Keyword: I Know

Jeremiah 29:11
New International Version (NIV)

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Now that is a great promise from God right? I mean I claim it! It’s dead on the spot God! Yes! That’s for me!

What I’ve found out so far is that people tend to focus on the words “PROSPER”, “GIVE”, “HOPE” and “FUTURE”. That’s not a bad thing at all. I mean isn’t it easy? Who doesn’t want prosperity and receiving and hope and a nice future right? One thing though is that these words are relative. What might be prosperous to you, might not be prosperous to me. What may be hope for you may just be a tedious daily life for me. It tends to give us a false understanding of what these words mean. What happens then if our version of prosperity, reception, hope and future is different from what God has in mind?

I hear the thoughts of loving parents who, in spite of serving God all their lives, still lost their 5-year-old kid. I hear the last cries of a woman who in spite of her faithfulness in obedience and serving God, still died in pain of cancer. How about that pastor killed in a tragic accident leaving his family behind? How are we going to show them God’s prosperity, hope and future? I mean, didn’t God promise “not to harm”? So why do these things happen? The struggling father who will almost break his back trying to make ends meet. How about the abused woman whom a man cheated? It will be very hard to reconcile our notion of the meaning of these great words, (PROSPER, GIVE, HOPE, FUTURE) isn’t it?

Think with me now.

There is no doubt that God intends to give us prosperity, hope and future. How we receive them though is another subject. The problem is not whether God is willing and able to do what He said. The problem is that we don’t know how He will do what He said He would do. Be that as it may; we could still rest in God’s first few words on this said promise.

“For I know…” God said.

Just to rub it in a bit further; yes, maybe you don’t have a clue but God knows what He is doing. Question is how far are you willing to stick it out to trust HIS plans?

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Bleeding Edge of Our Character

 

Take Heart

I gave my job up recently. As part of that, I also gave up some of my so-called life luxuries. Internet, movies, and the urge to always eat out to name some of the things I gave up.

I decided to go back to, my parents house so I can have much needed R&R (Rest & Relaxation, for those who are unfamiliar with the term.) A perk of going home is free internet, hence this post. Since I have unlimited internet access here, I began lurking back to social media.

If I’m honest, it is quite depressing to read updates from friends. It seems to me that “depression” is in season for everyone this time of the year. I’m guessing it’s the weather but I’m no expert when it comes to these matters. I still think, though, that it is something serious that needs further attention. Don’t get too depressed reading this though, I urge you to read on.

I’ve had these bouts of depression recently. I felt extreme sadness. There were times that I felt purposeless, not knowing what on earth am I here for. I’m still not entirely out of that depression phase but I’m quite hopeful that it’ll turn out to be better.

I’m just lowering my expectation but heightening my faith. It’s kind of “expecting the worst but hope for the best” on a different level. I’m not going to say anything THAT inspirational today. I need inspiration too. What keeps me going though is the thought that:

We were not promised a problem-free life but a problem-proof one.

~~~

Jesus said in John 16:33 (NIV)

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Thought Nugget

Ecclesiastes 7:13-15 NIV
Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked? When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future. In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: the righteous perishing in their righteousness, and the wicked living long in their wickedness.

~~~

Our dire straits do not affect God’s sovereignty. Our circumstance cannot diminish the fact that God will do as He will.

The Proverbial Square One of Lordship

This, probably, is the 5th article draft I’ve written since the last published one. Heck! I can’t even remember the last time I wrote a real paragraph. You know the one that talks without rhymes. For the longest time, I’ve only been writing poetry. I guess that’s because I was inspired to do so. If I’m right, I only write poetry when I am emotionally hyped and charged, but I write good articles when trying times come.

That’s a whole paragraph right there at the top. That must mean something is brewing right? You guessed it right. I’m back at the proverbial square one of life. Again, I’ve got nothing in my pocket and nothing up my sleeve. No more tricks in this trade. If I’m honest, it irks me a lot to be back “here” where everything almost fell apart.

It’s a struggle. It’s a real struggle. While writing this, I came across a dusty post it on my cork board. It’s an excerpt from Psalm 103. As I reviewed it, my eyes all of a sudden got sweaty. (Nope not misty or teary.. sweaty okay? get over it!) So I went to trusty old bible and readied my highlighter. I’ve listened to myself too much these days that I forgot about what God wants to say. Join me in reading this.

~~~~

Psalm 103
Of David.

1 Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

I don’t know if I forgot to do this or I was just pre-occupied with a lot of stuff in my mind. We really have to go back to the basics. We were created to give glory to God. Let’s not be in a posture where we HAVE to do this, but let’s be in a posture where we say “I’m God’s child and I GET to praise Him with all my soul”

2 Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits —

I probably have forgotten that being a child of God is truly beneficial. I forgot because I did not have a grateful attitude. All I saw was the things which are wrong with my life that I lost focus of what was right.

3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,

When our mind is too clouded by the wrong things happening around us, we lose focus on the primary benefits of being a child of God. We forget that our sins can be forgiven and that whatever, and I mean whatever, ails us can be healed.

4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,

Losing focus on the power of God to forgive us, consequently gives us a feeling of condemnation; but God has already redeemed us from the deepest pit. He taught us how to love and be compassionate people.

5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Having a condemned feeling gives us dissatisfaction and it wears us down. No wonder I felt like this. God is good. He is able and He is willing to satisfy my desires with ONLY good things so that we become filled again with vigor and life.

