Needle’s Eye

“It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of the needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." Matthew 19:24

There is an urban legend that this verse is about a small gate in Jerusalem called the "Needle's Eye" during the time of Jesus. It is so small that if a man on a camel were to pass through, he would have to get down, remove all the baggage from the camel and drag the camel through, kneeling on its haunches. So for a rich man to enter heaven, he would have to divest himself of his earthly goods, and kneel humbly before God. But there is no such gate in Jerusalem in Jesus' time and so 

Jesus did not mean this.

He literally meant it was impossible for a rich man to get to heaven on his own merit. Wealth was a sign of God's favor in Jesus' time, and even today. So the disciples were astonished, bewildered, exceedingly amazed, dumbfounded, when Jesus flat out said that the wealthy had no chance, zilch, of going to heaven. “So who can be saved?" they asked.

Jesus then says it is impossible for men. It is not only impossible for the rich, but also for the poor. It is impossible for any one. Because we would have to give up not only our wealth, but also our children, our parents, our spouses, our lands, our work. Everything. We would have to put God first. 

But Jesus does not leave us without hope. He said- "With God ALL things are possible." In Ephesians 2:8 we read, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this not of your own doing, it is the GIFT OF GOD!" Whew!!!! 

We shouldn't give up on ourselves just because we can't follow Jesus perfectly! Just because we can't give up everything and go to the ends of the earth and spread the Gospel. Just because we get impatient with little things and are ungrateful or cannot really forgive.  Jesus already paid the price for our salvation.  We just need to follow Him day after day, and He will change us slowly but surely. We should not be like the rich young man in Mark 10:17-22, who turned away from Jesus because he could not follow what Jesus said, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” He should have stayed beside Jesus, learned from Him, and perhaps one day, he would get that aha moment and be able to do what Jesus asked. 

Lord Jesus, teach me Your ways and make my heart like yours. 

Most Blessed

“Most blessed are you among women..." Luke 1:42

As baptized believers, each one of us like Mary who carried Jesus in her womb, is capable of bearing Christ to the world. If our eyes were opened to the glory of this truth, we too would rejoice and be humbled in the presence of so holy a vessel as a sister or brother in Christ. 

Holy Spirit, just as You opened Elizabeth's eyes in the presence of Mary, please open our eyes to those who also bear Christ. Help me to honor the potential of each person to be Your presence here on earth. 

C.S. Lewis, one of my favorite authors, wrote in his book, “The Weight of Glory”, that we’ve never talked to mere mortals. Everyone we know, or know of, our parents, our spouses, our sisters and brothers, our children, our office mates and classmates, the street sweeper, the troll online, the politician, etc., they are not ordinary people. We talk to and deal with immortals every day of our life. 

“It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare.....But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors,” C.S. Lewis wrote. 

How daunting to consider how flippant we are with our lives sometimes. We can waste so many precious minutes on worthless activities or conversations, throw careless hurting words at people, without thought of the impact on our immortal souls. Let us be more heedful of the choices we make each day!

Cloud of Witnesses

“Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2

We’re all fighting hard battles. War weary warriors soldiering on. Some of us are in more difficult struggles than others. Most of the time, there doesn’t seem to be a way out of the battlefield, except through a miracle. But we must never lose hope. We should always hang on. We should always show up. Others have fought and won before us. We should be inspired by those saints who’ve gone ahead of us and victoriously finished the race. One day, God willing, our “exploits” of bravery, fortitude, strength, patience, faithfulness, and perseverance will encourage others as we too join the “great cloud of witnesses”. 

I am reminded of Steve Green’s beautiful song, “Find Us Faithful”, which goes: 

“We're pilgrims on the journey

Of the narrow road

And those who've gone before us line the way

Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary

Their lives a stirring testament to God's sustaining grace

Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses

Let us run the race not only for the prize

But as those who've gone before us

Let us leave to those behind us

The heritage of faithfulness passed on through godly lives”

(https://youtu.be/sgTkjeVUeGk)

The only way we will leave a heritage of faithfulness, is by looking to Jesus and following Him.

