Rescue

Proverbs 11:8

⁸ The righteous person is rescued from trouble,

    and it falls on the wicked instead.

New International Version (NIV)

www.biblegateway.com

Kawikaan 11:8 (Tagalog) Magandang Balita Biblia (TPV)

⁸ Ang matuwid ay inilalayo sa bagabag, ngunit ang masama ay doon bumabagsak.

Oh, Lord...am I in trouble or what?

I woke up very early in the morning to find my self troubled with what we are going to have this day…with nearly a few hundred pesos in my purse… I nearly cry thinking how could we ever survive this?

Two months ago, I let my husband leave his job. He had been finally tired of the work that he had been doing for 23 long years. He tried all his best to explain himself and convince every one in the family why he should leave his job.

Placing Our Hopes To GOD

Proverbs 11:7

⁷ Hopes placed in mortals die with them;

    all the promise of^[a] their power comes to nothing.

New International Version (NIV)

www.biblegateway.com

Kawikaan 11:7 (Tagalog) Magandang Balita Biblia (TPV)

⁷ Ang pag-asa ng masama ay kasama niyang pumapanaw, ang umasa sa kayamanan ay mawawalang kabuluhan.

Continuation…

After the hospital visit we managed to reach the church early. Seated at the second to the last row, I was thinking how money had great effect in our lives after seeing a mother’s peace of mind and contentment. Her dream for her son had finally come true. Her son finally was able to support them and his family. Mother had placed her hopes with his son. I just prayed that she would be thankful to God for such blessing of peace of mind through him.

While in this state, my eyes was looking at the church youth practicing their part on praise and worship when a church worker approached me and had managed to sell two sachet organic coffee which I do not intend to use but bought it because of the sympathy I had for him. I know he needs money badly too and had been placing his hope for survival with God. I do not have much but is willing to share a little. He lived a very basic and simple life but a smile would never go out of his face. Often times in his testimony, he would say God had never failed him.

He and another church worker asked me to give an inspirational song before the message of the night was given. I also give in to that. Totally unprepared, my heart prepared the song for me and before I was able to sing the song the church Pastor announced the need for the church electrical wiring replacements and my brother in Christ – Steven gave a testimony being under a great challenge in life at the moment then I knew right then and there why my heart chose the song.

It was titled “ Great Is Thy Faithfulness”

Great is Thy faithfulness, Oh, God my Father.

There is no shadow of turning with Thee.

Thou changes not Thy compassion they failed not.

To Thy great faithfulness, Lord unto me.

Great is Thy faithfulness, Great is Thy faithfulness

Morning by morning new mercies I see

All I have needed, Thy hand had provided

Great is Thy faithfulness Lord unto me.

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above

Join with all nature in manifold witnessed

To thy great faithfulness mercy and love

Great is Thy faithfulness, Great is Thy faithfulness

Morning by morning new mercies I see

All I have needed, Thy hand had provided

Great is Thy faithfulness Lord unto me.

Parson for sin and peace that endureth

Thine own dear presence Lord to cheer and to guide

Strength for today and bright hopes for tomorrow

Blessings all mine with ten thousands beside

Great is Thy faithfulness, Great is Thy faithfulness

Morning by morning new grace I see

All I have needed Thou hast provided

Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.

In every aspect of nowadays life, Money has a great involvement… may it be personal, family, church and others. But there is a realization on one aspect that money cannot provide, the ability to move on with our lives when we place our HOPES to GOD.

Proverbs 11:5-6

⁵ The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight,

    but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.

⁶ The righteousness of the upright delivers them,

    but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.

New International Version (NIV)

www.biblegateway.com

Useless Wealth

Proverbs 11:4

⁴ Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath,

    but righteousness delivers from death.

New International Version (NIV)

www.biblegateway.com

Duplicity

Proverbs 11:3

³ The integrity of the upright guides them,

    but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

New International Version (NIV)

www.biblegateway.com

Kawikaan 11:3 (Tagalog) Magandang Balita Biblia (TPV)

Ang tuntunin ng matuwid ay katapatan, ngunit ang masama’y wawasakin ng kanyang kataksilan.

Weighing It

Weighing is not only done to any of material things and the scales were not the only unit we use to weigh.

LEADER OF THE PLAY

We are all leaders in our own ways...

I was in the second year in high school. We were grouped by our teacher to make a re-enactment Florante and Laura. All my classmates went to our home to practice. As we were practicing the act, there were parts of the script that

THE WEALTH

 You want to be rich? 

God encourage hard work and diligence. Most of us wanted to be rich in this world. This verse in Proverbs had proven what wealth can do to us and what would happen if we fell short of it.

