-Marie Michelle Brina-

– Mark Rubilla –

My Child,
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed, for I the Lord your God is with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9). I will never leave you, I will never abandon you (Hebrews 13:5). If you’ll seek me with all of your heart you will find me (Deuteronomy 4:29). For I have loved you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). Don’t be bewildered or surprised when you go through the fiery trials, for this is no strange, unusual thing that is going to happen to you (1Peter 4:12). These troubles come to prove that your faith is pure. This purity of faith is worth more than gold (1Peter 1:7). Let the process go on until your endurance is fully developed and you will find that you have become men of mature character…with no weak spots (James 1:3-4). Now therefore if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession (Exodus 19:5). I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules (Ezekiel 36:27). Surely then you will lift up your face without blemish; you will be secure and will not fear (Job 11:15). My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness (2Corinthians 12:9). Call to me and I will answer you and will tell you great and marvelous things (Jeremiah 33:3). Trust in me with all of your heart, lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” (Isaiah 41:13).

Job was a good man who lived in the land named Uz, Indeed he was a blameless, upright and righteous man. He feared God and shunned evil. He had seven sons and three daughters; owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys; and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people from east (Job 1, NIV). A man who was richly blessed for his heart trusts God.

Yet, in a snap of a finger, Job experienced devastating losses in a short period of time. His riches dissolved in the air. His sons and daughters died. Drought encompassed him as though a surprising suffering inflicted, inasmuch, he never denied his integrity in Trusting and Honoring God. His primary response to his personal tragedy presented us with action points in handling our own personal losses in life. Initially, Job mourned of His loss, the tearing of the clothes and shaving the head specified intense grief and was often an immediate reaction to a catastrophe. Realizing it, Job in a moment deviate on his normal pattern of living and allowing himself to grieve and mourn for a time to acknowledge his excruciating pain and unbearable losses.

Secondly, Job worshipped in the midst of his situation, he never ceases to acknowledge God’s providence of him despite his condition. He responded greatly with profound expression of worship. That is why when we encounter such things, we must never question God, for we are not on our own, it is not a man to direct His own steps (Jer. 10:23, NIV). But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed ( 2 Corinthians 4 :7-9, NIV).

Lastly, Job continued to interminably communicate and meditate on God after all his fatalities. Seemingly in a worldly consideration, he could have given up into the temptation to become bitter and sunk himself into the deepest of depression. But his direction and attitude maintained his heartwarming relationship with God, and it conquered it all. No doubts and clouded thoughts. Nevertheless, he understood that truly God is sovereign enough to handle things. Potentially, Job uses his painful time to get to know God in a fuller sense and dearly draw near to Him. For in weakness, we are made strong and renewed by God. Grasping it, Job preserve to never deny or curse God amidst, and for that manner, God’s riches opened and overwhelmingly replenished doubly the loss transpired. Truly God is immeasurable..!

So when coming across..
Turmoil? …
Injustices?…
Sufferings? ..
Trials?…
Sickness?..
Persecutions?…
Temptations?…
Losses?
Failures?
Rejection and Betrayal?

We must always remember that these worldly circumstances are temporary and may perish. Thus, we must trust and depend on God – and we will see that He is more and more than enough. God is more than enough to carry our inner struggles and overwhelmingly turning it into jumping joy. Soar high on wings like eagles! God is a God who hears, sees and feels beyond compare. Inner Joy is indescribably uncontainable.

By: Hannah Tomambo a.k.a. Hosanna

“God helps those who help themselves” is probably the most often quoted phrase that is not found in the Bible. This is actually a quote from Ben Franklin and it appeared in Poor Richard’s Almanac in 1757. In fact the Bible teaches the opposite. God helps the helpless! Isaiah 25:4 declares, “For You have been a defense for the helpless, a defense for the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat…” Romans 5:6 tells us, “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”

But why is God allowing the “innocent” to suffer? In answering this question, the first thing to consider is whether such a thing as “the innocent” even exists. According to the Bible, “the heart is wicked and deceitful above all things” (Jeremiah 17:9), and “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Therefore, no one is innocent in the sense of being sinless. Sin entered the world when Adam and Even disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, and mankind has been in disobedience ever since. Sin’s effects permeate everything, and the suffering we see all around us is a direct result of that sin.

