When words fail_Romans 8:26

"The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans."

"Auggh!" aptly expresses my frustration. Many times, as I sit before my Father in prayer, I can only cry out, "auggh!" And I know He completely understands what that one word means, and all the emotions it carries, as it is His Holy Spirit that intercedes for me.

What a comfort it is that my every tear, my every groan, is enough when my words fail.

Loving Father,.....auggh! I pray this in the Mighty Name of Your Son, Jesus, my Savior. Amen

Photo credit: shadesofgrace.org

When God is silent_ Psalm 22:1

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

After a seminar I recently conducted, one of the participants approached me and asked for prayer.  Her family was in a very difficult financial situation, and she was desperate. According to her, she has been praying but, despite all her prayers, God has remained “silent for over a year." 

It can be frustrating when you talk to someone and that person doesn’t respond, or he doesn’t seem to be listening. But this is one truth I believe in with all my heart. God hears, and God moves. We may not see it…yet…but His answer will come at His own perfect time. Or maybe, He has already answered but we just don’t hear or we just refuse to recognise that it’s His answer to our prayer.

“Blessings" is a beautiful song by Laura Story who wrote it when her athlete husband was in critical condition because of a brain tumour. The first time I heard it, it moved me to tears because, while what we faced was not a life-threatening medical issue, I felt burdened and desperate at that time. What a comfort it is to know that God’s love is the answer we need. His love will give us what we need, not necessarily the answer packaged in the way we want. We need to trust God for His Mercies in disguise.

We pray for blessings

We pray for peace

Comfort for family, protection while we sleep

We pray for healing, for prosperity

We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while, You hear each spoken need

Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near

What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom

Your voice to hear

We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near

We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love

As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

All the while, You hear each desperate plea

And long that we'd have faith to believe

When friends betray us

When darkness seems to win

We know that pain reminds this heart

That this is not our home

What if my greatest disappointments

Or the aching of this life

Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy

What if trials of this life

The rain, the storms, the hardest nights

Are your mercies in disguise

Lord Heavenly Father, You never withhold any good thing from me, your daughter. Many times, though, like a petulant child, I shake Your arm and cry out, “Abba! Listen to me! This is what I want.” And You lovingly look at me and keep silent because You have already moved the universe to give me what I need. Thank you so much for all your mercies in disguise.

Songwriter: Laura Story

Blessings lyrics © Capitol Christian Music Group

Image credit: Marc Cardaronella

Hands up!_Daniel 4:35

Prayer is not expecting God to do what we ask for. He’s Almighty God! Prayer is surrendering our will to His Holy will. This is why when Jesus taught the apostles how to pray, He said, before asking for daily bread, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. At Gethsemane, He prayed “Not my will but Yours”.

In the worldview, surrender means defeat. In God's view, surrender means victory in Christ.🙏🏻

Lord, I lift my hands in surrender to Your mighty and merciful will. I lift up my mind in surrender to the wisdom and truth of Your Holy Spirit. I lift up my heart in surrender to Your love in testimony to the life of Jesus my Savior. Amen!

What about joy?_Proverbs 17:22

“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” (ESV)

What does it mean for you to be filled with the joy of the Lord? This question was posed in my daily devotional this morning, and it made me pause.  What is true joy? And the image of the face of Tayong came into mind.

Tayong was a longtime friend, and perennial neighbour, and she was the teacher of Josh and Sarah in pre-school. Last year, when I heard  that her husband had suddenly passed away, I went to the wake to express my condolences to her and her 3 children. Half-expecting to see her as the bereft widow, I was surprised when she came out to greet me and our other friends with a joyful smile. She had tears alright but they were tears of joy as she began to tell us how Derek’s passing, sudden as it was, showed God’s mercy and grace.  She was even so grateful that Derek had his haircut just a few days before so, as we looked at her husband, she whispered, “See? He’s so gwapo! (handsome)” What made her joy so utterly, well, a joy to witness is that we all knew she was battling latter stage cancer at that time.  She had always thought she would go ahead of Derek but, she was anticipating that they would see each other soon. True enough, she joined her husband in heaven just 8 months later.  

At her wake, there were a lot of tears shed….but they were tears shed with joy. Tayong showed us how the passing of one who has surrendered to Jesus in faith is a time for gratitude and celebration. For me, she showed me what it is to be truly filled with the joy of the Lord.

Psalm 16: 11 tells us, “You will show me the path of life: in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand there are pleasures for ever more.”

Lord Father, true joy is in You and in You alone. Let me walk this life filled with the joy that comes from You, so that others too may know Your grace and goodness. Yet even as I journey through difficult times, I am filled with grateful anticipation of being in Your presence forever.

Heart Check_Deuteronomy 8:3a

"...to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

Just like the drought brought on by the El Niño this summer, I've been having my own dry spell, unable to draw the right words and phrases to help me write a blog that's humorous or insightful (or so I'd like to believe). This morning, as I was about to start my daily devotional, this thought suddenly crossed my mind: "Words run dry when you're not tapped into the Word." And sure enough, when I turned to the reading for the day, the Bible verse was Deuteronomy 8:3!

Lately, I've been trying to write based on my own assumed writing abilities -- "talent" if you will -- rather than dwelling on His Word and waiting for His Holy Spirit to show me what to write. Why weren't the words flowing out of me like before? I realized the answer was based on the answers to these questions -- What is my reason for writing my reflections in the first place? Are they simply heartfelt expressions of insights I received while spending time with Jesus or have they become possible "posts" on social media? I need to check my heart and guard it just as Proverbs 4:23 says, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."

Lord Jesus, I'm sorry for making my writing about me, and not about you. I'm sorry for not guarding my heart and allowing it stray from you. I tap into You, my only source of all truth, of all wisdom, of all love. "May the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to your sight, O Lord, my Rock and Redeemer." Psalm 19:14.

Standing in the Light _ Matthew 5:14-16

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

“Just step on the cross, po, and the spotlight will be on you,” was the direction given by the stage manager to the awardees as we nervously waited to be called onstage.

Much later I viewed the pictures taken by Sarah from where they sat in the gallery of auditorium of my alma mater. This one picture stood out, and it's implied message struck  me.

People who know me know that I'm not shy, but in that moment I became shy all of a sudden. At that event, I felt undeserving to receive such a prestigious recognition for the work our family was doing. I noticed I didn't even fully step into the spotlight. But then through the picture I learned a powerful lesson. 

In John 8:12, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) True enough, Jesus is the true Light. Whatever light I have comes from Him. Because He is my Spotlight, I need to do just one thing -- step in faith on the Cross, and let His Light shine through me.  

Heavenly Father, You have given me the greatest, most awesome gift -- Your Son, Jesus, the Light of the world! Who I am right now all comes from Him, whatever I have done and am able to do is because of Him.  I am humbled by this thought!  Use me and may I always be keenly aware that the source of my light comes from Your Light.

Puzzling Pieces_Romans 8: 28.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

I enjoy working on puzzles, and I even have a technique to get started. I look for all the corners first and all the pieces with straight edges which I know will form the border. But it is the middle part that becomes tricky and this is where frustration starts creeping in. So I check the pieces I've put together against the picture on the box and see if they match up. 

Many times though I get bogged down with my own little pieces in my life that don't seem to fit. But in real life, I don't have a picture to match these pieces against. What I do have, which God has provided, are His promises. I know that He has a plan for me (Jeremiah 29:11-13) and that they are good. I know too that His purpose will always prevail (Proverbs 19:21).  

Lord, I am so grateful that You hold all the pieces of my life, and that You know exactly how it should look like. Help me to remember Your promises when some pieces don't seem to fall into place as I expect.  

Oct. 30, 2015

Image credit: shutterstock

Fear and Discouragement_Deuteronomy 31: 8

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

In water, I am highly skilled in what I call “drownability”.  Once my head goes underwater, I panic.  My children, who all swim like fish, reprimand me, “Mom, just calmly move your arms and legs to stay afloat."  I try to do this and, slowly but surely, sink.

