The Discipline of the Lord

“My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges.” Hebrews 12:5-6

Yesterday, my 4 yr old grandchild and I finished a project on my iPad. It was all his idea, making a book about how a hyena lost his spots and hired detectives to help him find it. Elijah said, “Lola Pat, I appreciate our Procreate time.” So polite and well behaved! But he can be a little monster at times when his expectations are not met, and he will jump up and down in frustration. 

We do not expect to be able to do everything we want every day of our lives. When we were children, we were disciplined because our parents want the very best for us, just as the Lord disciplines us. My son is already 30 years old, but when he was young, if he did something wrong, he would have a time out and had to stand in the corner. He used to sleep in between Luigi and me when he was still a toddler, and one time in his sleep, he kicked me, and I shouted out in pain. Luigi and I were surprised when he got out of bed and walked to the corner in the dark and stayed there. I appreciated what my son did, although I would not have told him to do so. 

We too should not disdain the discipline of the Lord as we know it is for our own good. We should welcome it. Sin brings consequences and we should not expect to get away with doing things against God’s will unless God has given up on us. God uses our earthly struggles to mold us. Of course God takes no pleasure in afflicting us, but He will do everything to guide us, His beloved children, back to Him. 

Hannah Whitall Smith, a speaker in the 1800s, said, “Look upon your chastening as God’s chariots sent to carry your soul into the high places of spiritual achievement.” Thank You Father, for loving us enough to correct us when we stray.

Your Faith Has Healed You

“Daughter, your faith has healed you." Mark 5:34

The story of this woman who had been hemorrhaging for 12 years can be discouraging. She spent everything she had for doctors and medicine and she was not getting better. In fact she was getting worse! I know so many people who have been sick a long time. In fact I am one of them! I have Pulmonary Hypertension, a condition of increased blood pressure in the arteries of my lungs. Sometimes I feel like that veiled woman in a crowd in search of Jesus. "If only I can get close to Him. If only I had enough faith."

This woman was very fortunate in that she managed to touch Jesus' garments and she was healed instantly. Jesus looked around at the crowd surrounding Him, and asked, "Who touched me?" What is important to me in this story is that Jesus looked for her. For 12 years, perhaps she was feeling neglected by God, insignificant. How many times do we pray, "Do you care, God? Do You know what I am going through?" This is what our enemy wants, that we think God does not care, God does not know what we are going through. In this battle of the mind, we need to fight for the truth.

God does care. We matter to Him. Every single one of us. We are loved. That is what we want to know in our heart. "Who touched me?" is the cry of a God who wants to connect with us. Faith is our connection. "Daughter, your faith has healed you," Jesus said. And so with us. Our faith that whatever we go through, whether 12 years or not, whether it is about healing, or broken relationships, or lack of money or whatever, God walks with us. God is there, loving us whatever we are going through. He will never allow things to happen to us that is not good for our character. That will not make us bloom. In the next story of Jairus and his daughter, Jesus says, "Do not be afraid. just trust me."

Yes Lord, I trust You. You will work everything in my life for my good, because I love You and I trust You! (Romans 8:28)

Jesus Among the Living

“...he had his dwelling among the tombs.” Mark 5:3

Jesus met all sorts of people. Rich tax collectors, poor men and women in need of healing, powerful religious men, widows, children, fishermen, even the demon-possessed who lived amongst the dead. He met them where they were in their journey, and touched their lives, whether they liked it or not. 

Saint Damien of Molokai was a Catholic priest who chose to live among the lepers quarantined in the Hawaiian island of Molokai. He taught them the faith, helped them build roads, houses, a school, a hospital, cared for them, ate with them, and dug their graves. With his leadership they built the Parish Church of St. Philomena which still stands today. One day, 11 years after he arrived, he realized he contracted leprosy when he spilled hot water on his foot and could not feel anything. He continued to serve there faithfully till his death in 1889. 

The people of Molokai wanted Father Damien buried there for he was one of them. He touched their lives, and cared for them. But he was originally from Belgium and the Belgians wanted their hero back. In 1936, his body was transferred to Belgium. The people of Molokai continued to petition, and in 1995, his right hand was returned to Molokai for burial. We may not have Saint Damien’s heroic unselfishness, nor his strength to sacrifice his life for others, but we too should find a way to touch the lives of others, to be Jesus to them. 

As Mother Teresa said, “At the end of life, we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by ‘I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless and you took me in’.” 

May we be Jesus among the living, and not be so concerned about the dead things of this world that we cannot take to our eternal home. 

Revelation

“Lord, now let Your servant go in peace; You word has been fulfilled: my own eyes have seen the salvation which You prepared in the sight of every people, a light to reveal You to the nations and the glory of Your people Israel.” Luke 2:29-32

In the 2nd chapter of Luke, Joseph and Mary bring the forty day old Jesus to present him to the Lord, following the law of Moses. At the Temple, they meet Simeon, who is described as righteous and devout. It had been revealed to the old man by the Holy Spirit that he will not die before he had seen the Messiah, the Christ. When Simeon is given the child to be carried, he speaks in the spirit. His words, like the Magnificat of Mary, have been made into song in the different traditions of Christian faith. 

The Canticle of Simeon is a most beautiful prayer, and I love closing the day singing the melody with other brothers and sisters: “Lord, You may let your servant go in peace; Your word has been fulfilled: my own eyes have seen the salvation which You have prepared in the sight of every people: a light of revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of Your people Israel. Glory to the Father, to the Son, and Holy Spirit: both now, and for ever. Amen.”

Have we ever felt that urge to sing to God in gratitude? That upon waking up, we really mean, “Good morning!” and upon closing our eyes, “Thank You!” Do we live as if every day is a gift, a wonderful gift from God? We should not wait to be grateful, to be thankful for all His gifts until it is taken from us. I remember when I could not sing or talk because my mouth was full of mouth sores from Pemphigus Vulgaris. Or after my open heart surgery, I could not even lift my arm much less myself out of bed! We have so many blessings we take for granted. How about our family, our work, electricity, water, the freedom to speak our mind, to worship? 

Simeon had lived a full life. He was old. But he knew there was one last burning desire in his life left to wait for. To see the Messiah. To hold Him in his arms. When God granted him that wish, Simeon said he was ready to leave this earth. What is our one burning desire? Is it to see the Lord? To meet Him? We can meet Him every day if we quiet our hearts and listen, if our hearts are full of gratitude for His gifts!

Why are you terrified?

“Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” Mark 4:40

While on the boat with His disciples, Jesus  fell asleep. A violent storm arose and the waves were breaking over the boat. Although most of his disciples were seasoned fishermen, this was no ordinary squall. They woke Jesus up and He rebuked the wind, and spoke to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!” The storm ceased and there was a great calm. The disciples were amazed that the wind and sea obeyed Jesus. 

In our journey through the sea of life, we encounter many storms. Sometimes we feel like we are going to drown in the many problems and difficult experiences we face. Jesus is always in the boat with us, but sometimes we do not call on Him for help, like the disciples did. We think we can handle things on our own. We like to be self-sufficient, independent, and we prefer to solve our problems without consulting God. Or perhaps, we know that our problems are a consequence of disobeying Him. 

When we were young, my dad bought a boat, and the first time he took our family out, the water was rough and the winds were so strong. My sisters and I were terrified as we got farther and farther from shore. But I could see that my father was enjoying himself and as long as I kept my eyes on my him, I would feel safer. 

Whatever our situation, if we keep our eyes on the Lord, if we put our hope and trust in the Him, He will never fail us. “For no word from God will ever fail." (Luke 1:37) “If we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13) “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Joshua 1:5)

Mustard Seed

“The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed." Mark 4:31

Jesus liked to compare His Kingdom to small things, like yeast, and mustard seeds. Apparently there is not much fanfare or big signs that point to His Kingdom. Yeast and seeds, especially the tiny mustard seed, are so small and insignificant. It reminds me of Mother Teresa who often compared herself to a little pencil.  "I'm just a little pencil in the hand of a writing God, who is sending a love letter to the world. I am a little pencil in God's hands. He does the thinking. He does the writing. He does everything and sometimes it is really hard because it is a broken pencil and He has to sharpen it a little more."

Jesus started with a little band of insignificant men and women like us. They weren't very intelligent. They didn't have Master's degrees from important schools. They weren't eloquent speakers at the start. They weren't even very brave. But just like a tiny seed which grows in the right soil, and yeast which makes dough rise, we too can contribute our gifts and talents, no matter how little, for God to use in the growth of His Kingdom. How wonderful if God would say to us, at the end of our life here on earth, “well done, good and faithful servants! You were good seed, usable pencils, living yeast!”

Clean Hands and a Pure Heart

“Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord? or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart...” Psalm 24:3-4

In 1847, the concept of germs bringing infection was unheard of. Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis observed that pregnant women avoided the student-run clinics and preferred to give birth in the streets because the mortality rate was so high in the clinics. It was almost inevitable that the women died of puerperal fever, an infection of the female reproductive organs. He concluded that the students brought something into the clinic from the mortuary where they performed autopsies. He ordered the students to wash their hands in a chlorinated lime solution before every examination. The death rate dropped from 18% to 1%! 

