The blessings of God's NO

Perhaps you have that passionate prayers that have never been answered. Perhaps you've been led to ask whether God really hears your requests and desires. Or perhaps you've already given up praying because after all, God is all-knowing and all-powerful He always does what pleases Him, even without your consent.

But have we actually thought that maybe our unanswered prayers are just God's way of teaching us to trust Him because He knows better? That maybe His "NO" is just a redirection so that we will not miss His "good pleasing and perfect will"? We are not being denied of our desires and dreams and prayers...God wants us to have something better!

You see in the bible, we can see God shutting doors and closing opportunities for people not because He is power tripping but because He wants them not to get lost in their journey towards their God-given destinations. He says NO to people, even to His most trusted and most faithful followers so that they will not miss the point of God's better plans and better strategies. It's always about living by faith and trusting Him along the way!

So, the next time we see NOs and DETOURs and STOPs and NO WAYs, we'd better follow because the one giving the directions is always right. After all God declares in Isaiah 55:8-9 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts."

God's NO is never a rejection. It is a redirection.

Blessing in the Breaking

Breaking doesn't offer much appeal to people specially when our built-in proclivities and human tendencies favor the good and the comfortable. We seem to have some kind of natural aversion to  anything that is unpleasant and troublesome. Eh sino ba kasi ang gusto ng nasasaktan?

Of course. I don't like pain either. I don't like breaking points specially when I have a limited view of their purpose or their outcome. Sometimes, I do prefer the "unexamined life", the kind that is free from burden and pain only because it is spent in avoiding change and running from challenges as much as possible. But that kind of life is a rather wasted life. Not only it is boring but it is tragic.

I'm just glad that as Christians, God offered us another perspective of looking at pain and breaking. In the world's standard, pain is viewed as something to be avoided that's why people have created many ways to forget pain and suffering. We hide behind systems that give us comfort and pleasures. We've built a lot to satisfy our hedonistic side that even the Greeks would die in envy. But in the eternal view of things, even pain and breaking have got to do with a Christian's maturity and perfection. In fact, we should not be surprised by pain and suffering in the world because Jesus clearly said that we will have trouble as long as we are in this world, but the fact that He already overcame it gives us the confidence to press on towards following Him all the way. Persevere, endure the race of faith He says, and we too shall overcome.

I want to share three things that I learned in my own personal breaking points, and it is my prayer that you will also experience the many blessings that come out of the breaking.

It is an opportunity to experience God. Our breaking points could be God's way of teaching us something of value and importance to our life. I must realize that the process of breaking is necessary. It is allowed by God to bring out the best in me. The Scriptures is replete with examples of men and women who came to their own breaking points, and were blessed beyond expectation when they have endured till the end. Men such as Abraham, Moses, Joseph and Jacob are among those who experienced the process of breaking. Yet in that same painful process they have experienced God more and proven Him more. Psalm 34:18 affirms, "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

It is an opportunity to move ahead. God's design for us is to move forward to maturity. He did not intend us to stuck ourselves in misery and disappointments. He created us to conquer and to rule. The Israelites during the time of Joshua were at a significant crossroad. They have been wandering and wondering in the wilderness for 40 years, and in chapter six of Joshua, we see them facing the Promised Land. Everyone was excited to receive what God had promised. But the wall of Jericho that stood before them seemed to be formidable. They needed to break down the walls before they could get in and move forward. And that's what God did because of their faith and obedience. But the victory over the broken wall was not the end. God designed them to move forward, and they did...marching through the ruins and moving forward in glory.

 Paul realized the importance of moving ahead after the breaking when he determined to do this one thing: "Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (Philippians 3:13-14)

It is an opportunity to receive what God had promised.In Joshua 6:2, even before they came face to face with their enemy, God had already given a sure victory to Israel. All they had to do was obey, have faith, and take action. After the wall came crumbling down and Israel's victory became imminent, the people of God emerged triumphant. They had just experienced another miracle from their great God. And God has just once again delivered what He had promised. God has proven once again that He is a promise-keeper! So, whatever wall we are facing right now, the promise of God is we're already overcomers and conquerors! (Romans 8:37).

So, don't be intimidated the next time you're in the process of breaking. If it is for the glory of God that we should face such pain, then surely a blessing is on the way. And there will be an outbreak of God's blessings in the painful process of breaking!

*A sermon I shared during the third week of "Break The Walls" series in our youth fellowship.

Photo from the net

That one small dent in the universe

On Saturday, I will give a talk to students about setting priorities and ambitions. I don't feel like I was the right person to preach about these things, considering that I was someone so full of uncertainties about what priorities and ambitions really meant. Especially the worthy ones.

See, I've already wasted many chances to become better, compromising them for lesser things. I've ignored many opportunities to make an impact. I've been so used to my own comfort and with just my personal convenience. I've been at a loss to pursue the things that really matter.

I was so cowardly and unbelieving. And was so dependent with my own limited abilities and with my own limited standards that I felt getting on with everyday life was enough. That by merely existing, I can find a life of my own.

I was so terrified to embrace the fact that ambitions, no matter how small, when they are offered to God and for His glory...can impact eternity.

I was so naive to think that if God wants to accomplish His will, He could find someone else.

But God is relentless. When He calls, He makes it loud and clear.

And now I'm willing to go all the way to be consumed by His purposes. To be willing to spend and be spent for His glory. When the time comes that I get to be frustrated and exhausted, I would remind myself that it is He who enables me. His all-sufficient grace will carry me through.

I believe that when God provides the opportunity, He also supplies the ability.

I'll carry His banner and raise it in places where people can see. This is an ambition that matters. Because I only have one life to live. But I will live fully to make it count.

On Saturday I will give a talk...and it will be my life story.