Fear does this to us.  When we are faced with a looming problem to which we have no solution, or when we are faced with the unknown, we panic and sink. In the story, Joshua was tasked by Moses to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land and divide the land according to their inheritance. But first he needed to defeat those who were occupying the land, and then face the formidable task of dividing it among the Israelites who have proven themselves to be rebellious and contentious. Not an easy task for sure!  I can already imagine Joshua slowly sinking.

It’s easy to tell someone “do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” But Moses prefaced his encouragement with these powerful words: 

 “The Lord Himself [in all His power and majesty] 

goes before you [He is preparing the way!] 

and will be with you [He will guide you and protect you!] 

But wait! There’s more! He adds — 

“He will never leave you nor forsake you.” [He’s got your back and even when you fail, He will be there for you.]

Lord, I feel like I’m sinking as panic sets in. Please forgive me for forgetting, not only how great and mighty You are, but also forgetting how much You love me. Today, I claim the promise that Moses gave to Joshua — that You, Mighty Father in heaven, go before me and are with me; You will always have my back and never leave me alone. Because of Your great love for me, I don’t have to be afraid or discouraged.

Image credits: brandonsteiner.com

Worry_2 Corinthians 4:16-18

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

I woke up at 3:30 am and couldn't go back to sleep.  Worry took a seat in my mind and refused to leave.  To try to feel drowsy again, I decided to read "40 Unstoppable Women" by one of my favorite authors, Harold Sala, and began reading his account on Gracia Burnham.

She and her husband, Martin, were missionaries.  One day they, along with a Filipina nurse, Ediborah Yap, were kidnapped by the Abu Sayaff and held captive for more than a year in the extreme conditions of the jungles in Mindanao. At the end, just as they were being rescued by the military, her husband and the nurse were killed.

In her book "In the Presence of My Enemies", Gracia wrote that in the middle of this horrifying ordeal, she told her husband that she had not given up her faith, but she just has chosen "not to believe the part about God loving me.  Because God's not coming through."

I feel this way nowadays. I cry out to the Lord, pray through His promises in the Bible, yet He hasn't come through.  This is why I am awake in the middle of the night conversing with Worry.

Then Gracia writes, "I knew I had a choice.  I could give in to my resentment and allow it to dig me into a deeper and deeper hole both psychologically and emotionally or I could CHOOSE TO BELIEVE what God says to be true whether I felt it was or not."

Lord, forgive me for allowing Worry keep me company. Take away the chair I've allowed Worry to rest on, and instead sit with me. Please give me the strength of faith to choose to believe Your Truth over my feelings of fear, doubt and insecurities.
Image Credit: www.tqhcl.com

Rest in the Lord_Psalm 37:7

My beloved pet, Nala, was a bundle of energy. When she was still "in training" and I'd tell her to "stay", she'd obediently sit down but her whole body would be twitching, just waiting for the slightest signal from me that she could run. When I read Psalm 37:7 today, Nala immediately came to mind and how I can be so much like her even as the Lord tells me gently, "Lollette, stay!"

In Matthew 11:28, Jesus tells His disciples,  and us, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." Looking through the different versions, I noticed that "rest" and "be still" are used interchangeably.   If we were on a workout regimen, we'd be told to have rest days to allow our muscles, nerves, etc. time to rebuild.  We cannot keep a harried pace as we have the tendency to do. We need to rest for restoration. As it is said that even God rested on the 7th day!

So how should I rest? Jesus says in verse 29, "Take my yoke (His authority) upon you and LEARN FROM ME (His guidance) for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find REST for your souls."

Lord, let me trust You in all things, even in resting under Your authority and grace. As I stay still, let me, in complete obedience and trust, remain still.
Image cre

dit: medicalnewstoday.com

Invisibility_Genesis 16:13

If I could choose one superpower, I guess it would be the cloak of invisibility. I think it would be
great to be able to go anywhere and see what people are doing and saying without being detected -- not in the voyeuristic sense, but in order to gain knowledge, just like a spy. But while being invisible seems like a cool thing to be as a superhero, as a human being, being invisible can be heartbreaking.