A Clean Heart

A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me.” Psalm 51:12

Only the Lord can create a clean heart for us. We see all around us signs of a fallen world. God has given us so much. He surrounded us with beauty. But what did we do? Our oceans are filled with plastics and debris. It is heartbreaking to see penguins on top of mountains of trash and turtles deformed from being caught in a plastic 6-pack ring. Instead of rejoicing in human life, people make laws to allow murdering almost fully formed babies in the womb. How ugly can the world get?

It is useless pointing a finger at those who legislate for abortion or those who throw garbage on the streets and rivers. There are always three fingers pointing back at us. There, but for the grace of God, go I. God never gives up on us, and neither should we give up on ourselves or our fellowmen. We need only repent, and ask for the grace to do better. 

When Boyan Slat was 16 years old, he was diving in Greece and he saw more plastic floating in the water than fish. Since then, this aerospace engineering graduate has devoted most of his time to thinking up a way to clean up the ocean.isn’t it so admirable that he didn’t just shrug his shoulders and leave the problem for others to think about? 

Boyan said, “The plastic pollution problem has always been portrayed as something insolvable. The story has always been ‘OK, we can’t clean it up - the best we can do is not make it worse’. To me that’s a very uninspiring message. What I really hope is that the ocean clean-up in this century can be a symbol for us using technology to make things better.”

As of mid 2022, the clean up system dubbed Interceptors have been deployed in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Dominican Republic. Preparations are underway to install in Thailand and Los Angeles.

All of us have a part to play to clean up our corner of the world. Let’s ask God to create in us a clean heart, and join with others willing to make a difference. 

Return to Me

“But you were captivated by your own beauty, you used your renown to make yourself a harlot, and you lavished your harlotry on every passer-by, whose own you became.” 

Ezekiel 16:15

In Ezekiel chapter 16, God compares Jerusalem to an adulterous wife. It is very heartbreaking to read, that after God lavished her with love and care, and entered into a covenant with her, she prostituted herself and consorted with other men, and made idols that she dressed in the finery God gave. When I read it through, I realized this is how God feels for us, whom He claims as His own, and loves, when we do not return His love. 

Even if we are unfaithful, God is faithful. Even if God knew beforehand that we would be false-hearted and inconstant, He still rescues us and forgives us. In spite of our sins and unfaithfulness, God says to us, "Return to me, your sins have been your downfall. But only return and ask me to forgive your sins, and I will heal your waywardness and love you freely. I will turn away my wrath and be like dew to you.

You will blossom and bear fruit." 

(Hosea 14:2-10)

Isn’t this what happens with God every time we fall short? Sin enslaves us and into this slave market, Jesus came to pay the full bid price for each of us. This is God saying He loves us, He loves us, He loves us!!! It's a crazy love, an unimaginable love! Imagine a billionaire saying he would exchange his magnificent mansion for your hovel, his unlimited bank account for your zero savings. The Great Exchange! And it has already been offered to us!

Jesus says to us, "I'll take your poverty and give you my riches. I'll take your sin and trade it for my righteousness. I came into your decaying world to give you eternity!"

I’ve been enjoying making gel prints, and using those gel prints to make digital collages on Procreate. 

Forgive to Give Freedom

“Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.” Matthew 18:21-22

Ann Voskamp is one of my favorite writers and this is what she has to say about forgiving:

“This is hard but healing:

 

Forgive to give freedom.

Forgive to give yourself the key out, forgive to give what you’ve been given.

Forgive to give what you will need to get a thousand times so you can get to go on. 

 

Love gives. So live given.

Love is a verb and that verb is give.

You’ve been given so much — so how can you not live given?

 

Give thanks and live given — this is how you get joy.”

