What destiny demands

Obedience is the price I pay for destiny. And every act of faith is a step towards it. Will I stay, or will I leave? I must realize that destiny has its own place. And I must be willing to let God lead so that I won't miss it. 

*Notes on Genesis 26‬.

Don't make decisions when you're hungry

People are faced with the reality of making decisions on a daily basis. From waking up to laying down, thousands of both petty and significant decisions must be made. Some decisions are generated automatically out of the routines of life and some decisions are so important that they have to be well thought-out. In terms of the most significant ones, I must realize that the decisions I make today affects the rest of my life.

The story of Esau in Genesis chapter 25 illustrates the tragedy of letting our human instincts dictate our ability to decide. When our emotions overcome reason, that's when we decide based on what is tangible at the moment. When our most pressing human needs take over our ability to process our desire for satisfaction, that's when we allow ourselves to make tragic compromises. Esau focused on his hunger and therefore compromised what is eternal.

Decisions out of impulse are dangerous. Do not compromise eternity for something that only looks good at the moment. If I will not be careful enough to guard my heart, my human tendencies will decide for me and it may want something other than God. ‪

*Reflections on Genesis chapter 25‬.

To eternal things! (Photo from the net)

Siya na nga ba?

We're part of that generation that is conditioned to want the immediate, to desire the instant, to have it all right here, right now. We're part of that generation that is so accustomed to having everything at just the click of the keyboard or at the snap of the fingers.

We are Generation NOW, and that is our curse. 

Ngayon na nagkalat na ang instant sa mundo (i.e, instant noodles, instant coffee, instant ulam, instant food) parang napakahirap ng maghintay. We're becoming a fast food planet. We think that we are getting left behind kaya naman may tendency na tayo ay magmadali. Uso pa ba ang patience sa mundo? And yet, in all of our rushing, and running and impatience, do we really know what exactly are we rushing for? Bakit nga ba hindi tayo makapaghintay?

Relationship? Oo, yun nga ang tinutukoy ko. Let's get directly to the point. If you you're dreaming for a relationship that will make you excited to wake up every morning without regretting why you woke up with that person beside you, then wait. If you want a relationship that will last--the one that will make you believe na may forever--then wait. If you're desiring for a relationship--not the fairy tale kind but the real thing, then learn to wait.

If you want a relationship that will not compromise your faith and your beliefs, then wait. And if you are a Christian who loves God, then pray for someone who has the same love for God. If you are a godly man who honors the Lord, pursue someone who honors Him. If you are a godly woman who seeks after God's heart, then wait and pray for a man that seeks after His heart. Ganun lang dapat, para happy.

We can learn many things about the love story of Isaac and Rebekah. That it is God who authors a relationship. It is God who confirms His will even for a partner. Yes, si Lord ang writer ng love story mo. Kaya matuto kang maghintay. You can always trust God's timing.

Until the moment God says "she's the one", nothing else will ever make sense. Every person that you would try to pursue and every love that you would try to chase to make your life complete will just be very, very much less than what God already had in mind. 

Gentlemen, she's worth praying for. Awesome ladies, you're worth pursuing for.

*Reflections on Genesis 24.

Tested and Tried

God tests our faith not because He doesn't trust us. He already knows us from the inside out, He knows that we can doubt, He knows that we can easily fear, He knows that we can mess things up. God is not surprised by our faithlessness.

But, sometimes, God will bring about the test because we need it, so that we would come to realize that this is about Him. None about you and me. God tests our faith because He wants us to let go of the things that might replace Him in our hearts. He wants our affection to be purged from anything that is less than love so that God alone and His presence alone and His glory alone will be the singular and most supreme desire in our life.‪

God would bring us to the test, but with His provision of strength and grace already there. I must come to realize that a faith tested and proven is a faith that pleases God.

*‎Devotional insights on Genesis 22.

The best time

God is the God of perfect timing. His purposes is neither affected by the earth's rotation nor its revolution. He is not contained in any man-made idea of space and time--He holds space and time altogether. I must realize that God's timing is always right and that I can trust Him every passing minute and every step of the way because what I see at the moment is nothing compared to what He sees in view of eternity.

He is neither dependent on any circumstance nor on human limitation. God is God no matter the circumstance and no matter the trial. He has been there before and He is always before us. God was, God is, and God always will be.

*Reflections on Genesis 21