As humans we all want to be LOVED, feel IMPORTANT. get APPROVAL, and feel that we BELONG. Sadly, there are many of us walking around who are invisible -- the poor, the downtrodden, the misfits, the misunderstood. This is exactly how Hagar, the maidservant of Sarah, felt when she was rejected by her mistress, and Abraham did not even try to defend her. Through no fault of hers, she was sent away, pregnant, to the desert to die. But God sent an angel to assure her that God had great plans for her and her offspring, and so she cried out, "I have now seen the One who sees me."

Psalm 139:1-6, "O Lord, you have searched me and know me.  You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.  You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.  before a word is on my tongue, you know it completely.  You hem me in -- behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain."

Matthew 10:29-31, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."

Thank you, Almighty God, that as your beloved child, I am LOVED, I am IMPORTANT, I am APPROVED, and I BELONG to You.  I am not invisible.  You are EL ROI, the God who sees me.

Image credit: copyblogger.com

Help!_Psalm 121

Independence is a value that we strove for while we were growing up.  We wanted to do everything on our own, proving that we have the capacity and the ability.  And even as we aged, we still hold on to our independence -- "I can do it!" we sometimes say impatiently when someone younger wants to help us. But as a child of God we must accede that independence from God does not work, no matter what season of life we are in.  We need God, and we cry out, "Lord, I cannot do this without you."

Lord, I need you; in all things, through all situations, I need you.  Let me always say, "I lift up my eyes to the hills -- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth."

Object of Love_Hosea 11:8-11

In today's ODB devotional, it spoke about how God treasured Israel and how this great love of God now is showered on us, His beloved children through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus.  What struck me most is how God used Hosea, the prophet, to be an OBJECT LESSON to show us how beautiful His love truly is, and how OBEDIENT Hosea was.

"Hosea, a contemporary of prophets Isaiah and Micah, ministered primarily to the Northern Kingdom of Israel (Hosea 1:1). His prophetic ministry was unique because he not only communicated in words what God wanted to tell the Israelites, but he symbolically acted out these revelations (chs. 1, 3). Hosea was commanded to marry Gomer, a promiscuous woman, to show that “like an adulterous wife [Israel] is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord” (1:2). After Gomer’s unfaithfulness, Hosea was commanded to reconcile with her and to “love her as the Lord loves the Israelites” (3:1)."

Lord Father, how great and beautiful is Your LOVE for me, drawing me close to You despite my unfaithfulness, my sin. You reconciled me to Yourself through Your Son, Jesus, my Saviour, and forever I am within Your arms, here in this life and for all eternity.  As it is said in 8:39, "Nothing will be able to separate us (me) from the love of God." Thank you, Father!

Deep calls unto deep_Psalm 42:7

Psalm 42:7 intrigued me -- "Deep calls unto deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me." So I began to search its meaning within the context of the whole psalm. The psalmist is in despair and feeling alone.  Twice he prays, "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Saviour and my God." And this verse was repeated in Psalm 43.

I came upon an article by Amy Julia Becker on the site Christianity Today, and she expresses how I've been feeling about my faith walk -- my heart desires to go deeper into my relationship with my Savior but this requires more out of me, more heart-wrenching, possibly terrifying revelations about me and more sacrifices. So shallow is more comfortable. She wrote:
"To stay in God’s presence is like swimming in the ocean. Immense. Frightening. Powerful. Beautiful. Where deep calls to deep. Where answers don’t come easily. Where pain is exposed rather than covered over. Where healing requires transformation." *

I know that God my Father lovingly calls me to come to Him in a more intimate way. How deep do I can I go? 

Lord, reveal to me Your truth in these words "deep calls unto deep" especially in the light of what we are going through. Thank you too for the life of my husband who celebrates his 67th year today.

* https://www.christianitytoday.com/amyjuliabecker/2015/april/deep-calls-out-to-deep-but-i-long-to-stay-shallow.html

Yet we worry_Matthew 6:25-34

Yet we worry despite memorizing these amazing verses that should give us comfort and hope. Despite our faith, despite our proclamations that "God is good", "God is in control", "God is faithful to all His promises", we still go on and have our anxious thoughts. Why then do we still worry?

