Tag: plan

[Sermon/Podcast] How Do I Find God’s Will?

I want to start sharing sermons/podcasts that make me go back to God’s Word and confirm, “Did God really say that?” We get so inspired by what the speaker is only saying and we settle on that. What I like about David Platt’s sermons is that he always points back to the Word of God that after you hear him speak, you find yourself opening your Bible and wanting to know more about God.

With that said, I’m sharing here a podcast I listened today while I was working out at the gym. I’m excited to explore Acts 16 and read it like I never did before. Hope you will also be drawn to God more through this sermon.

Click here to view the sermon. You can also download podcast version of the sermon in your phone (podcast apps).

 

Sometimes, you need SPONTANEOUS

My good friend, MJ and I were few of the last people who stayed longer at church last Sunday. We were just taking our time as we didn’t have plans after. And then, randomly, we decided to watch any movie we can catch when we arrive at the theater. However, traffic began to move slowly. And so, we decided to go to Aberdeen Mall instead to buy some brush pens at Daiso and grab dessert after. Everything was just so random and it felt good!

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This is one of the things I missed! To be able to hang out with friends without setting a date or planning ahead. I remembered the conversation I had with my other church friend, Andie, weeks ago about the things we missed back home (in Manila). Going out with friends were more spontaneous there as compared here.

Thinking about it, I realized, I, myself, have become that person who wants everything planned ahead. I, myself, have started to become unavailable to spontaneous invites. Not that I have to say “Yes” all the time. It’s just that I don’t want to reach that day when people would just stop asking because I have given an impression that I can’t make time anymore for anything unplanned.

The truth is, there are those days when there are unplanned circumstances that you just want to share it with someone immediately – in person. Nowadays, things are mostly shared through messaging or social media. What happened to, “Hey, can we meet? I need someone to talk to.” Or, “Are you home? Can I come over and hang out for a bit?”

I know there is always a right time for everything. It’s not all the time that people can just be available, even I can’t always be. It’s just that somehow, we have lost that spontaneity because of social media that we don’t see the need anymore to meet up and have a good conversation. We feel like everything is just out there and that’s good enough.

I’m not sure if this is just me, or few of us who miss life back home. Or, is it really a reality that most of us do not realize?

Waiting Over

 

Yes, I’m back! I’m an employee again. 🙂

It’s been an amazing journey with the Lord as I entrusted to Him the work that He has prepared for me. I really prayed that I would be able to find a job within the first month that I arrived here in Vancouver. However, I never wanted to settle for just any job. I just had to trust that God would honor my desire to work for a role that I really wanted.

It had been in the third week of June and I still didn’t have possible job offers. All I got were initial interviews and emails. Then, no more follow ups. Until the right time came. I re-connected with a former colleague here in Canada and just mentioned that I was looking for a job. After that conversation, everything happened so fast. He spoke to his manager that I was looking for a BA role which they needed in their team because someone just left. I submitted my resume and went for an interview the next day. Then the week after, I got the job offer. The best part, they gave me a senior role and a pay which was more than I asked for.

However, these things were not really a surprise to me. I always knew that God would always do something amazing. He always does. Even if some people would tell me that a month is too short to find a job, I just trusted that God would provide within the month. As I reflected on this journey, I realized that my faith was much deeper during this time as I waited on God’s provision.  At some point in my life, I became very disobedient and I know that I have missed out a lot of blessings because of that. I’m just grateful that God is so gracious and loving that He gave me so many chances to become better. God showed to me the result of my obedience and that is His best plan for me.  I became more expectant in faith than I was before.  This journey was more of seeing how much I’ve grown in faith as I continue to experience God’s best.

Such faith excites me each day as to what could God possibly do. Experiencing God through obedience may always not be an easy path to take. However, taking a path that is outside of God’s plan for us will be more difficult in the long run. God’s way is always, always, always worth to take.

I’m looking forward to another journey of something that I’ve really been praying for. Waiting is over, another waiting starts.

To God be all the glory!

 

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I did it, not you.

 

Joshua 24:12-14 “You did not do it with your own sword and bow. So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant. Now fear the Lord and serve Him with all faithfulness.”

When I read those verses in Joshua 24, I was like, “Whew!” It was a loving slap to my face. I got reminded. I can hear God telling me, “Everything you have, you did not do it with your own abilities. I gave it all to you. And so, why keep on worrying?”

When God gave the land to the Israelites, it wasn’t a barren, empty land. As stated, it was fertile and very much growing in plants. God did not let them do the toil.

I got reminded of who God is as a giver. Indeed, He doesn’t bless us like we feel it’s not enough. He always satisfies us and even more. In our own language, it is not “bitin“.  That’s just who God is. He gives what He knows is best for us. Never lacks.

As I continue to look for a job, God reminded me that where I am now, it wasn’t because of what I did but because of what He did. And when I just trust Him and allow Him to do things His way and not mine, He will provide for the job that He knows is best for me.

It’s a struggle not to get ahead of God when fear and worry start to crawl in. That’s why God has to keep on reminding me that He got this. HE GOT THIS!

What I only need to do, “Now fear the Lord and serve Him with all faithfulness”.

 

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