Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Have you ever been in a situation where you were extremely stressed about solving your problem? Oftentimes, being independent as I am, I always try to solve my problems by myself. As much as possible, I don’t seek help from others as long as I deem it solvable by myself. I always tell myself, “I can do this.” When we try to solve a problem, we look deeper to understand it and eventually find a solution. However, as I focus more on the problem and try to figure it out, the more I get frustrated.
January is my birth month. I wanted to celebrate my birthday with my family and friends. However, the supposed resources for my budget didn’t materialize because of some unexpected circumstances. As my day gets nearer, the more I get perplexed. I started to get worried. I tried to solve my problem my way but couldn’t seem to find a solution. I poured out my anxieties to God. I couldn’t help but cry out of my helplessness. After praying, I come across some motivational videos which say, “seek ye first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33).” As I watched more videos from that page, I heard a song with lyrics that say,
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full on his wonderful face..
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace…”
My tears were pouring as I realized, how could I be so proud by trying so hard to be self-reliant! God reminded me that instead of focusing on the problem, I need to turn my focus to God. The more you focus on your problems, the more your problem gets magnified, and find yourself overwhelmed. Instead of seeking solutions to your problem, seek God first.
When it dawned upon me, I surrendered to God my problems. God helped me realize that He is in control. That I should not worry if things get out of hand if things didn’t go as planned. God made me understand the deeper meaning of His word when He said, “come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28)”. That night I told God, “Lord, here are my problems, I could not handle it anymore, please take care of it.” I said to myself, I should have surrendered it from the start. After surrendering to God everything, I decided not to care about it anymore because that is how it’s supposed to be. Do not leave any worries for yourself. Give it all to God. Leave it to God. That’s why people say, “Let go and let God.” That night I was able to sleep well. The next morning, lo and behold, a friend of mine messaged me and asked me if I was interested to do a side job. I was amazed at how God has solved my problems. He paved a way for me, and He even gave me more blessings. Blessings overflowed, and so does God’s love and mercy. He gave me more than what I asked for, more than what I expected.
When storms arise, may we not be shaken. May we remember the God, our Father in Heaven who is omniscient and omnipotent. He is our Father who cares for us. I praise God because when I forgot His promises and His instructions, He did not hesitate to remind me that He is my Father who loves me and promised to take care of me.
In this experience, God did not just remind me about His promises, He also taught me how to humble myself in His presence. He taught me that I should put my trust in and on Him, to trust Him completely, with all my heart (Proverbs 3:5-6). That I should not rely on my own strength for I am weak. That I am just a human, a finite being, but I can rest my hope to Him, a God who is also my Father whose wisdom and power are infinite and unmeasurable. A God who can do things that are impossible to man. And, above all, a loving Father who does not want to let His child get astray if he forgets his way.
There had been many instances in my life where I felt insecure. I want to share how God has helped me come to my senses—like literally, to make me understand and change my perspective on how I see myself.
I was an NBSB or No Boyfriend Since Birthfor more than twenty years. Throughout those years, I thought to myself, “what is wrong with me?” I ask myself and my friends, “Am I ugly? Am I not pretty enough to attract a guy?” What was more frustrating to me was when my friends and other people tell me these cliché lines:
“You are pretty, but why is it that you’re still single?”
“Maybe you are very picky?”
“You look so stern. Maybe they are intimidated by you. You have to smile always.”
“Maybe your standards are too high.”
“You look okay, you’re beautiful but why you’re still single, even those who are not that good-looking have boyfriends, why is it that you didn’t have?”
I understand that some of them were just curious. However, their comments add up to my insecurity and wonderment about not having a romantic relationship. Mostly I replied to those who asked me, “Maybe it is not yet time; it could be that they find me intimidating, for which reason I have no idea.”
I was insecure about my appearance. Maybe I was not good enough. Sometimes, I ask my closest friends what could be wrong with me? I also ask God, “What’s wrong with me, Lord? What do I need to do or change?”
Finally, the time came when God allowed me to be in a relationship. However, all of it did not work out. The last relationship I had was the most painful. I deeply loved my ex-boyfriend. Unfortunately, he told me that he fell out of love. I had no choice but to let him go. It was painful but I knew that God helped me sever that relationship. The relationship was doomed, to begin with. We were of a different faith. We were not equally yoked. Thus, God closed the door for us for He knew that I would not do anything to end our relationship. God is so good. Despite the pain of the breakup, it was indeed necessary. Sometimes we make our own storm but God being so good is always ready to rescue you. He saved me from the unseen misery that our relationship may bring. There were many times I prayed for our relationship to work but, my prayer was wrong. It was not His will. God must have said that enough is enough and I praise Him for that.
I was broken-hearted and cried out to God all my frustrations, sadness, and the pain of being rejected. I also cried because of His goodness towards me. He delivered me from such a relationship. God protected me from falling any deeper in love, which would equate to more hurt. God is good. I felt embarrassed and ashamed of my decisions, yet I praise God for His tender mercies and compassion towards me. By disobeying God, I knew in my heart that I have had hurt Him, the One whose love for me is so profound.
It took me some time to move on. One day, I was in the mall with my friend. I saw many good-looking girls, with very nice figures, and all. When I went home, I talked to God and told Him about my insecurities. In my prayer, I said, “Lord, am I not good enough? Maybe my ex found someone better, prettier, taller, and sexier. Lord, am I ugly? I do not understand, Lord. You said that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. But why do I feel so ugly? Why do people reject me?” I fell deep into incertitude, so I reached out to God because I could not bear such overwhelming low self-esteem.
You are very beautiful, very beautiful…”
The night after I prayed, I went to my friend’s home to record a song for our church service. Before heading to their home, we decided to get some treats. As soon as we finished our dessert, we checked out and went. We were halfway to my friend’s house when a guy was chasing us. He was rushing towards us and was calling me out with a loud voice, “Miss! Excuse me, Miss!” I was puzzled. Maybe I might have left some of my belongings in the shop, I thought. We halted and waited for him to catch up. When this guy reached us, he was gasping for air and said politely,“Ijust wanna tell you that you are very beautiful, very beautiful, he repeated. I was dumbfounded! I was caught off guard. I did not expect that to come out of his mouth. With all respect I replied, “thank you!” And he left just like that. My friend and I were left confused for some time and smiled. Then after a few moments, I remembered my prayer the other night and told my friend about it. I am convinced that that was God’s way of clearing my doubts. His way of encouraging me, through a stranger.
Your feelings are not always the truth...
It seemed like God used that person to tell me that I am not ugly. God assured me that I am very beautiful for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. What happened made me realize that God hears and answers our prayers. He also cares for our feelings. The book of Psalm 34:18 tells us that, “The Lord is close to the broken-hearted; and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” God comforted me with the words that I needed to hear. I could not believe that He used that person to tell me those words that would put an end to my doubts. God understands us more than ourselves. Months passed. I reflected on what the pastor said in his message, saying, “your feelings are not always the truth.” I remembered that incident when I was in despair, feeling dejected, and miserable about myself.
God is so patient in dealing with me. He chastised me and corrected me gently. He broadened my perspective. What God taught me about my experience were the following:
Time. God made me realize that there is time for everything. Getting into a relationship is not a race nor of ‘face-value’. Some may have married at a young age, in their thirties, forties, etc. But all are in God’s perfect timing. Allow God to set everything in place in His own time. Before, I used to get pressured because of my family and friends. But now, I have matured enough and learned that God’s timing is different from ours. If there are delays, there must be a reason and purpose behind them. We have to learn how to wait on the Lord and exercise on how to be patient.
Relationship. God blesses your relationship if it is according to His will. You will never be truly happy unless you choose God first, including your relationship. Also, we have to ask God if it is His will for you to be single or married.
Love. Love is a principle. It is not driven merely by attraction (physical appearance). It is not just a feeling. Love is about God. A speaker once said, “in a relationship, you must have God’s love in you and you should be ready to share that love with your partner.” We do not love on our own, we love because God first loved us. More importantly, God is love. We can only truly love if we know God.
God loves you. He loves you so much that He will not let you become miserable. He will save you and deliver you from anything that will eventually hurt you. Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He knows the future. He knows what would happen if I would continue that relationship.
Pray. In prayer, we have to surrender to God everything – our feelings, hurts, pain, happiness, relationships, career, family, plans, and our own will. The scripture tells us, “Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established. (Provers 16:3). God loves to hear and answer our prayers. You may look into these beautiful verses– Psalm 116:1-2 and Psalm 66:19.
Our heart is deceitful.In my experience, I was feeling ugly, worthless, and unworthy to be loved. But, it is not always the TRUTH. Many Bible verses contradict such ‘feelings’ such as Jeremiah 31:3, Psalm 139:14; John 3:16, Isaiah 43:4… Oh, so many words of love from God.7. Let God write your love story for you. After all, He is the best author.
I am not an expert on love. But, these are the testimonies and learnings that I could share with you and how God has been patient and good to me. There will be more reflections in our walk of life with our God.
Last year, I applied for the Special Professional Licensure Exam (SPLE) for Psychometricians in Abu Dhabi, UAE in the hopes to improve my career. I have done the requirements, and the next step was to study for review. We are blessed that nowadays, so many review materials are available within our fingertips. One example is the free e-books circulating on the internet. However, it is very strenuous to the eyes if you read e-books on your gadgets. Well, in my case, I had to print those suggested review materials given to us and that was my problem.I didn’t have a printer. I never thought of needing one since I only print in the office. Commercial printing in Dubai is quite expensive unlike in the Philippines, not to mention that you will be printing thick books!
I had already exhausted my savings just for acquiring my documents (processing and shipping fees from Dubai to the Philippines then back to Dubai). Again, I prayed to God to help me, this time with my review materials. When I finished praying, I remembered that I have a church mate who has a printer who lives nearby my flat. At least my expenses would be cut. At least I only had to buy A4 paper and ink cartridge. I contacted Alex and asked him that I would use his printer. I was so glad that he would lend me his printer. After talking to Alex, I asked my roommate Jessa to accompany me to buy the stuff for printing. I knew that I would need more A4 paper and ink cartridges. So, I decided to print first the documents that I urgently needed. With that in mind, I only bought one ream of A4 paper and an ink cartridge. After shopping, Jessa and I both agreed to stroll around the mall before heading to Alex’s place. We enjoyed window shopping so much that we lost track of time. Silly us! I told Jessa that it was already late. And, maybe Alex had gone to sleep too. I didn’t want to cause Jessa and Alex more trouble. I thought to myself that I would print the ebooks the next day instead. So, we went home. Since it was summertime in the UAE, it was very humid, even if it was already late at night. When we reached home, we got so thirsty that we hurriedly went to the pantry to drink water. Cheyser, our housemate happened to be in the pantry as well. She asked us where we’d been. And so, I told her the story.
Upon hearing my new endeavor, Cheyser was so thrilled about it. Much to my surprise, she offered me something that I was not expecting at all. She said that she would print all the e-books and review materials that I needed. I couldn’t believe my ears. I couldn’t imagine God’s providence. I didn’t see it coming at all! I thought that my plan for using Alex’s printer was a good idea. However, God gave me a better, much better solution to my ‘problem’. You see, the gesture of my housemate, Cheyser, reminded me about a scripture in Isaiah 55:8-9 which says, “for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” I thought that my way of saving money by using Alex’s printer was good. However, God’s way was much better. Instead of buying many reams of A4 and lots of ink cartridges. God used my housemate Cheyser to print all of my review materials for FREE! Isn’t it amazing?
As Christians, we don’t believe in coincidences. We believe that we meet people for a reason and a purpose. God’s ways and plans are better than ours. And, not to mention His timing, always perfect. I was so convinced that meeting Cheyser in the pantry at that specific time (especially when Cheyser usually sleeps early) was God’s way of answering my prayer. God answered my prayer through my friend Cheyser.
There is no wonder to me why our Father is called Almighty Father. He does mighty things. He is a God of infinite possibilities. Amazing God, He truly is. I had an ear-to-ear smile and was a little bit teary-eyed when I reached home the following day seeing the printed e-books placed on our table. God is marvelous! I still couldn’t fathom how great His measures are. Marveled as I was, I touched the books as if it was treasures of gold! I felt like God was telling me,“Here Rebecca, I have had provided you ALL the things you needed. Go, study, and give your very best.”
The A4 paper that I bought (left), and the printed review materials that gave me for FREE (right).
I wrote this love letter when I was on the plane going back to Dubai from the Philippines. While I recalled the moments, I remembered one of the toughest circumstances in my life. I tried to hold back my tears, yet I couldn’t contain it. Tough times caused me to shed tears of joy.
I just want to share with you how God rescued me from one of the most tremendous storms in my life. It’s been years since I became a single mother of six children and what burdens me more is that I’ve been away from them since I had to work abroad to support them. But I praise God that He sustained my family.
One day, there was something serious happened in my family that it came to the point that I had to make a tough decision. Tough in a sense that I didn’t know what would be the outcome of that decision that I made.
It was in the month of September 2019 that I received a message from my daughter which troubled me a lot and I understood how she felt because they had a traumatic experience when their father became irresponsible. While I was talking to my daughter and she told me everything that had happened. I was greatly worried when she said, “Mama! I don’t want to stay in this house. I better go and run away from this house or else I will die.” At that time, I was speechless then after a while I responded, “what’s going on?” I couldn’t work properly. I was bothered on she said daughter. I wanted to call her but I couldn’t because I was at work and was not allowed to use my mobile during working hours. I knew there was something wrong why my 12-year-old daughter thought like that. And soon after our conversation, I came to know from her siblings that she attempted suicide. I didn’t know what to do. I just sat down for a minute and I told myself that I had to go back home to the Philippines.
At that time, in my mind I prayed to the Lord. I said, “Lord, you know my situation right now. I am not financially ready to go home and send my kids to Mindanao.” I asked the Lord to give me strength to carry on and to think positively. But still I couldn’t sleep that night. I was worried about my children back home. I didn’t know what to do. Morning came and I praised God because when I approached my employer and asked for two weeks leave, she gave me permission without any hesitation and she even booked my ticket. I knew that it was hard for my boss to give me leave of absence as her roster was full at that time but she understood my situation nonetheless.
You know when you’re in an emergency situation and worse you don’t have enough means it gives you a lot of stress. That was how I felt that time. And so again, I prayed to God saying, “Lord, you know I have only one-month’s salary with me as a pocket money, it’s not enough but I need to go home. Help me how to find a way for the rest of my needs.” It was Sabbath day and I was in the church. My dearest friends invited me to join for a prayer bond. I find ways escape from them not because I don’t want to join in prayer but because I cannot hold my tears. I didn’t prevail in my plan as I was sitting with them. While praying, I kept on crying until the prayer was over. I was so thankful for my brothers and sisters in church for offering me a prayer.
The next morning Sister Jane sent me a message, it was good news. