Stubborn Love

There came a time, when my zealousness for the Lord was just a flicker in the mist. It came about when I decided to seek His will and left a future almost within my reach. Everything turned upside down, an utter enigma engulfed my mind. I was griping at the Lord, why after deciding to follow Him completely, everything seemed to turn against me. Stress, then depression was so fast superseding each other, pulling me down even to the point of losing interest in life. 

I wanted to let go of my faith already. But that faith, pinch size as it was, would not let loose. I gave in to that tiny voice of that faintly almost unfelt yet adamant faith in me, then the Lord showed me to deal with my hurts, frustrations, hard feelings, grudges and unforgiveness. I recommitted myself to Him. Surrendered all issues of my heart and asked for forgiveness for my shortcomings. God is so good, His mercy really never fails. In  this segment of my life I realized how the love of God, so strong, so much so that no matter how minute a hope or faith remains in our heart it can still overtake our grief,  our most despondent situation. The love of God is so great and stubborn, no matter how hard stricken we are with hopelessness,even  if we decided to let go, He would not. - “... I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,  nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”- Romans 8:38-39. 

He would see us through. He will restore and take us to the road of recovery constantly staying by our side holding us with His faith towards victory. - “... in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.”- Romans 8:37

A COMMITMENT TO FOLLOW

  

 Following the Lord may require from us a commitment to maintain a testimony worthy of the calling. It may sound so taxing, most especially if giving up indulgences ensue such action.

   

   God is the perfecter of our faith, if we chose to follow Him, we will be provided with means and ability to accomplish His purpose for our lives.  He always respects our will, He won’t insist until we open up and allow ourselves to be a testimony for Him. However, going the opposite road may expose us consequently to a messed up life, because apart from the Lord there is no protection to cover us -Psalm 62:1 I wait patiently for God to save me; I depend on him alone, and “The Lord is the friend of those who obey him  and he affirms his covenant with them.”- Psalms 25:14

   Choosing to live a life dedicated to the Lord is not a burdensome disposition but liberating and rewarding. Leading a life of testimony of His goodness is neither heavy because as we walk through His will, the assurance of His presence with His grace and mercy shall stand by us.

LOVE

I may be able to speak the languages

of human beings and even of angels,

but if I have no love,

 my speech is no more than

 a noisy gong or a clanging bell.

 I may have the gift of inspired preaching;

 I may have all knowledge and understand all secrets;

 I may have all the faith needed

 to move mountains—

but if I have no love, I am nothing.

 I may give away everything I have,

and even give up my body to be burned—

but if I have no love, this does me no good.

Love is patient and kind;

it is not jealous or conceited or proud;

 love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable;

 love does not keep a record of wrongs;

  love is not happy with evil,

but is happy with the truth.

 Love never gives up; and its faith, hope,

 and patience never fail.

Love is eternal.

 There are inspired messages, but they are temporary;

there are gifts of speaking in strange tongues,

 but they will cease;

there is knowledge, but it will pass.

 For our gifts of knowledge

and of inspired messages are only partial;

  but when what is perfect comes,

 then what is partial will disappear.

When I was a child,

 my speech, feelings, and thinking

were all those of a child;

now that I am an adult,

 I have no more use for childish ways.

 What we see now is like a dim image in a mirror;

then we shall see face-to-face.

What I know now is only partial;

 then it will be complete—

as complete as God's knowledge of me.

 Meanwhile these three remain:

faith, hope, and love;

and the greatest of these is love.

Seek His Will

In seeking His will we often think and act ahead of God. Presuming the good thought in mind could be what He wants for and from us. Then along the way when everything starts to crumble, slowly our zealousness towards God plummets into ebb. Disappointment would breech our reason, until it finally pelts the foundation of our faith in God. We are losing heart already.

Our capacity and failure to understand God’s ways are based on how we’d been influenced by our surroundings, by our environment and culture, by our natural limitation and weaknesses. God is good He will equip us if we only abide in obedience to Him -Baruch 3:14 Learn where understanding, strength, and insight are to be found. Then you will know where to find a long and full life, light to guide you, and peace. For this reason the Lord is encouraging us not to lean on our own understanding – Our knowledge is not enough to contain God’s wisdom. Our abilities are limited to sustain thereby presuming His will for us leads to failure. Another obvious reason it is not inspired by God himself and dependent only on how we thought it was.

If we fully yield ourselves to Him in humility and submission, then we are going to see through His heart and gain wisdom. (Daniel 2:21 -He controls the times and the seasons; he makes and unmakes kings; it is he who gives wisdom and understanding.) Abraham had some questions to the Lord when he first heard of God’s will for him. However when the Lord spoke of His promise to make him father to a great nation, (Genesis 18), Abraham willingly submitted to God in complete obedience, and this attitude paved the way towards fulfillment of God’s plan of salvation which we all enjoy nowadays and so on toward the time of existence.

We may be simple ordinary individuals, living a regular day to day routine. God waits for us to bring out in us potentials of carrying out for Him the will of His heart which brings blessing, healing and direction for life. (Daniel 10:12 Then he said, “Daniel, don't be afraid. God has heard your prayers ever since the first day you decided to humble yourself in order to gain understanding. I have come in answer to your prayer.)  We just need to stay still and listen to His commands, gear up on obeying them, restraining our minds from our own interpretation of what will unfold before us. Walk by faith and the Lord will do the rest as we live in His promise.

Obedience Gives Way to Understanding

Drifting

To drift as defined in the dictionary means  to be carried along by currents of air or water. No self initiated direction or resistance at all. Our minds drift, our plans and so our life as well. We slip into drifting state when we lose hope to move on, when our sense of self-esteem falls alarmingly low, and our faith in ourselves has turned wobbly. How we handle blows in our life usually stems toward this state of mind, depending on our will to fight the battle, to run our race and to beat a time, how long can we hold on to that reason which keeps us composed.

We become bitter, blaming people for our failures, sulking into our solitary room of our mind, and as we go further adrift, we began questioning God, why situation miserable as such has to happen to us. We begin to tell God we didn't choose to be on earth just to suffer frustrations, disappointments, rejections.

Yet no matter how deep and how far we'd gone adrift, there He is reaching out to us. Wanting us to know and experience His unconditional compassion and mercy so as that moment we turn our face back to Him, He could wipe the tears in our eyes and assure us of hope that only Him can give.

Learning from Him daily is our best defense against state of drift. Believing and yielding in His ways will keep us on track of good life. It may not be a bed of roses, but an assured life of winning the battle and finishing the race. Blows won't desist from hitting us, but hope won't dissipate before our eyes, just as long as we keep our eyes on Him, and stop looking at our inadequacies. We take the walk of faith and follow the path of obedience, and all shall be added unto us.