God is Making Something New... In You

 

"18 Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; 19 see, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? In the desert I make a way, in the wasteland, rivers. 20 Wild beasts honor me, jackals and ostriches, for I put water in the desert and rivers in the wasteland for my chosen people to drink, 21 the people whom I formed for myself, that they might announce my praise." – Isaiah 43:18-21

Does it feel like you're passing through a desert right now? Do not be anxious or afraid. 

God is doing something new in you. He is transforming you to become more like Jesus. 

Trust God and the process He is letting you undergo. As gold is refined in the blazing fire of a furnace, we are transformed during our passage through the desert. 

There is an end to the journey. Cling on to your faith, don't lose hope and keep trusting God. 

If you let God, He will lead you out of the desert as a better person, a new creation. 

Keep praying. God is with you in your journey.

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God Will Make a Way

 

"16 Thus says the Lord, who opens a way in the sea and a path in the mighty waters, 17 who leads out chariots and horsemen, a powerful army, till they lie prostrate together, never to rise, snuffed out and quenched like a wick." – Isaiah 43:16-17

My friend, are things very difficult for you right now? Does a way out seem impossible?

Remember that nothing is impossible with God. He made a way for the Israelites to cross the Red Sea when the Egyptian army was catching up with them. Remember how He saved you out of a difficult situation before. 

Keep praying. God is working behind the scenes. He is fighting for you. He will make a way. 

God bless!

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Slow to Judge, Quick to Love

“All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” – John 8:7 (NLT)

We all need God's mercy. No one is exempt because we have all sinned. All of us are flawed and broken, so not one of us has the right to judge another. 

And if someone does judge us, don't we always say, "Stop judging me because you don't know me or the whole story?" It hurts to be judged, so let's not condemn others. We don't have any right to judge another person; only God is the just and righteous judge of all of us. 

Instead of judging or criticizing others, let's follow Jesus' example. He was slow to judge but always quick to love. Choose to love instead of bashing others. 

God, our Father, teach us to be like Jesus. Grant us the grace to stop judging others but love them instead. Amen. 

 

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A Season to Remember

There comes a time in our life when we lose someone dear to us, someone we love. When this happens, we are overwhelmed by the heartache we feel from their parting. We might ask, "How can I cope with the loss?"

When I asked this question myself after my baby boy died in my womb on Christmas day, God's response was immediate: "a season to remember." In my struggle to make sense of what happened, especially with the question of future Christmases - anniversary of my dear boy's death - He reminded me to remember. 

What should I remember? Not the loss of my baby but the end of his sufferings, hope of his salvation and eternal peace, joy, and love in God's presence. Remember the lessons and messages learned during the time of his untimely demise. Remember God's gifts, graces, and providence - all His blessings - throughout the entire ordeal. Remember how He was present for us throughout our struggle, trial, and challenge. Remember the hope I have in Jesus, that my precious baby's soul is now in the Father's loving arms and that the same Father will grant us who are still living with the graces we need to become holy so as to reunite with my baby boy in the end. 

God reminds me to remember that: 

• God is a loving Father - too wise to be mistaken
• God is wise - too good to be unkind
• God is faithful - His plan is the best

Remember that we should stop fearing but start praying instead. Remember what matters to us most and treasure them in our lives. 

And to mimic what Jesus and his family did when he was born. Joseph, Mary and Jesus gathered in Jerusalem. Our family too should gather in our homes to celebrate Christmas. The Holy Family followed the rituals and traditions of their time and so should we. For our family, we'll celebrate and remember our lost baby by attending Christmas Mass, visiting his tomb, lighting candles, bringing flowers, and saying a prayer for the salvation of his soul. 

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What the Bible Says About Managing Our Time

We know God placed us here in this place at this particular time period for a specific purpose. But did you know that Satan has a strategy to keep us from doing God's purpose for our lives? He derails us from pursuing our God-given purpose by getting us to be so busy that we don't have time for what's important in our life.

Time management isn't something you'd expect to receive lessons from the Bible. But, the Holy Word has some valuable advice on how we can manage and make use of our time most effectively. In Colossians 4:5, it says: 

"Use your time the best way you can."

But what is the best use of our time? Again, the Bible has the answer. In Acts 20:24, it says: 

"My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus. "

In the verse above, we clearly see that we must use our time in doing what God has created us for. As for what your purpose is, that's an entire blog post altogether.  

Credit: Luis Villasmil

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The Discipline of Lent and Discipleship

The discipline of Lent, i.e., fasting and abstinence, work hand in hand with discipleship with the gola of becoming disciplined disciples of the Lord. Whereas discipline is like practicing for a marathon, discipleship is running the race.

Discipline without discipleship is like practicing for a marathon but not running the race. On the other hand, discipleship without discipline is like running the race without any practice. Both don't produce good results. But when you have discipline and discipleship, you prepare to run the race and you run it toward victory. 

Photo by Fitsum Admasu on Unsplash

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