Proverbs 10:15

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁵ The wealth of the rich is their fortified city,
    but poverty is the ruin of the poor.

See: www.biblegateway.com

Kawikaan 10:15 (Tagalog)

Magandang Balita Biblia (TPV)

Ang kayamanan ng mayama’y matibay niyang tanggulan, ngunit ang kahirapan ng yagit ay kanyang kapahamakan.

Who doesn't want to be secured? 

Does a huge amount of money be enough to be my fortified city? 

Would that be enough to say that I am secured? 

Would it be enough for me to say that I would be happy till my last breath? Would it be enough for me to say that I would not be ruined if I am filthy rich with money?

What is wealth all about? Is it all about money?

We have seen a lot. 

We have seen how justice can be bought. 

We have seen how a human part be bought to extend a life.

We have seen how an innocent poor people ends in jail for a crime they did not committed because they cannot afford a good lawyer.

We have seen how power can be claimed in exchange of money and how the poor people's right were sold in exchange of a whole day meal in their plates.

So many people had been working so hard but some of us still feel it is not enough. Some of us had already to save many but still wanted more specially when we speak about money.

So...is being rich all about money?

I think not. 

Although in reality we need a lot of it nowadays to get by and prosper in this world.We try so hard to have this security and good life. We strive so hard not to be poor with material things but... there are more treasures we can be wealthy of... 

Good health is wealth.

and there are more! A happy loving family, true friends, knowledge-education, talent, experiences and there so much much more that we can be wealthy of but the best is a rich and healthy spiritual relationship with God.

We should not always be thinking that the only way to be rich or wealthy is to gain lots of money for it could lead us to a bad path. As we make a step to be industrious and decisive about working hard and making big sacrifices for the goodness of ourselves and our family, we should maintain a good relationship and consult God through our prayers and bible reading regularly. Let us not forget that BLESSINGS COMES FROM GOD!If we can maintain to be rich with God's guidance we are assured of abundant harvest and blessings because our faith is strong and healthy. We are assured of being wealthy along the way! Praise God!

The real fortified city is a rich spiritual relationship with God. It is something we should also be wealthy of. We cannot earn it in a single prayer or a single chance of reading our bible...we cannot afford to be poor in this relationship and be ruined...We have to work for it and be wealthy!

Let us pray…

Our Heavenly Father. Despite the fact that we work so hard to get all these materials things to prosper in this world, Dear Lord. We have done so many sacrifices by leaving our families behind just to work and earn...We face different issues and strive so hard to stay alive in everyday corporate battles...We work so hard to survive and  let our voices be heard in order to get a living...we stretch our minds and talents for creativeness, production and so much more, 

Father, May we always be reminded that we need you. We need you to survive...to have courage and strength...for guidance and love...and all of it can only be possible with a constant communication with you...Let us be rich, Lord, with your love.  In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Lesson Learned:

As we work hard, we should have faith and believe that God would bless us abundantly.

LEARNING...EARNING

Why choose to learn?

It's school time!

We go to school to learn academics.
We go to parents, family and friends to learn more about life.
We go to google to learn additional information about the world and current events.
We go to church and read our bible to learn about God and our purpose in life.
We go to different places to learn about culture, people and so much more...

Proverbs 10:14

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁴ The wise store up knowledge,
    but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.

see: www.biblegateway.com

Kawikaan 10:14 (Tagalog)

Magandang Balita Biblia (TPV)

Ang matalino’y nag-iimpok ng karunungan, ngunit ang salita ng mangmang ay nagdadala ng kapahamakan.

We want to learn to be wise. 

While we learn...we also earn! We earn happiness, contentment, experience, respect, wisdom, dreams fulfillment, money, our living and many more...but most of all we earn the peace we want to have as we learn the love that God had for us. 

God wants us to be wise.

Let us pray…

Our Heavenly Father.  Thank you for this message, Dear God. It’s amazing that this verse came into me very timely…it is school time! You are telling me to give education an importance… to prepare our kids to school…to prepare ourselves to choose knowledge to be wiser. Thank you for this reminder. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Lesson Learned:

Choose education…to be wise.

"PATPAT"

Is beating a good discipline?

 

I got surprised how my uncle was able to pass the punishment my grandfather gave him without showing so much pain …he stood up as if he was not feeling pain at all! He even smiled at me!!!…oh, so wise! He placed a paper carton inside his shorts!!! Good defense!!!...hahaha!

At the count of 4, she should be laying on a bench facing the floor to receive the punishment for doing foolishness. Funny she did not feel the first

LOVE AND HATE RESULTS

Would you choose to hate or to love?

