So today, I decided to make some changes. It's interesting how external pressures beyond our control can bring us to our knees. It's sad to know that for some of us, that's what it has to take to get us to take a pause and put things in the right perspective: SEEK GOD FIRST.
On the contrary, the nice thing is, despite all of these insurmountable pressures, we have the option of not giving up. We have the best option; actually, we have THE BEST SOLUTION: GOD.
And, while we may feel that the sky is falling, and while it feels as if everything is being taken away from us and we can't do anything to stop it, there are so many Biblical truths to hold on to, and one of them is: GOD IS IN CONTROL.
We should stop worrying about losing control. Why? We were never in control in the first place. We just mistakenly thought we were; it is our pride that makes us think that. It is our pride that makes us feel capable, powerful, and sometimes even invincible. When in fact, it was God all along who allowed us to succeed by making our circumstances and environment favorable enough for us to succeed. Once He decides to change those dynamics, we will quickly realize this: WE ARE NOTHING WITHOUT GOD.
Yes, we are nothing. And, we have nothing. Everything that's in front of us belongs to Him. He is merely letting us borrow all of them, including our bodies. Everything that is, is because of Him. He is just graciously letting us be a part of it. But, despite the fact that we are nothing and own absolutely nothing in this world, as Christians, we can be assured that: GOD IS ENOUGH.
And while we may think that we are at our weakest point, without anything left to give, we should be relieved to know that we can still offer something to Him, even if it's already broken: WE CAN GIVE HIM OUR HEART.
I remember one of our church themes during summer camp: "Guard your heart." I always thought that was possible, but as I got older, I realized how difficult it was. It wasn't until today, though, that I discovered this: I'll never be able to guard my heart on my own. The best thing to do is to give my heart completely to God so that: GOD WILL PROTECT MY FRAGILE HEART.
Despite my circumstances, I am somewhat comforted to know that my heart has finally reached its fragile state. That means, it is no longer hardened, it is no longer cold, it is no longer numb. I think my heart is right where God wants it to be right now: MY HEART IS NOW IN GOD'S GENTLE HANDS.
If I can trust Him with my heart, then I should also know this: I CAN TRUST GOD WITH MY LIFE.
If I can trust Him with my life, then I should be able to believe and accept this: I CAN TRUST GOD WITH MY PROBLEMS.
And while my problems may seem really big to me, and even way bigger than me, I do know this: GOD IS BIGGER THAN MY PROBLEMS.
Now that I have been reminded of all of this, I can claim His blessing of "a peace that passeth all understanding", and since I have entrusted all of my heart to Him without leaning on my own understanding anymore, even if I do not know what to do next, I can be assured that: GOD WILL DIRECT MY STEPS IN HIS TIME, IN HIS WAY.
And when I want to talk, I know that He will be there to listen. When I do "call", I should expect this: GOD WILL SHOW ME GREAT AND MIGHTY THINGS BEYOND MY IMAGINATION.
God's solution is always way better than mine. He had a solution all along; all I had to do was call and ask him to show me! Now that I have just called upon him on bended knees, I can peacefully and confidently live my life with assurance, knowing that: GOD HAS ALREADY FIXED MY PROBLEMS.
I just need to keep an open mind, an open heart. My eyes may mistakenly be calibrated to look for solutions in the way I would want my problems fixed, but God said that He will show me "great and mighty" things which I don't know about. So, I can face the days ahead with a renewed spirit, ready to accept the consequences that may come my way as a result of the problems that I have created, knowing quite well that: GOD IS ABLE TO DELIVER ME AND HE WILL.
With that said, allow me to make a list of some inspirational stories from the Bible, stories that tell us of people whose actions show that they believe with faith that they have already been delivered, even without seeing the results just yet, even when their surroundings may still appear chaotic. And, before I make a list of these stories, allow me to share one very important point. If anything, Jesus had already made the ultimate sacrifice to deliver us. We had already experienced deliverance since we gave our heart to God and believed in His deliverance; He had already delivered us from the biggest problem: JESUS ALREADY DELIVERED US FROM HELL BY DYING ON THE CROSS FOR OUR SIN.
So in spite it all, we can live with reassurance that we are delivered beings! We can allow God to restore the joy of our salvation vs. allowing the bitterness of the world to set in by doing this: WE CAN FOCUS ON HIS BLESSINGS SO THAT WE CAN START ENJOYING THEM ONCE AGAIN.
Think about it: HOW CAN HE GIVE US MORE BLESSINGS IF WE DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO APPRECIATE THE ONES WE'VE ALREADY GOT?
Let us learn to count and appreciate our blessings, to share them with others by "emptying our cup", thus allowing God to "fill our cup" once more with even more of His blessings! So with renewed hope, I can boldly proclaim: HOLD FAST, MORE HELP AND MORE BLESSINGS ARE ON THEIR WAY!
And while waiting, I get to enjoy the ones that I've already got!!! GOD IS GOOD. STILL IS. ALWAYS HAS BEEN. ALWAYS WILL BE.
Inspirational stories from the Bible:
(There are many, but these are enough to keep me afloat tonight)
- Mary and Martha (Mary put Jesus first amid the hustle and bustle of life)
- Lazarus (Jesus tarried before raising him from the dead; "believe to see the glory of God".)
- Abraham and Isaac (God provided a lamb just in time)
- Baby Moses (his mother even got paid to take care of him)
- Hemorrhaging woman (she believed Jesus would heal her just by touching the hem of His garment)
- Jairus' daughter (Jairus believed that Jesus can raise his daughter from the dead)
