We are all God's creation- whether black or white, yellow or brown, from far or near, whether you are a Roman Catholic or a Protestant, a Muslim or a Jew, a Jehovah's Witness or a Born Again, or anybody who belongs to one of the many religious sectors the world over. We are all Christians. We live daily by this belief that there is a Great God who is always watching over us and He is everywhere. When was the last time you thought of God, talked to God, for what and why?
As a retiree I resolve to do good things daily for myself and for others to honor God, to show I love God, and hope to face Him in my day of judgment for whatever reward or punishment I deserve. It's easy to say I want to do good things to receive good rewards, but how will I know between good and bad? In my childhood I only learned them from my parents and elders, from my teachers, and I was not sure as to what measure they used to determine what was good or what was bad either.
My freedom to move about having been suspended for sometime now due to health problems, doesn't deter me from doing things I can manage. For example, as member of the the Basic Ecclesiastical Community (BEC) in our neighborhood which is an outreach organization program of the Roman Catholic Church to where I belong, I find time to minister to people who are observed to be inactive in their spiritual growth. Bible sharing with them is a new experience they welcome and enjoy. At the same time, my passion to proclaim God's Word as a lector during Eucharistic celebrations is not cut-off.
I don't claim to know much about religion and my faith as a Roman Catholic, but I pride myself in my continuing search for some nuggets of wisdom concerning my relationship with God and with others through readings. I don't get tired reading daily devotionals, listening and pondering on daily gospels, learning from others' experiences and commentaries about them from known figures. I like to read the Holy Bible. Whenever events and time allow me, I leaf through the concordance found at the last pages of the Bible and locate passages to pass away my quiet time to make my day. It's really a relaxing experience. Why don't you try it?
I have here few random collections of my readings either lifted or adapted from books and devotionals with biblical passages which I hope my readers might want to start from should they want to listen to God, talk to God, walk with God. This way, the respectable authors and all of us, their readers, will be helping educate each other with God's Word.
1. When DISASTERS come, it's all right if we panic or we pray. We can hold on to the Lord or foolishly blame Him. But remember this, Nahum says, "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble". Nahum 1:7
2. When we PRAY about our needs, we almost always pray to be delivered from the pain of suffering, from the loneliness of estrangement, from the vale of bereavement, yet when we walk through the dark night, we sense the presence of Him who said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you". Hebrews 134:5
3. SUFFERING strips us of hypocrisy and it lays our souls bare. It is at such time we can experience God's help and the presence of Christ in a very real way. Sometimes suffering helps us to see ourselves as we really are. Suffering will either drive us closer to God or it will drive us further away. Put suffering between you and God and you are the loser, put yourself between suffering and God and it will drive you closer to Him. "The Lord knows the thoughts of man". Psalm 94:11
4. Have you ever heard the VOICE of GOD? recognized it as opposed to the voice of Satan? It is through His Word, the BIBLE that we most often hear His voice today or sometimes as others tell us about His Word or as we read it ourselves. The Words of Jesus, the Son of God, are recorded in the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation. God is trying to tell us a great deal more than we have heard. If we want to hear His voice more clearly, take time to read His Letters to you in the Bible. Take time to meditate. Take time to listen to His voice in prayer. The voice of God is saying, Here is the path to real heaven. here's the way of life. "If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come to him and will dine with him, and he with Me". Revelation 3:20
5. When TRIALS knock at our door or sneak through the backdoor, we never quite expect them. When we battle with them we feel that nobody else has ever faced then same intensity of testing. Throughout the New Testament you will find a common theme: periods of testing come to all of God's children. Trials never indicate that we are abandoned by God. Trials are the results of a broken world, a world which is hostile to the values of God's children. "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". Romans 8:28
6. DEDICATED PARENTS spend much of their time supporting, encouraging, instructing, protecting, and challenging their children. Sometimes all their effort seem futile when the child starts to go astray. At this point, some biblical parent-child principles can help as a guide to what parents should teach their children. Children must be taught 1. to treasure God's command; 2. to call out for understanding; 3. to grasp what it means to fear GOD; 4. to practice God's wisdom in their lives. "The Lord gives wisdom". Proverbs 2:6
7. We live in an AGE of RAGE. But we can help solve the problem- one person at a time. When we are at the receiving end of someone's wrath we can return a soft answer. A calm approach can stop an anger in its tracks. Christ stayed calm in the face of hateful accusations in his trial and we should follow His example by staying calm in the age of rage. "A soft answer turns away wrath". Proverbs 15:1
8. No one is too old to SERVE GOD. We must keep growing, maturing, and serving to the end of our days. To idle away our last years is to rob the church of the choicest gifts Godd has given us to share. There is service to be rendered. There is still much to be done. So let's keep running with endurance. Let's finish the course- and finish it strong. "Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us". Hebrews 12;1
9. Don't worry that we have WORRIES. Don't pretend we never have them. If we are troubled by anxieties, we must admit them. Share them with a trusted friend. Above all, talk to the all-compassionate Friend, Jesus Christ, who knows our every thoughts and emotions. Ask Him for the grace to help us overcome our fears and worries. Then wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He will strengthen our hearts. On our journey through life, "Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You". Psalm 27:14
10. FORGIVENESS brings a permanent solution to wrongdoing. It is not weakness, nor something to be ashamed of. It is wisdom. Anyone can hold a grudge and plot revenge. But it takes strength of character to forgive. Forgiveness is an act of the will. To forgive someone frees you of the same sickness which is destroying your enemy. Forgiveness is not forgetting the scar but it removes the sting and brings healing. Forgiveness is God's antidote to the sickness of sin which tears lives apart. It is the healing which humanity desperately needs. "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you". Colossians 3:13
Brothers and Sisters, if you hunger for more, I may refer you to my references: The Daily Bread, January-December, 2001, 2003 , Today Can Be The Best Day Of Your Life- by Harold J. Sala, 1994 edition. Shalom!