 

" Why did you love me, what did you like in me?"

I always had this question and seems not to believe that a handsome looking guy like my husband would love a simple looking lady like me.

My husband would then jokingly reply "Because your cup is "C"." followed by a laugh. (Well, for the ladies, I guess you know what he meant) Of course, that answer is not sincere. He had told me for the _th time that he love me just for no other reason at all but because I am me.

A SECRET

Can you keep a secret?

Proverbs 10:9

⁹ Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,
    but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.

Salin sa Magandang Balita Biblia: 

Kawikaan 10:9

Ang namumuhay ng tapat ay pinaghaharian ng kapayapaan, ngunit ang may likong landas ay malalantad balang araw.

Personal Application:

Being silent is different from keeping a secret.

“I kept no secret for there is no thought you have not known”…a line in the song “ With All My Heart”...one that I often sung in church mostly during our Vesper Service.

Can we really keep a secret?

THE FEAR OF HUNGER

^THE FEAR OF HUNGER

Why are we so afraid of getting hungry?

Proverbs 10:3

The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.

Salin sa Magandang Balita Biblia: 

Kawikaan 10:3

"Ang matuwid ay binibigyan ni Yahweh ng kasiyahan, ngunit ang masama’y kanyang ginugutom naman."

Personal Application:

Walking down the aisle, taking the hand of the man I love in marriage, one of the things I worry about is…”What if we get hungry?” I had that thought without thinking that it is not only food that would keep us alive but I know very well that it is essential to keep our human body nurtured.

BE A TRUSTWORTHY PERSON

^{BE A TRUSTWORTHY PERSON}

Why is it important to gain trust?

Proverbs 10:2

 Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value,  but righteousness delivers from death.

Salin sa Magandang Balita Biblia: 

Kawikaan 10:2

"Ang yamang buhat sa masama ay di papakinabangan, ngunit ang katuwiran ay maglalayo sa kamatayan."

Personal Application:

"Tallied!" is what I say every time  I made my cash balancing. I feel great amount of relief and joy while seeing that the money I handled were all accounted for. It is not a huge amount but being able to handle it well give me self satisfaction and a way to say to our Heavenly Father with a winning smile,  " Lord, see..I'm honest just the way you want me to be".

I remembered one time that I had to pay ten thousand pesos just for not listing to whom I gave the money to. Every single cent of that money I paid had an equivalent number of tears of sadness knowing how those people did me wrong. The recipient did not had the heart to admit it and kept the money for himself.  It gave me so much pain to know how people can be cruel because of money. Thanks to God,  I learned that ill-gotten treasures had no lasting value. Whatever they took from me won't last and the punishment that comes along with that money would be under God's care. I would just keep going on and do my best to be honest, to be righteous in the eyes of the Lord and be saved from death of sin.

A few months after that incident, I received a blessing. God had returned that money to me in other ways and He even gave me more than what was lost. With a cold hand and a teary eyes, I almost shout to praise God and tell  how wonderful He is for soothing the pain I felt inside while I was holding the check. I felt that I was given that check because I did my best to be trustworthy and I would keep on doing it.

Prayer:

Our Heavenly Father, Thank you for the blessings. Even as other did not see how we are doing our job with all honesty,  I know dear Lord that You are watching. I would always try my best to be honest with my family, work, people and friends. Please help me gain strength to do so. Keep me away from temptations and keep all those bad things away from me. I am doing all these to please you, Dear  Lord, and no one else. Amen.

Lesson Learned:

If others would know that we can be trusted, God and people would be pleased and blessing would come easily along the way.  The happiness we would feel knowing that what we did is according to God's will is real. For peace of mind that gives good health and happy life...It really pays to be TRUSTWORTHY.

PARENTING: A CHANCE TO BE A GOOD SON/ DAUGHTER

One question I had in mind - What does it take to be a good daughter?

Proverbs 10: 1 

"A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son brings grief to his mother."-Proverbs of Solomon

Personal Application:

I couldn't express the happiness I felt when I went upstage because my son had a medal in school. It  was immeasurable. I felt blessed and thankful to God for giving me  good sons that gave me happiness.

Reflecting on oneself, Was I a good daughter? Wise or foolish? I started enumerating the things I have done for my parents and realized my shortcomings. Regret came into me for not giving them my best. There are some factors that lead to my shortcomings and one of which is ignorance. Yes, It was stupidity in my part for being ignorant of what my parents had expected from me. Since my grade school, I frequently hear my parents saying, "Bahala na kayo sa buhay ninyo pag nakatapos kayo ng college. Wala na kami paki-alam sa inyo at aasikasuhin na lang namin ang sarili namin."