, GIVE THANKS; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you!" 1 Thessalonians 5:18
So easy. So easy. And what a delight to say it over and over again.
My eyes were focused on My Giver that every time a gift touches my hands, I could only say, THANK YOU! Imagine this.. You are looking up to heaven (or to your dad) with your palms up (like in worship) and when you feel a weight on your hands, you can only say, Wow! There's another. Oh, and another. And another. And another...
And what does He has to say on this?
"Delight in the Lord, and He will give You the desires of your heart." Psalms 34:7
I can only imagine what is next in there for me.............
Now, as I open my eyes, I go back to where I first started.
I will "Trust in the Lord with all (my) heart and lean not on (my) own understanding." Proverbs 3:5
So "In everything, (I will) GIVE THANKS; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for (me)!" 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Only then will I "Delight in the Lord, and He will give (me) the desires of (my) heart." Psalms 34:7
What a precious gift I received this Christmas, ayt?
MY ALL TO YOU, LORD!
Humbled by Your Majesty,
haze
My Heart Singeth
Here I am, humbled by Your majesty
Covered by Your grace so free
Here I am, knowing I'm a sinful man
Covered by the blood of the Lamb
Now I've found the greatest love of all is mine
Since You laid down Your life
The greatest sacrifice
Majesty, Majesty
Your grace has found me just as I am
Empty handed, but alive in Your hands
Majesty, Majesty
Forever I am changed by Your love
In the presence of Your Majesty
Here I am, humbled by the love that You five
Forgiven so that i can forgive
Here I stand, knowing that I'm Your desire
Sanctified by glory and fire
Now I've found the greatest love of all is mine
Since you laid down Your life
The greatest sacrifice
Majesty, Majesty
Your grace has found me just as I am
Empty handed, but alive in Your hands
Majesty, Majesty
Forever I am changed by Your love
In the presence of Your Majesty
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