~~~

Lord, a lot of times I fail to see Your hand at work in me. Most of the time I see the bad things. I see the situation more than Your intention. My eyes are blocked by scales of doubt, worry, anger, impatience, disobedience and sin. My judgement is clouded because I’m too focused on myself and not really looking at You.

I call you Lord because I know you truly are Lord whether I decide to be under your Lordship or not. If You are not Lord of all, then You are not my Lord at all.

I’m back to square one. The first tile. The roots of my faith. I was brought back to where I first saw You. Where I’ve got nothing….

…but You

The cross. It is easy to make You Saviour but I admit that it is not easy making You Lord. Help me. I want to give my life fully to You. I can’t do this on my own. Help me not make the same mistakes again. If I’m to weary to walk, carry me.

Abba, I want to be that child who depends fully and solely on You.

Love Crimes and Death By Poetry

I stole your number by asking it from you.
Left with no choice, you went “zero nine zero six two…”
After saving it, I had to get out, that’s my cue
I wonder what’s next, I wonder what’ll be new

I have to let these thoughts out if you permit
Let’s go back in time and rewind a little bit
One major setback and you almost had me quit
Sprayed a lot of bullets and almost missed a hit

Fast forward to today, I guess I can call us “close”
Good morning, Good night, greetings as daily dose
We hang out, have dinner, we talk, have poetry and prose
If one will give you flowers, would you want tulips or rose?

No one knows, what it is that goes on within your head
I ponder about these and my heart gallops like a thoroughbred
It’s like I’m alone on a mountain hanging on a thread
I’ll die by poetry, I quote the words you have said

Do I have faith, Do I have hope, Do I have who?
One line from here to a far away land I drew
Inching a little closer as I twist the screw
Allow me to say something in French, “Merci Beaucoup”

I hate how I love you my dear, that’s an old song
I wonder what it is that I’m always doing wrong
I am strangled and bruised, but still going strong
This battle has been fought both difficult and long

Your silence is deafening, one fault in our star
Pain demands to be felt then it’ll give us a scar
Laser beams from hearts, all is fair in love and war
This verse is full of clichés, I’d like to raise the bar

We’re back to zero. My love, I know I am
I was never your hero; I was never your man
I was never your dream, just your greatest fan
What you want is a chalice, oh I’m only a tin can

The questions that baffle my soul are quite undue
Yes, there were quirks and mistakes that I cannot undo
But is there a man who indeed knew your worth and your value?
Well, who needs a pauper when princes block him from view?

I am guilty of a crime, and you are the only victim.
“I hereby sentence you death for the following reason”
“You have loved so much; so much that it is treason”
“You are to make poetry, until you die of old age in prison”

Byahe: Hatid at Sundo

Kung dati’y bisikleta lamang ang sinakyan
Ngayon sa bus at tren naman tayo lumulan
Nagtabi sa bus at sa may istasyon bumaba
Nagmeryenda saglit tapos sa tren sumakay na

Nagkahiwalay ng sinakyan sa byahe
Sa bintana para siyang prinsesa sa karwahe
Nakataas ang buhok ng magandang babae
may perlas sa tenga, may ngiti sa kanyang labi

Sana kahit tayo’y magkahiwalay ngayon
Isipin ang mga sandali’t pagkakataon
Nawa’y pag dating ng tamang panahon
Magkita tayo sa ating destinasyon

Habang ako’y naka silip sa bintana ng tren
Kalahati ng gunita ko’y nangangarap pa ren
Pilitin ko man ay hindi ko ata kayang gawin
Sa aking isip at puso, ikaw ay tanggalin

Nung tayo’y naglakad pauwi sa may malawak na daan
Marami kang nabanggit tungkol sa’yong nakaraan
Pakiramdam ko minsa’y masaya at talagang magaan
Kung paminsan naman ay sa puso tila may nakadagan

Ganun ata talaga ang takbo ng ating mga buhay
Di na ren bago pagusapan ang mga ganitong bagay
Kailangan na ata na ako’y lumakas at masanay
Ito ang iniisip ko habang nagiintay tayo sumakay

Sa iyong tahanan, ika’y aking naihatid
Labis ang saya tuloy-tuloy walang patid
Pag uwi ko sa amin isa lang ang batid
Masaya rin pala kahit may luha paminsan sa gilid

Kinabukasan pagkatapos mag trabaho
Uuwi at marami kang dala ‘ika mo
Sabi ko naman kung kailangan, ay andito lang ako
Hatid na kita, sa may bus papunta sa inyo