Sunday, August 31, 2014

On Loop in My Heart: God’s Goodness

God is good.

Did that sound cliché to you?

There just isn’t any other way to say it. It’s the closest I could get to expressing that wonderful truth.

God is good.

I could not, for the life of me, find any reason why He would take the time to mold and shape me, to make sure I get everything that I need, to bring people into my sphere of influence. Patiently, He surrounds me and drenches me with blessing after blessing, every single one calculated to fill my individual need. But He does.

God is really just good.

I cannot repeat it enough times.

His goodness I see in nature, in the way He sustains me and my family, in the way He provides for my needs, in the privileges He gives me to serve despite my imperfections. The most wonderful evidence, however, remains to be the outworking of His grace in people’s hearts, bearing fruit in beauty, and mercy, and faithful surrender, and loving service.

One afternoon, I found myself alone in front of my computer, weeping. I was in conversation Kuya Nick, the man whom God had used to bring me to the LIGHT school in Nueva Era, Ilocos Norte, thanking him for being God’s instrument. Instead of taking the credit for himself, He glorified God and asked how God is leading me after the training. He shared to me his burden for today’s educational systems and his vision of establishing a school after God’s blueprint in Davao – a vision I share and desire to pursue.

At the end of our conversation, he said the words that stirred my heart and brought out the tears, “Learn what you can now, and if it be my calling to support you in the work that God has put in your heart to do, then so be it.”

How could it be? How could this man, with his talents and means and beautiful family, be willing to support me – sinful, weak, imperfect me? How could he surrender himself so fully to the Lord’s will? And the Lord – how could He will to entrust a sacred work into my heart – my wicked, wavering heart? How could He believe that I deserve these opportunities to learn and serve? How could He drench me in so much grace?

God is good.

What other reason could there be?

And when I see His goodness overflow in people's hearts to mine, it moves me and makes Him more real and more beautiful to me - so beautiful I could not fully fathom, much less express, just how much. Tears are perhaps the closest I could approach to expressing how I feel, and even that is not enough.

God is good.

God is good.

His mercies are new every morning.

His grace flows without measure.

His love – His unfathomable love – saves me, sustains me, amazes me, and awakens in me a love for Him – my good, wonderfully good, God.




Wednesday, August 06, 2014

By His Spirit



BY HIS SPIRIT
(Batch Song)

In these closing times,
Do you hear God calling you?
The harvest is great,
But the laborers are few.
Will you plead weakness,
Worry how, or ask for time?
Or now take a stand,
Lift up Christ and let Him shine?

Chorus:
By His Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts.
By His Spirit, we take up our cross.
Not by might nor by power we stand,
But as earthen vessels in His hand.
In every word, every act of life,
By His Spirit, we will light the world
We will light the world with Jesus Christ.

Walk in His footsteps,
Speak His words, see through His eyes.
With faith that works by love,
Live as Christ our Savior died.
With Jesus within,
Our example in all things,
We’ll prepare a people
For the coming of our King

Repeat Chorus

2nd Chorus
When we surrender and give up ourselves
By His strength, we’ll lift up His cross
By His might and His power we stand
Take this life and place it in His hands
Give all glory to Christ and Him alone
By His Spirit, we will do the work,
And we’ll light the world with Jesus Christ.

We will light the world with Jesus Christ!




Monday, August 04, 2014

Back from the Mountains

Now that training's over and I'm off the boondocks, there's so much I can't wait to do: upload photos and vids, get my computer back to shape, update my blog, get home, do the laundry, see everyone, cook (yes, cook), research stuff, organize my files, share the things i've learned, buy clothes na pang Christian Living , and reply to everyone who's been messaging me for the past seven months, among others. I miss the mountains already, but I'm sure that wherever the Lord is taking me will be even more beautiful. I'm still not better than anybody, but I believe that I'm better than who I was. I praise the Lord for His goodness and for His faithfulness in my life. Everyday I learn that He loves me with more love than I could possibly know in this lifetime.