But God did not leave us here to suffer pointlessly. Our loving and merciful God has a perfect plan to use that suffering to accomplish His threefold purpose. First, He uses pain and suffering to draw us to Himself so that we will cling to Him. Jesus said, “In the world you shall have tribulation” (John 16:33). Trials and distress are not something unusual in life; they are part of what it means to be human in a fallen world. In Christ we have an anchor that holds fast in all the storms of life, but if we never sail into those storms, how would we know that? It is in times of despair and sorrow that we reach out to Him, and if we are His children, we always find Him there waiting to comfort and uphold us through it all. In this way, He proves His faithfulness to us and ensures that we will stay close to Him. An added benefit is that as we experience God’s comfort through trials, we are then able to comfort others in the same way (2 Corinthians 1:4).

Second, He proves to us that our faith is real through the suffering and pain that are inevitable in this life. How we respond to suffering is determined by the genuineness of our faith. Those with faith truly from God will not be crushed by suffering, but will come through the trial. Those are the ones who do not shake their fists at God or question His goodness, but instead “count it all joy” (James 1:2), knowing that trials prove that they are truly the children of God. “Blessed is the man who endures temptation, because having been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12).

Finally, God uses suffering to take our eyes off this world and put them on the next. The Bible continually exhorts us to not get caught up in the things of this world, but to look forward to the world to come. This world and all that is in it will pass away, but the kingdom of God is eternal. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36), and those who would follow Him must not see the things of this life, both good and bad, as the end of the story. Even the sufferings we endure and which seem so terrible “are not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).

As in all things, God’s ultimate purpose for us is to grow more and more into the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). This is the goal of the Christian, and everything in life, including the trials and tribulations, is designed to enable us to reach that goal. It is part of the process of sanctification; that is, being set apart for God’s purposes and fitted to live for His glory.

Trials develop godly character, and that enables us to “rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us” (Romans 5:3-5). Jesus Christ set the perfect example in Romans 5:8. These verses point out aspects of His divine purpose for both Jesus Christ’s trials and tribulations and ours. Persevering proves our faith. “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

At the same time, we must be careful never to make excuses for our “trials and tribulations” if they are a result of our own wrongdoing. “By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler” (1 Peter 4:15). God will forgive our sins because the eternal punishment for them has been paid by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. However, we still have to suffer the natural consequences in this life for our sins and bad choices. But God uses even those sufferings to mold and shape us for His purposes and our ultimate good. Trials and tribulations come with both a purpose and a reward (James 1:2-4,12).

Through all of life’s trials and tribulations, we have the victory. Satan has no authority over the believer in Christ. God has given us His Word to guide us, His Holy Spirit to enable us, and the privilege of coming to Him anywhere, at any time, to pray about anything. He has also assured us that no trial will test us beyond our ability to bear it, and “he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Could God prevent all suffering? Of course. But He assures us that “all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). So even suffering is part of the “all things” that God is using to accomplish His good purposes. His plan is perfect, His character is flawless, and those who trust Him will not be disappointed.

We encounter many storms in our life. Some are easy to overcome, while others are so difficult. In the hardships that we have, sometimes we even begin to doubt and question God’s power. There are also times when we feel as if there is no solution to our problems that instead of seeking God, we turn 180 degrees away from Him. That’s when we succumb to the worldly way of “solving” (which doesn’t really solve anything at all) problems– resorting to alcoholism, smoking, rebellion, and worst, suicide. In the verse given, Job said that he will keep on being righteous no matter what has happened to him. Tragedy has fallen upon his life, but did he turn away from God? No. He kept himself righteous amidst all the tragedies and storms of his life. That’s what we ought to do too. In every storm that we encounter, all we have to do is seek God, trust in Him, and hold on to Him. Instead of those worldly so-called solutions, let us keep on reading the Bible, pray to God, and seek counsel from our Christian elders like our spiritual leaders and pastors. Remember that in our weakness, we are made strong in Him. Let us always remember that there is always victory in our Lord!

by Jillian Tan a.k.a. miSty