Not to shift the blame but it goes back to the original sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eve. The serpent played on the very thing that made us uniquely human--our free will, and our downfall--our pride. Adam and Eve could have very well lived comfortably in the presence of God without having to worry about anything, but when the serpent offered them something more -- the ability to discern good and evil -- by eating from the forbidden Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and to become "like" God, they walked right in his wily trap. We are no different. We still want to be in control, no matter what we say otherwise. Our pride compels us to take charge...and then worry.

To stop worrying, therefore, we need to surrender our will to the Father's. He, is after all, God who is in control; he is faithful to all His promises; and, His plans for us are good.

Temptation and Sin_Genesis 3:1-10

The story of the Fall of Man in Genesis 3:1-10 is one of my favorites, not because I like sin but because it shows how the original sin of Adam and Eve is lurking to make me fall as well. How easily we are deceived by the devil, the father of all lies! The serpent easily planted doubt in the minds of Eve, and of Adam who there beside her, by the way. The serpent asked, "Did God REALLY say, 'You must not eat from ANY tree in the garden?" By subtly twisting the truth he set the trap for the humans. How easily we are snared by our own lusts! When Eve saw the fruit of the tree, she saw that it was "good for food" (lust of the flesh), "pleasing to the eye (lust of the senses), and "desirable for gaining wisdom" (pride). How easily we think we can hide our sin from God who created us! Once they ate of the fruit, their eyes were indeed open, not to the wonders as described by the serpent but to their own nakedness (vulnerability, ugliness of sin). And as God called out to them "Where are you?" -- as if he didn't already know where they were -- they both hid, mistakenly thinking that God wouldn't find them.

Lord, how many times have I been deceived and succumbed to the temptations of the flesh, senses and of pride? Forgive me Lord! Help me see my own nakedness and how much I need Your Holy Spirit for discernment and faith. Help me to know that I am victorious over the serpent because Jesus has already won over sin and death on the Cross.

Led by God_Psalm 143:4-11

One of my life verses is verse 8, "Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul."

Everything depends on Him alone. He is my Good Shepherd, and like sheep who do not know where to go, I need to simply follow. The problem lies when I try to do things on my own or try to go where I want to go without first "lifting up my soul" and crying out, "Okay, Lord, show me where I should go!" This however is not in human nature -- this surrendering of will to someone else. We are filled with pride and think we can do things on our won. This is why we need to LEARN how to surrender our will to God.

Verse 10 then says, "Teach me to do Your will for You are my God; may Your Good Spirit lead me to LEVEL GROUND." Just as the psalmist wrote in Psalm 23. "He makes me lie down in green pastures...", God who is good will bring me to where it is level ground, where I can lie down and rest. There is no real rest until I am led, and when I learn to follow.

He Waits for Me

Then the music starts. I struggle through the darkness, through briers with claws that wound me. I walk out to a clearing and there on a hill He waits for me. Light envelopes me in His embrace. I slowly sit, rest my head on his lap, and cry: Jesus Lord, I am so tired! Jesus Lord, I am bothered, I am dismayed; I am anxious. I am in pain. I have doubts and I have sinned Please forgive me. I don’t know what to do. Then, I feel His hand on my forehead He strokes my hair, and says: I have taken all that, and its okay; Your sin? I have taken it away; I died for you because I love you. Do not be afraid. In the early morning hour I find my way into His glorious presence -- My King, my Saviour, my Friend; He waits for me as the music starts. "He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul." Psalm 23:2-3 Written 100218// Posted on momofmultitudes.blogspot.com October 2, 2018

In the Circle of Light

I stand in a circle of light Scanning a crowd of faces Some familiar, some unknown All of us bound by the same spirit Bringing us together. My journey led me to this moment A momentous moment among many In a story written by the Great Author. “Extraordinary!”, you say; I say, "Ordinary made extraordinary, Not by anything I could've done without the Great Creator, and my family.” I stand in the Circle of Light Scanning a heavenly crowd of faces Some familiar, some unknown All beloved, bound by the same spirit Bringing us together. Healed. Forgiven. Redeemed. Ordinary as I am, My story made extraordinary In surrender to the Great King. /091218