LEARNING DEEPLY, October 1-31, 2022
Neither rich nor poor giving more... For truly, it is not the size of our offering, nor the fame and renown of our donations and gifts that is counted, but the quality and consistency of the heart behind it... Like the ancient Levitical priests, who, by the very garments they wear and the things they use at work are reminded each time to live holy lives, they being living sacrifices and intermediaries between a holy God and His people, may we too always be reminded to live lives worthy of His Name--in speech and actions always true and sincere, fair and just, in motivations and desires always honest and desiring the good of all, in causes and principles always bringing hope and light, healing and restoration, love and life...
A restless heart
cannot be cured by much activity but only by rest and realization... A
discontented, envious, selfish and greedy spirit cannot be overcome by having
more, by striving to be in as many places as much as time and resources allow,
nor to climb ever higher... Because true peace and wealth only come to one who
diligently and honestly strive each day, through ups and downs, setbacks and
milestones, with the acceptance and wisdom that a good God created us with more
than enough, for each day and all our days... And as He too works out each day
how best to pour out His grace and goodness, we too continue steadfast and
faithful to live out His love and generosity, understanding and mercy, in
manifestation of His image and likeness through our lives...
Keeping the oil in our
lamps burning... Is like the mandate given to the Levitical priests, always
being reminded of our duty to our God and to others, to live lives separate and
distinct from our base, evil, greedy and selfish nature; and to remember that
in true creativity, there is wisdom, and where lies abundant blessing and
peace... For it is not what we have, what we are decked or clothed with, the
wealth that we have accumulated, nor the status and company we keep that shows
people how our Creator has bestowed us favor; but it is in living a just and
fair life, generous and good even to the undeserving, and having a sense of
anti-fragility--not losing our heads and composure, keeping the faith, fighting
the good fight for our souls, and upholding what is true and good, what brings
life and healing to all, as we have been blessed, and with the same outpouring
of grace and mercy we have received each day...
Lest we continue to
live with the impression that the same God we worship as Moses and the ancient
Israelites did is vain and demanding, tyrannical, exacting, extorting and
abusive as a feudal Lord and master, may we learn from the words of some great
rabbis, that He too is learning day by day to live and relate with us... And
that, as proven in ancient spiritual history and current life, this Almighty
Creator God cannot be bribed, enticed with glittering tributes and gold; for
life must take its course on us, and that He is there to give us strength and
see us through... Because no matter how beautiful our altars and grottos, how
magnificent our temples and church buildings, He can go beyond the tapestry of
our hearts, and in every circumstance, peel back the curtains of our hypocrisy;
to teach us and make us realize, at times gently, and at times too harshly,
that it is in living the essence of His love, His grace and goodness, His
humility and patience, His justice and mercy, His understanding and
open-mindedness (especially as opposed to our insensitivity, ignorance and
bookishness) that we can claim to be indwelled with His Spirit, and so be
worthy to call ourselves His children and people...
Honesty unto God, unto
others, unto ourselves... Means that we do not over- nor under-estimate ourselves
and other people, nor be blind to each of our faults and potentials... It means
humility and justice, upholding truth and life, magnifying the good instead of
covering up the wrong, and speaking and conveying our truth clearly and
unequivocally... May we always strive to be sincere, be free from envy and
vanity, and live the rest of our days in peace and confidence, in a God who
will always set things up for our good, and in the people He sends our way...
Implementing rules and
regulations... Are one of the trademarks of democratic laws and oftentimes
burdensome bureaucracy... Yet, as harsh as these may be in certain parts, what
remains true and valid is that we are all equal before our God and Maker, and
regardless of our status, age, gender and qualification, each of us deserve and
are duty-bound to respect one another, to treat each other as human beings made
in His image, and that any offense to person and property and even emotion,
rightly must be meted just punishment... Because if we are made in the image of
a Holy God, we should do whatever is in our power to live up to it; and as
manifestation of basic humanity, to care and be concerned, to be generous and
understanding, to not take undue advantage, to not offend nor abuse nor be
wicked and cruel, especially about the things and people whom we do not know
nor understand...
A peculiar treasure...
Many people (even a former world-famous worship leader) find it difficult to
reconcile a loving God who proclaimed the ancient Israelites as His special
people, with the vengeful and genocidal One who threatens death in the same
passage, should one act recklessly, in even the most petty circumstances...
Yet, we realize that our relationship with this Highest Being, like our
relationship with other people, could also veer into the unfamiliar, then the
taken-for-granted and disrespectful, especially when we come to feel proud,
overly confident, cocky and impertinent, because we are convinced and expect
that He always answers our every prayer and whim... And so, just like how we
should relate with one another, may we learn to magnify His presence in our lives
by being faithful and trustworthy with His commands, which is actually the
purest and clearest reminder of how best we should conduct our affairs on
earth, no matter our religion our faith, whatever our race, age and gender...