The amazing thing is Dr. Semmelweis was ostracized and ridiculed because doctors refused to believe their hands were dirty. The wrath of the medical community drove the wise doctor out of Vienna into an insane asylum where he died 14 days after at the age of 47 years old. 

In Psalm 24, we learn that it is only those whose hands are clean and whose heart is pure who can go up God’s mountain and keep company with Him. We cannot claim to have clean hands and a pure heart unless we wash our hands and heart. Just as Dr. Semmelweis advises, we have to do this all the time, because we always come from the mortuary of the world. Just as in the good doctor’s time, many people today ridicule God’s Words and bullheadedly do their own thing. 

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16) 

Let us go to Jesus all the time so He may wash us in His blood, and bathe us in His mercy. 

A Hundredfold

“But the seeds sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the Word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.” Mark 4:20

Who does not like those returns? A hundred, sixty or thirty percent return? When we buy stocks, especially in today’s climate, we already rejoice with 5 or 10 percent!!! With God, we never lose! Whatever we invest in time, talent, resources and money, He multiplies! 

I used to facilitate workshops entitled, “Wrapped in Prayer”. The participants made a doll to remind them to “wrap everything in prayer”. The journey to my giving workshops started in 2006 when I was dismayed to realize that after praying early in the morning, by 10 am, I could not remember what I prayed about. I could not recall the Bible passages I meditated on.

So I decided to embellish the bible verses in my prayer journal with cut outs from magazines. Through the years, the collages became doodles and then I started painting, which later graduated to painting on my Bible. I now enjoy using digital apps to illustrate my reflections. The seed I planted years ago has indeed returned to me a hundred fold in so many ways. 

I have been enriched by reading and meditating on the Word of God, and I am able to share it around the world through my blog, Facebook, and Instagram. I have even sold some paintings and have given many workshops. An added bonus is I get to “meet” many kindred spirits in cyberspace and share about our lives and pray for each other. 

Truly there is so much blessing in the Word! It is like a seed- so much potential, life and energy! If we understand the Word, embed it in the soil of our hearts, it can bear fruit a hundredfold!

New Song

“Sing to the Lord a new song...” Psalm 98:1

Many people like to make new year resolutions and we know that most of those resolutions are forgotten after a while. My friend said with a good deal of humor she stopped putting “lose weight” in her resolutions because she’s been including it for years and it has not happened! My son said he does not go to the gym in January. There are just too many people. But by February the crowd thins considerably. Still, it is good to face the new year with a new attitude, a new hope, a new confidence. We then should examine ourselves, and see what needs changing, perhaps even admit that we need help.

I admire my friend who put a post on Facebook, “I was just wondering how an ordinary wife and mother can turn dull routines into life enhancing rituals..how her ordinary work can create extra-ordinary impact in her home making it a haven of tranquility for her family - a home that lessens stress and creates inner peace for her entire family...” What a wonderful goal for every mother! I know how cooking and cleaning and washing and doing it all over again can be very tedious and time consuming and can make a woman long for escape sometimes. 

I suggested studying the life of Brother Lawrence who found the secret of joy doing menial things, like scrubbing floors and peeling potatoes. He was always, always talking to God. 

He wrote, “I have found that we can establish in ourselves a sense of the presence of God by continually talking with Him...I have resolved to make the love of God the end of all my actions.” Even if he had a natural aversion to the kitchen, Brother Lawrence found his work easy during the fifteen years he was stuck doing kitchen duty. 

Perhaps we can start singing a new song to God by imitating Brother Lawrence. Whatever we find tedious, our repetitive work, a relationship that needs constant tending, disciplining the children, we can find new life by “practicing the presence of God”. I can certainly sing a new song while I am doing my breathing and leg exercises, and waiting, waiting for my breathlessness to subside. With God as our partner, we can have a wonderful 2025! 

The Joy of the Lord

“The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

Billy Graham, the evangelist, told of a time the Bee Gees were at the top, their Saturday Night Fever album was a record breaker and sold 15 million copies, and they won a Grammy for Album of the Year. Barry Gibb should have been on top of the world but he said he "felt inside like warmed over death." He was miserable. He had lots of money, several expensive cars, crazy fans, a handsome movie star face and a falsetto voice people wanted to hear. Fame, Popularity, Good Looks, in capitals, what more could one ask for? 

A lot of us think that if we only could have more money, if only we could have a prettier nose, if only we had more friends....

But if we had all the wealth of the whole world, all the beauty, all the fame, all the power, but we do not have anything to feed our soul, what happens? Matthew 16:26 says, "And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?" 