Forgiving is not the easiest thing. I know because just the other day I was grappling with commenting mean words to somebody who did something not even against me but what I felt was against all Filipinos. How much more if he wronged me or a loved one personally? But forgiveness is a decision we have to make each and every day until we get it right. Our Father is all about forgiveness. When we say the Lord’s Prayer we ask that He forgive us as we forgive those who have sinned against us. Sometimes this is impossible and I think of all the survivors of Auschwitz like Corrie Ten Boom, or women who have been raped or abused like Christine Caine, or mothers and fathers whose sons or daughters have been taken from them in the mass shootings in schools in the US. We cannot do it on our own. We need to pull from God’s sea of mercy and allow Him to work in our hearts and minds one day at a time. Sometimes a minute at a time. 

Grain of Wheat

Today is the Feast day of St. Lawrence. This Saint was like the grain of wheat in the Gospel for today. “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat. But if it dies, it produces much fruit." (John 12:24)

Perhaps many would say, St. Lawrence lost his life in vain. But I believe the saints and the martyrs are like grains of wheat, seeds of faith planted in the soil of men and women whose hearts' desire is to follow God. St. Lawrence was not a meek man, he was a very interesting character! He was deacon of the Church under Pope Saint Sixtus II at the time Christianity was outlawed. When the Pope was executed, St. Lawrence was then the highest official of the Church. As such, he was tasked to bring the treasures of the Church to the Prefect of Rome, for the use of Emperor Valerian.

St. Lawrence sold the sacred vessels and gave the money to the poor. Then he gathered all the widows, the orphans, the maimed, the leprous, the sick and brought them to the Prefect. “Here are the treasures of the Church," he proclaimed.

The Prefect got furiously angry that he had St. Lawrence bound to a gridiron and ROASTED!!!! There is a legend going around that St. Lawrence quipped, "This side is done, turn me around!"

But what he really said was, “Sheltered under the name of Jesus Christ, I do not fear these pains, for they do not last long.” Tradition holds that after St. Lawrence’ death, many turned to Christ as a result of his faithfulness to God and love for the poor. Yes, truly he was a grain of wheat that died and bore much fruit. May we follow his example in the sacrifices we offer for God and for our brothers and sisters every day. 

Show Us How

“Your decrees are my inheritance forever; ​the joy of my heart they are.” Psalm 119:111

I like reading about saints. They were ordinary people who loved God extraordinarily. Because of their love for God, they were able to fear the Lord (which really means to be in awe of Him), love and serve Him. Today is the Feast Day of a Jewish woman who became a Discalced Carmelite nun. She was murdered in the gas chamber in Auschwitz-Birkenau along with her sister Rosa, who was also a 

Carmelite nun. 

St. Edith Stein, also known as St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, rejected her family’s Jewish piety and became an atheist at the age of 13. In 1917, a colleague, Professor Adolf Reinach, was killed in the war. When Edith met the the Professor’s wife Anna, she was deeply impressed with Anna’s strong Christian faith and convictions. 

She started reading the autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila and became drawn to the Catholic faith. After finishing the book, she  declared, “This is the truth!” She was baptized on January 1, 1922. She was very intelligent and she continued studying and writing. She translated the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas into German. Soon she became a teacher and lecturer around Europe about the role of Catholic women. 

When it became difficult to teach because of Nazi restrictions, she entered the Carmelites as Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. She devoted her life to holiness and self-offering even as the Nazis forced her to wear the Star of David over her habit. 

St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross herself wrote, “I talked with the Savior and told Him that I knew that it was His cross that was now being placed on the Jewish people; that most of them did not understand this, but that those who did would have to take it up willingly in the name of all. I would do that. He should only show me how.”

Yes, Lord, show us how. 

The King’s Kids

“Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Give that to them for Me and for you.” Matthew 17:27

This story about Jesus and Peter does not appear anywhere else in the Bible, just in Matthew. When Jesus and His disciples reached Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax approached Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?” Peter quickly answered yes but I have a feeling he did not really know the answer, and just wanted to defend Jesus. The temple tax was collected from Jewish males over 20 years old, for the maintenance of the Temple. This started during the time of Moses when God told him to collect this tax in Exodus 30:13-16. 