Jehovah-nissi, and a
great father-in-law... Probably too, because of Moses' humility, he was blessed
in both... And may we too, learn like he did, if we believe in and obey the
leading of the same God: in whatever situation--great battles, and everyday
decisions, both small and big--to trust that our God gives grace and wisdom, to
discern and trust that there are people with whom we can share our burdens if
we are not greedy for fame or status and position, and that all along the way,
these people will be with us and make the journey worthwhile...
The Lord is our
strength and song; He is our salvation, our God... And He is the Lord who heals
us (15:2a and 26b)... May we learn, like the ancient Israelites, not to
complain or be anxious however life turns out to be; for if we believe in the
same Creator and loving God as they did then, we will experience an outpouring
of His strength and peace, He will give us joy and a song in our hearts, He
will bring deliverance and salvation, and He will heal us and fulfill His good
promises... And for the rest of our days, may we remain humble, honest and
fair, just, faithful, diligent, patient and true...
"The Lord shall
fight for us, and we shall hold our peace" (v. 14)... If we believed in
the same God that Moses and the Israelites did, we know that in even the most
impossible situations, when we call for help, our God brings hope and
deliverance... It may be difficult to wrap our hands around logically and
scientifically, and doing so opens up a can of worms of evidence and argumentation;
but in faith, we can have hope and confidence, that in the middle of the sea
and storm, our God is there, ready with His pillars of cloud and fire, to guide
us along the way and see us through...
The Lord's passover,
was a genocide... And because of its tragedy and sorrow, its terror and hasty
escape, only the original Israelite descendants were initially commanded to
observe it, after which, those who want to would have to be circumcised and
inducted to the community per Mosaic law and tradition... Thankfully,
humanity's one-time and eternal passover in the person of our Savior took only
His physical life, that all of us may live in freedom and peace, in justice and
love, and not be touched by the destroying angel... May we not waste such
precious sacrifice, be on the side of good and justice and right, not oppress
nor abuse nor take undue advantage of others, so that whether physically,
spiritually, emotionally and mentally, we will not be made to give up whatever
is our most precious treasure, that is, the very lives and connections with
loved ones, as payment and punishment for our pride and greed...
When regarding is a
matter of life and death... What Egypt experienced as a consequence of
Pharaoh's arrogance and pride is a climate and environmental catastrophe unlike
any other then, but becoming common in our times... And we would do well to
heed, for often, it is those people in charge and in authority, who have less
to suffer, who causes great ruin and destruction to the greater majority who
are most vulnerable... May we learn to be humble, to listen and accept that our
way of doing and thinking are always due to change and overhaul, and to heed
when the Creator and the rest of creation demands that we let go our hold on
status, authority, pride and greed, and bring comfort, respite, hope and
encouragement, support, salvation and deliverance to those who need it, when we
have power and influence to do so...
The hard heart, that
thinks of the self better and above others, is a proud and idolatrous one...
And even from the ancient times and until now, is the crucible by which people
are judged, punished, brought down and ruined... May we learn the lesson of
Moses and Pharaoh, that it may go well with us, and that our loved ones, our
country and community, will not suffer and be cursed for our pride and
arrogance...
The heavy hand... Even
in our time today, there are lots of slave drivers like Egypt's Pharaoh, who
have no respect for people's age, gender, status, culture, situation, and
mental health, who demand absolute and immediate compliance and obedience, and
disregard other people's rights and opinions as long as they themselves can be
made convenient and they get whatever they want... But not just the Word, even
history itself records waves of exoduses like that of Moses' time... And so we
come to realize that those who lord it over others, who throw their weight
around, who insist on their own way no matter how limited and lacking the
foresight and wisdom, like ancient Egypt, will also be dealt with by our
Savior's heavy hand, until such time they fall, to rise no more, and are
forgotten and their legacy and name diminished... May we always learn to be
humble and respectful, to consider other's needs before our own, and even
though how difficult life gets, to always remember to extend love, mercy and
grace, that we may be able to truly manifest our faith and our Creator's will
over our lives and all of creation...
The burning bush, an
everlasting token of faith... Against all reason and logic, against the
prevailing culture and politics, against economics and social norms and
conventions... If we can believe, if we can have faith, we will find comfort,
hope, confidence and assurance that our loving God cares for us and hears our
cries, and that one day, He will bring us deliverance... May this mindset
permeate the very core of our being, that whatever life brings, we can always
find strength and encouragement; and with His mercy and grace, greet each day
with excitement and joy...