There are "idols" all around us. Anything we make more important than God is an idol. 

It can be our children, our job, a longed for boyfriend who doesn't want to get married, 

a relationship we are fighting to keep at all costs, the latest iPhone we are saving for, whatever!

Only one thing is important- 

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matthew 6:33

Truly, the joy of the Lord, joy in the Lord, is our strength. 

Prayer Changes More Things

“Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting Me?" Acts 9:4

Saul was traveling to Damascus on a mission to arrest and drag anyone following the 'new way' to Jerusalem. In Acts 9:1, he is described as 'breathing murderous threats' against Jesus' disciples. He was stopped by a light in the sky, and a voice asking,"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"

He converted to Christianity on his way from Jerusalem to Damascus. Syria became known as the Cradle of Christianity, a center of early Christianity, and Christians, some still speaking Aramaic, have lived there for 2,000 years. They are persecuted widely in the Arab and Muslim world by modern day Sauls who want to exterminate them. They are being driven away from their homes. Hundreds of thousands of Christians are being kidnapped, tortured, and even crucified and beheaded. Their churches are targeted and burned. 

There is not much we can do. But I know prayer changes more things than this world thinks it can. Let us pray that these modern day Sauls get converted if not by a light from the sky and a voice from heaven, then by other miracles. Nothing is impossible with God! And He is so creative! I believe that even now, saints are arising in the persecuted areas of the world! Let us cover those areas with prayer! Let us combat the jihad against Christians with an army of interceding warriors!

Are we persecuting anyone? Probably not. But sometimes we hurt people without even knowing it. We do not think of the words we say and how we say it. I admit I am not very conscious of how I put things. I can be judgmental and unkind. I can jump to conclusions and say negative things. Being sensitive to how others are feeling is a strength we should develop. We should practice treating others as if they were Jesus. The world will be a better place. 

Lord, Heal Our Land

“I will put my laws in their minds and I will write them upon their hearts. I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” Hebrews 8:10

In the beginning of Ezekiel chapter 37, Ezekiel describes his vision of a lifeless valley of very dry bones. It’s a desert. As Ezekiel gazes at this desolation, God asks him, “Can these bones live? Can they ever have life in them again?” Ezekiel answers that only God could ever know that. But looking at the bones, it seems as if all hope is gone. 

When we look at the present landscape, it seems just as bleak as this valley of dry bones. Of course economies around the world have suffered but ours is especially vulnerable. Unemployment has remained high in the Philippines, sadly it is almost twice the level of surrounding countries. 10.2 million of our countrymen had to seek jobs abroad which means fragmented families and millions of children deprived of parental supervision and support. It is heartbreaking that we are also in the midst of a learning crisis with our students consistently ranking low in international assessments.  Our health care system is also weak. In 2022, the Philippines ranked 58th out of the 60 cities analyzed worldwide with the poorest public transit systems. All this can be traced to widespread corruption. We hold the dishonor of being the second most corrupt country in Southeast Asia after Cambodia 😭😭😭

We hope we are over the worst of the effects of poor leadership, but we will feel its impact in generations to come. “Can we have life as we know it again” we echo the words in Ezekiel. 

If we look at this scenario, let us gaze through God’s eyes instead. Nothing is impossible with God. Only He can bring a fresh, new wind, the Holy Spirit, through this desolation. He says, “Hear My Word, read My Word, and I will dwell among you, and guide you, and you shall be My people once again…I will put My laws in your minds and I will write them upon your hearts. I will be your God, and you shall be My people.” 

Instead of helplessness, if we focus on God, He will be sure and give hope. If He can bring a valley of dry bones to life again, it will be easy for Him to get our country and people on track again if we turn to Him. “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14) 

Balance

“He told His disciples to have a boat ready for Him because of the crowd, so they would not crush Him.” Mark 3:9

Jesus seems to be escaping from the crowds of people who were following him from Jerusalem, Idumea, from beyond the Jordan, even from Tyre and Sidon, from the north and south of Israel. Shouldn’t He be helping everyone He can, healing and preaching from sun up to sun down, until “it hurts”? Apparently not. Jesus sets limits. He takes time to pray, to connect with His Father, He takes time to sleep and rest and even attend parties. How does He decide how far He should go, how deep His commitment, how much energy to expend? 