When Peter went back to Jesus, Jesus already knew what was in Peter’s mind. He asked, “From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax? From their children or FOREIGNERS?” Peter answered, “Foreigners.” “So,” Jesus concluded, “the king’s children are exempt. But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Give that to them for me and for you.” 

Jesus became man to pay the price for our redemption. Only He can pay the price because He is sinless. He can stand before His Father and pay for our transgressions. Today we, the king’s children, are NOT FOREIGNERS, and we are exempt from paying the price of our sin, eternal damnation, because Jesus paid for us on the cross.

Where Your Treasure Is

“For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” Luke 12:34

I sometimes watch TV shows about hoarders. They have houses full of clothes, sweaters, jackets, shoes, bags, multiple appliances, some they have never even used. There are piles on their beds, stairways, teetering cabinets. All the tables and shelves are littered with figurines, and decor collected years ago. I watch in fascination thinking I could be this person! I have a tendency to collect stuff, and I hate throwing away anything that I could reuse, or repurpose. 

Mayo Clinic describes the hoarding disorder as a persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions because of a perceived need to save them.

Can this disorder be rooted in childhood, with the obsession to collect Barbies or Matchbox cars? There are some who get their confidence from a pretty dress, or nice shoes. Perhaps we feel more liked or popular when we have many possessions, a big house and a fancy car. It is so sad if these material things are our treasures, because Jesus says that where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. 

What if instead of amassing things that we can never bring with us when we die, we make an effort to invest in treasure in heaven? We can think of ways to do God’s work, and love God’s people. That can be our collection. 

Saint Lawrence is one of my favorite saints. When asked by the Prefect of Rome to turn over the treasures of the Church, Lawrence went throughout the city and gathered together the poor, the lame, the blind, the sick. Then he presented them to the greedy Prefect. "Here are the Church's treasure!" he announced. The Prefect was not amused and the saint was roasted over an iron grill!

We need not follow Saint Lawrence to buy stocks in heaven, but we should remember that if we use our time, talent and money to bring people to God, we are investing in what God values most!

Insider Information

"This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; LISTEN TO HIM." Luke 9:35

In a letter he wrote shortly before his death, Saint Peter reminisces about when he Himself witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus. He writes that, “we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have seen His majestic splendor with our own eyes. And He received honor and glory from God the Father when God’s glorious, majestic voice called down from heaven, ‘This is my beloved Son. I am fully pleased with Him.’ We ourselves heard the voice when we were there with Him on the holy mountain.” 

Saint Peter continues, “Because of that, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. Pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a light shining in a dark place...” 

This awesome experience made an incredible impact on the lives of Peter, James and John.  They each saw a glimpse of the glory beyond the cross. It was INSIDER INFORMATION and Saint Peter is telling us that, “We were EYEWITNESSES of His majesty! WE OURSELVES HEARD this voice from heaven!!! You HAVE to be attentive to this message!"

How urgent can that be? The message was so compelling that Saint Peter wanted to spread the message far and wide until he was martyred in Rome in the year 64 AD. Saint Peter said “Pay attention to what the prophets wrote.” Why? Saint Augustine said, “The New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.” There is so much INSIDER INFORMATION not only in the New Testament, but also in the Old. 

Are we searching for it? Are we paying attention? Are we listening? 

Mercies in Disguise

Yesterday was the blessing of the Museo ng Pag-Asa and office of the Angat Buhay NGO. My brother Robert was finally able to meet with VP Leni and she was able to thank him for all his contributions to the campaign. 

Behind them is the digital mural Robert designed. Below is the welcome mural he painted for two days on-site. It was difficult for him because he’s not in the best of health. Dealing with his colon cancer is a constant struggle, but he remains so productive and generous. 