The more they were
afflicted, the more they multiplied and grew... And if we believe and worship,
and have faith in the same God as the ancient Israelites did then, we know that
even if the whole world looks down on us and sees us as less than humans, abuse
and oppress us, yet, God Himself will hear our cries and our groaning--the very
same God who calls Himself "I am" will have mercy, compassion, love
and respect for us, and prepare for us deliverance and salvation...
God is everlastingly
good; and despite how religion or denominations weaponize Him, He can only love
and bless, both the good and bad ones... But here is the crucible: for in spite
of wealth, fame or status, one who persists in wickedness will find rare and
lasting consolation; but one who perseveres even through life's abundance and
reversals of fortune, will always be given grace, hope, encouragement, faith
and strength; and will soon see their lives come up, even now and in the great
beyond...
May God bless us like
Ephraim and Manasseh... Both blessed to become more, but the one who comes
later than the other shall become greater... And as we learn from the lives of
Jacob's children, as Jacob himself, so is our God like--neither unfair nor
showing favoritism, but a good judge of character: for the one who is blessed
to become greater, has a greater responsibility of being more humble, and to be
a sort of responsible middle carer and nurturer of all to whom his influence
reach; while the one who is blessed just enough, is given the duty and grace,
and the wisdom to be more creative, to make do and increase whatever is
available, to exercise initiative and discernment to make life work out well,
and to always uphold hope, truth, justice, patience and diligence... We learn
that in whatever state, however much resource, whatever the capacity, we are
all called to be good stewards of what we have and what we are... And this is
how our lives realize its meaning and purpose, one we would do well to discern
and diligently fulfill for the rest of our days...
It is God who brings
down and in, it is He who brings up and out... And we can use the mirror of
Joseph's life; that if we continue to live diligently, we can believe that all
the hurts and insults, oppression and abuses we receive, especially from people
whom we expect better, are actually a spicy and challenging prelude to greater
and life-changing blessings ahead... May we learn to entrust our future to our
good God, trust that He shall bring us justice and reward with a commensurate
rebuke and punishment on those who hurt us, and lead us to a much more amazing
and victorious future...
Judah's turnaround is
the key to his redemption... He who instigated selling his second youngest
brother off as a slave, is now a fierce protector of his youngest brother, and
acutely careful not to bring more heartache to his old father... Which is a lesson
for all of us: that, not all who start off good, well, nice and kind, will see
it through the end; but that even the nastiest and grumpiest, may actually be
made up of goodness and a selfless heart... And like Judah, the fourth son, of
the unloved first wife, from whose physical lineage eventually was born King
David, and hundreds of years later, our Savior in His human person, Jesus
Christ, a difficult or less than ideal life, attitude and character may go down
in history, and leave a legacy that brings life and salvation to all...
In forgetting our
resentments, we gain a fruitful life; and in all our anxieties, if we believe
in faith, God shall give us an answer of peace... May we learn the lessons of
Joseph's life, as we grow mature, and as we continue to humbly and diligently
do good, especially in being faithful with our finances, setting aside some
(here, at best, a fifth), that more than faith that God holds our future, He
will bless and enlarge the something we have in store to meet our needs and the
needs of our loved ones when the time of want and scarcity come...
Cannot keep a good
person down... Even when blocked, persecuted, gaslighted, oppressed or
forcefully hidden and stomped upon... For their talents and gifts shine through;
and even when denied and neglected, omitted or forgotten, God's favor will
always be poured on them; so that the world eventually rightly recognizes them,
and grants them honor and respect, and the recognition they deserve... May we
learn from Joseph's learning too, as we grow mature and more humble, patient
and enduring; for surely, things will eventually look up, and if we hold on in
hope and faith, our day in the sun will come...
Selfishness, envy,
greed and pride always lead to broken relationships and families... And people
doing their own thing and having their own way, even at the expense of other
people's rights and concerns, always result in tragic outcomes... May we learn
to respect each other, recognize that each is unique, that yes, life is in
truth unequal and unfair, but to hold on in hope and faith that in God's
perfect time, good and great things will come our way, when we are ready and
are enabled by growth and maturity to manage them well...
Settlements... Come in
the form of reconciliation, continuance of legacy, and spending the rest of our
days resigned to the calling our Creator has made us for... It is not about
material wealth, nor finding our one great love, nor being on the top of
whatever we aspire to be; but in the everyday acceptance of our daily joys and
burdens, believing in faith that today is filled with more than enough mercy
and grace, and tomorrow well secured in our God's loving hands...
To each our own, love
and reconciliation with a healthy set of boundaries... And this, rooted in
respect, justice and fairness, humility and the absence of envy and greed,
would have made the lives of the ancient faith fathers more secure, confident,
and peaceful... May we learn from them, and conduct our daily affairs in truth
and honesty, in care and concern for others, in respect and love...
Because our greatest
battle is against ourselves... We learn from Jacob's life that we can only try
so hard to succeed in life, to do our best to accumulate much, to use all our
wits and strength to achieve much; but our hardest challenge is to overcome our
base nature, our pride, greed, deceitfulness, envy, lust, our sense of
entitlement and superiority, our fear and cowardice... And no matter how wise
and good we think we may be, we will never do a complete turnaround in life
unless we come face to face with our God, humbly repent and submit ourselves to
His leading... Like His touch on the hollow of Jacob's thigh in Penuel, may we
henceforth not walk through life according to our own will, but with a limp in
spirit, a constant reminder to remain humble and true, faithful and aware,
generous and understanding, with love and discernment...
Deceit begets
deceit... And so we learn from Jacob's life that though success and prosperity
may come, if gotten through dishonest means, will still be a source of sorrow
and resentment... Yes, blessings come to those who work hard, to those who are
ingenious and wise, but life is more satisfying for one who remains honest and
true, just and fair, faithful and patient amidst life's regular reversals of
fortune... For then we realize that those things we believe are not working out
are opportunities to do better, to find and make another way, and to actually
be our greater breakthroughs...
Deceit doesn't pay,
for it often leads to estrangement and separation... Yet, even in the
wilderness of the soul and life, if the wrongdoer learns humility and changes
their perspective and attitude, there is still the promise of a better person
to face whatever tomorrow brings... And so, may we learn to always deal
honestly, truthfully, fairly and justly, that we may not cause unnecessary
heartbreaks, resentments and ruin of our loved ones and friends...
Because even our
Savior claimed to be so...
"Those who wish
to hide the truth will want the world to forget, and the truth to be distorted.
But it's fine. As long as many more people remember, we will never lose...
Because the truth is stronger than anything else."
(words of wisdom from
the international Halmeonis of kdrama)
My late grandmother
used to say, "imo'ng pamintaha, tibuok kaliwatan nimo ang moani sa
gaba"...
But it seems that
seldom seems to be the case with some people we know to be blatant bullies and
oppressors, envious, greedy and corrupt, made more cruel by condescension,
amplified by mocking laughs and giggles, and on the sly and with smokescreens,
continue to lie, steal and step down on others...
Although, like the
biblical third and fourth generations, we never know what lies ahead...
Still, one who strives
to live humbly, to be honest and faithful, to be trustworthy and fair, need not
be anxious and fearful, even in poverty and want, in sickness and danger..
For truly, even the
whole universe conspires to bring respite and comfort to those who persistently
do good...
Therefore, let the
cruel and wicked ones continue to wreck their havoc and destruction; but let
the merciful, patient and wise, graceful and content live the rest of their
days in peace...
#TuesdayEveningConfidentNonMotivation
Making room, making
time... To one who believes and faithfully and humbly obeys, our God always
makes room and time; and even in the face of dissent and opposition, oppression
and persecution, there is always abundance of mercy and grace, provision and
strength... May we learn from the lives and families of Abraham and Isaac, sans
doubts and cowardice, but more, that of faith, of honoring parents and elders,
of patience and graciousness, of fairness and trustworthiness, of hope and
love...
The right weight, the
right amount, the right price, the right person and attitude... We all desire
that, but with impatience, greed and pride, only a few ever get what they
need... And so, we would do best to emulate Abraham's awareness and observance
of culture and customs, and his and his servant's--and Rebekah's too--faith and
obedience: to believe that our God works and sets everything up for our good
and His glory, and that even into the unknown, to strange lands and unfamiliar
territory, we will be properly settled, provided for and supported, appreciated
and recognized for our true potential and worth, loved and blessed...
Jehovah-jireh: not
just a Name we often misinterpret and invoke when the funds are low and the
food shelves are bare, but a statement and declaration about our God who sees
and hears, and provides for and by Himself whatever we need in life and
whatever He needs from us, on top of the mountain of our testing and trouble,
in clear and unequivocal terms and manifestations we can perceive... May we
learn to trust and believe and obey like Abraham, that we may always see daily
the goodness and greatness of our Creator, Provider and God...
Short sightedness is
one of the most dangerous weaknesses of a human being... And we see this again,
and its tragic consequences, not just in Abraham's married life, but in his
nephew Lot's too... May we learn to be patient, to trust in our God's goodness
and provision, and to keep the faith that in spite of life's hardships, better
days still await...
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