Jesus does not let the “crowds” decide for Him. He does not let the demands of a to-do list determine His path. He obeys His Father, and prioritizes the mission the Father has given Him.  It would be ideal if we could hear the Father say, “This is the way, walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:21)

I have just started reading Sue Monk Kidd’s first book, “God’s Joyful Surprise: Finding Yourself Loved”. In it, she described her stress filled life as she tried to be “perfect as Your heavenly Father is perfect”, not knowing that ‘perfect’ in this verse meant ‘whole’. (Matthew 5:8) The 29 year old Sue was a mom with two children, and she had an image of herself as “super mom, superwife, successful career woman, church pillar, community helper and fulfilled person”. She tried to do it all, role overloaded and role conflicted and still guilt ridden, until she felt searing pains in her chest that wouldn’t go away. As I have not reached even half way of her book, I can’t tell how it ends, except that based on the title, and the fact that she has written several books since, I can say she survived, and she was able to accept that she was loved by our Father, just as she is, imperfections and all.  

We need balance in our life, and listening to our Father will give us that. Like Jesus, we need to get close to God, in order to listen and hear God’s voice, and not get “crushed” by the world’s urgent demands! 

God Shares What He Has with Us

“And Abraham apportioned to Melchizedek a tenth of everything. His name means righteous king of peace.” Hebrews 7:2

A man named Bob bought a cup of coffee and a bag of mini pretzels. After laying his jacket on the seat next to him, he settled to wait for his plane in front of an older man reading a newspaper across the table. Bob drank his coffee, got a pretzel, and worked on his laptop. Then with amazement, Bob noticed the older man get a pretzel from the bag, and smile at him. Bob got another pretzel and moved the bag nearer to him. A little while later, the older man got a pretzel, and returned the bag where it was beside Bob’s laptop. Bob was getting more and more agitated when the man got up, opened the bag, took the last pretzel, divided it, then left half a pretzel in the bag. All the while, the older man had a smile on his face. 

Eventually Bob’s flight was called, and he got up. Collecting his jacket from the seat next to him, he was dismayed to see his bag of untouched pretzels. It had fallen to the floor! We can imagine Bob’s chagrin! The older man was not taking Bob’s pretzels, he was sharing his own with Bob! 

Like that older man, God shares what He has with us. In the Bible, there are mentions of how we should give a tenth or more of our money, our time, our resources to God. In Genesis 14:18-20, we read how Abraham gave Melchizedek, a mysterious King of peace, a tenth of all the goods and possessions he and his trained men had won from the invading army. Sometimes we are reluctant to do the same, not realizing that all the pretzels in the world are God’s. 

All that we have, our money, our home, our work is all God's. Our time, our gifts and talents, our energy is all His. So when we give, we are merely returning what is His. Still, it appears God is very careful with what we give Him, that NOTHING will go to waste. When I give Him my time in prayer, or serving in some way, I can be sure that He will multiply what time I have left and I am able to accomplish more than if I did not dedicate some time to Him in the morning. When I give Him my gifts, I have seen how He has made it bloom and grow. With money, when I give tithes, I have tested Him as He said in Malachi 3:10, "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it."

Lord, help me to always give thanks for everything I have. Give me the gift of generosity that nothing You have given me will go to waste!

Is God Unjust?

“God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them.” Hebrews 6:10

Is God unjust? If we measure Him against human standards, He certainly is. In Isaiah 55:8, the Lord tells us, “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, and My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine." (New Living Translation) 

The wonderfully amazing thing is He wants us to get to know Him. He wants us to become like Him. And that is why we have the Bible, the story of how an awesome God calls us to be His own, calls us to be His people. He is so generous, He wants to share His wealth of wisdom, peace, love, joy, and then ultimately eternal life in His Kingdom, with us, mere servants! 

In the parable Jesus tells in Matthew 20, there is an owner of a vineyard who indiscriminately calls anyone to work for him. He invites workers at the start of the work day and says he will pay them the daily wage. Then he hires workers at midday, then at 3 o'clock, then at the 11th hour, one hour before all work finishes. He pays the workers who worked for one hour the daily wage. He paid the same amount to those who worked for more hours. The workers hired for the whole day complained. 

Perhaps we would do the same. Working in the vineyard is hard work. I am sure the sun was hot, and the work is back breaking. 

But what if the daily wage was eternal life? Is there anything more valuable than fullness of life that is eternal? That is God's promise for all the workers of His vineyard. As long as we serve Him, follow Him, love Him and His people, that is what we will get at the 12th hour. And just like the owner of the vineyard, God calls us all, the intelligent, the not so intelligent, the shy, the sick, the lame, the poor, the sinner, the drug addict, the prisoner, the drug lord, the corrupt politician, everyone! We are all called, chosen even, to work in God's vineyard! 

Lord, thank You for the opportunity to toil in Your vineyard. We are all imperfect people with our own unique flaws and weaknesses, yet You do not give up on us. Help us to see others with Your eyes, and to love them and be generous like You!