“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 16:24-25

This is the very Bible passage that made me stop reading my Bible in High School. I could not for the life of me understand why Jesus required us to deny ourselves and take up our cross. I was always praying that God treat me gently. I did not like any trials and I would constantly pray God protect me from them. 

My friend wrote this today on his Facebook wall: 

May this be your prayer today: "I'd rather go through tough times with God than good times without Him." He alone matters.

Then someone commented, “Not so bad naman sana.”

The thing is God’s highest desire is to bring us home to heaven. He will do anything, even to allowing that His Son be crucified so we can be with Him one day. But obviously we can’t enter heaven with greedy, selfish hearts. He has to do something about that. And that is where the cross comes in. It’s all for our highest good. God wants us to be molded and transformed to be citizens of heaven with good character, people of honor. After all, we’re going to be Royalty, sons and daughters of the King of Kings! That’s why He uses other people, like husbands, wives, office mates, relatives, etc. to “sandpaper” us. That’s why He allows circumstances like sickness, quarrels, the bad economy, etc. to prune us. 

And that is why one of my favorite songs is “Blessings” from Laura Story (https://youtu.be/ICnct8THNag): 

We pray for blessings

We pray for peace

Comfort for family, protection while we sleep

We pray for healing, for prosperity

We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

And all the while, You hear each spoken need

Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops?

What if Your healing comes through tears?

What if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You're near?

And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom

Your voice to hear

And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near

We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love

As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

And all the while, You hear each desperate plea

And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops?

What if Your healing comes through tears?

And what if the thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You're near?

And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

When friends betray us

And when darkness seems to win

We know that pain reminds this heart

That this is not, this is not our home

It's not our home

'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops?

What if Your healing comes through tears?

And what if the thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You're near?

What if my greatest disappointments

Or the aching of this life

Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy

And what if trials of this life

The rain, the storms, the hardest nights

Are Your mercies in disguise?

Who Do You Say I Am?

Yesterday, my brother Robert finished the mural at the Angat Buhay office, the Museo ng Pag-Asa. They will be inaugurating it today. Isn’t it beauuuutiful? 

He also designed this but this is a digital sticker. It’s good Robert did not faint. He was so tired after painting the mural! 

Below is a picture of Robert with Marian Pastor Roces, the museum design director with TOYM artist and his wife. 

“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” Matthew 16:15

Many people insist that Jesus never claimed to be God, but He did. Jesus said, "I and the Father are one," and, "If you've seen me, you've seen the Father." He also said, “Before Abraham was, I AM.” When Moses encountered Yahweh in the burning bush in the 3rd chapter of Exodus, Moses asked what he was to answer the Israelites when they ask what God has sent him to them. We read in verse 14 this answer: And God said unto Moses, I AM That I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. (KJV) 

The disciples may have been simple men, but they recognized the name, I AM. 

C.S. Lewis, who was once a professor at Cambridge University wrote: “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the son of God: or else a madman or something worse.” 

In other words, we were not given the choice by Jesus to say he was a good man, a great teacher or anything of that sort. He is either who He says He is, God, or He is crazy or a very evil man. 

Who is He to you? If He is a mad man or an evil person, we do not need to do anything more but resign him to the dust heap of history. But if He is God! If He is God, we have to go through the Bible with a fine tooth comb and find out all there is about Him that is important to our very existence, and to our life in the world to come!  And change the very fiber of our lives to live the way our Maker desires us to live! 

Grace in the Desert

Thus says the Lord: “The people that escaped the sword ​have found favor and grace in the desert.” Jeremiah 31:2

We naturally stay away from the desert, a barren, dry place with hostile living conditions. But sometimes, we have no choice, for God chooses to bring us to a place  where we would rather not be. If we fight it and complain, we will learn nothing but despair and bitterness. But if we choose to accept God’s will, try to listen to what He wants to say to us, then we will find favor and grace. I speak from experience because God in His wisdom has taken me to deserts at different points in my life. Some things I have learned repeatedly is that He will meet us where we are, He will enable us, and He will not give us more than we can bear. I also know that His Word is powerful. As Paul wrote to the Hebrews (4:12): “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

When we go through the desert, we have to depend on God, rely on Him for consolation and strength. We can say we are stripped bare, and that is the best place to be honest with God and with ourselves. I think God is very creative with the crosses He gives us to bear. I can truly say I prefer my cross to other peoples’, only because I trust Him who is my Maker. He knows me better than I know myself. 