Photo by DrGBB
1. When DISASTERS come, it's all right if we panic or we pray. We can hold on to the Lord or foolishly blame Him. But remember this, Nahum says, "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble". Nahum 1:7
2. When we PRAY about our needs, we almost always pray to be delivered from the pain of suffering, from the loneliness of estrangement, from the vale of bereavement, yet when we walk through the dark night, we sense the presence of Him who said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you". Hebrews 134:5
3. SUFFERING strips us of hypocrisy and it lays our souls bare. It is at such time we can experience God's help and the presence of Christ in a very real way. Sometimes suffering helps us to see ourselves as we really are. Suffering will either drive us closer to God or it will drive us further away. Put suffering between you and God and you are the loser, put yourself between suffering and God and it will drive you closer to Him. "The Lord knows the thoughts of man". Psalm 94:11
4. Have you ever heard the VOICE of GOD? recognized it as opposed to the voice of Satan? It is through His Word, the BIBLE that we most often hear His voice today or sometimes as others tell us about His Word or as we read it ourselves. The Words of Jesus, the Son of God, are recorded in the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation. God is trying to tell us a great deal more than we have heard. If we want to hear His voice more clearly, take time to read His Letters to you in the Bible. Take time to meditate. Take time to listen to His voice in prayer. The voice of God is saying, Here is the path to real heaven. here's the way of life. "If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come to him and will dine with him, and he with Me". Revelation 3:20
5. When TRIALS knock at our door or sneak through the backdoor, we never quite expect them. When we battle with them we feel that nobody else has ever faced then same intensity of testing. Throughout the New Testament you will find a common theme: periods of testing come to all of God's children. Trials never indicate that we are abandoned by God. Trials are the results of a broken world, a world which is hostile to the values of God's children. "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". Romans 8:28
6. DEDICATED PARENTS spend much of their time supporting, encouraging, instructing, protecting, and challenging their children. Sometimes all their effort seem futile when the child starts to go astray. At this point, some biblical parent-child principles can help as a guide to what parents should teach their children. Children must be taught 1. to treasure God's command; 2. to call out for understanding; 3. to grasp what it means to fear GOD; 4. to practice God's wisdom in their lives. "The Lord gives wisdom". Proverbs 2:6
7. We live in an AGE of RAGE. But we can help solve the problem- one person at a time. When we are at the receiving end of someone's wrath we can return a soft answer. A calm approach can stop an anger in its tracks. Christ stayed calm in the face of hateful accusations in his trial and we should follow His example by staying calm in the age of rage. "A soft answer turns away wrath". Proverbs 15:1
8. No one is too old to SERVE GOD. We must keep growing, maturing, and serving to the end of our days. To idle away our last years is to rob the church of the choicest gifts Godd has given us to share. There is service to be rendered. There is still much to be done. So let's keep running with endurance. Let's finish the course- and finish it strong. "Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us". Hebrews 12;1
9. Don't worry that we have WORRIES. Don't pretend we never have them. If we are troubled by anxieties, we must admit them. Share them with a trusted friend. Above all, talk to the all-compassionate Friend, Jesus Christ, who knows our every thoughts and emotions. Ask Him for the grace to help us overcome our fears and worries. Then wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He will strengthen our hearts. On our journey through life, "Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You". Psalm 27:14
10. FORGIVENESS brings a permanent solution to wrongdoing. It is not weakness, nor something to be ashamed of. It is wisdom. Anyone can hold a grudge and plot revenge. But it takes strength of character to forgive. Forgiveness is an act of the will. To forgive someone frees you of the same sickness which is destroying your enemy. Forgiveness is not forgetting the scar but it removes the sting and brings healing. Forgiveness is God's antidote to the sickness of sin which tears lives apart. It is the healing which humanity desperately needs. "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you". Colossians 3:13
Brothers and Sisters, if you hunger for more, I may refer you to my references: The Daily Bread, January-December, 2001, 2003 , Today Can Be The Best Day Of Your Life- by Harold J. Sala, 1994 edition. Shalom!
Photo by DrGBB
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