There is my favorite story of a little boy trailing behind his father in a supermarket. He is carrying a basket of purchases as his father adds to it steadily. A woman looking at them asks the little boy in concern, “Isn’t that too heavy for you?” “Oh, no,” the little boy answers confidently, “My father knows exactly how much I can carry.” 

Take Courage!

“Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Matthew 14:27

When my son Josh was about 10 months old, he was so brave, he wanted to start walking. I was too scared to let him walk on his own, but my sister Peggy, would allow him to teeter on his own two little feet while holding one arm out to catch him, and one hand in front of him with a bauble he wanted to get a hold of. I watched in anticipation and trepidation as Josh put out one tiny foot after another, wobbling, but with a big big smile on his face at this new adventure of walking. After that, he would eagerly run-walk across a room while his babysitter would be ready to catch him should he fall.

The disciples had many exciting adventures with Jesus. In the 14th chapter of Matthew, we read about when they were on a storm tossed boat at night, the wind and the waves lashing at them. The disciples saw a man walking on the strong waves and became terrified because they thought it was a ghost. Imagine how Jesus would have appeared to them, with the storm wreaking a havoc of his garments flying in the wind. His voice rose above the howling of the wind, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water,” and Jesus answered, “Come.”

Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus, but when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Many times, we are caught in a situation like this. We feel we are sinking, drowning even. We call out to the Lord, “Save us!” My prayers during this pandemic were populated with the words, “Lord Jesus, have mercy on us!” Although it seems the situation is better now, our country continues to flounder in rough seas.

Although these are times that try men’s souls, these are also times when we can grow our faith. Like my son, we need to trust in those “saving arms” that watch out for us while we teeter and wobble. There is a God who is watching, He will catch us, He will save us. He will not allow us to drown. On the contrary, He wants us to look forward to new adventures with Him, as we trust in Him and learn of Him and His ways. 

Hem Our Days in Prayer

“Bring them here to me.” Matthew 14:18

The story of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes is one of our favorites and has been told so many times. We see Jesus who feels compassion for the crowd, and asks His disciples not to send them away, but to “give them some food yourselves.” They are overwhelmed because all they have is five loaves and two fishes. 

Many times we have felt our own lack of resources, and been frustrated and overwhelmed as well. What do we do? Do we only turn to God as a last resort? Shouldn’t we go to Him first? When we wake up in the morning, do we present to Him whatever we have in our hands? It may not even be five loaves and two fishes. It may be one loaf. It may be ten minutes before we have to rush with our morning routine to get to work on time. It may be a smile on our weary face and a prayer as we greet our patients, because we barely got any sleep during night shift. It may be a grateful list of thank yous for ordinary days with no mishaps or disasters. Or it could even be a whispered ‘please be with me today’. Whatever we bring to God, He will multiply, and use to bless others. 

We need God beside us. The poem “Invictus” which many people have memorized, goes like this:

“It matters not how strait the gate,  

How charged with punishments the scroll,  

I am the master of my fate:  

I am the captain of my soul.”

It was written by William Ernest Henley. Many people want to feel invincible, but it’s just not possible. When the British author’s six year old daughter got sick, he started to realize that no, he was not master or captain of his life. When she died, he was heartbroken and completely lost his bravado. 

Billy Graham said, “In the morning, prayer is the key that opens to us the treasures of God’s mercies and blessings; in the evening, it is the key that shuts us up under His protection and safeguard.” So let us always hem our days, our families, our country in prayer, knowing Jesus always welcomes our prayers and offerings to Him.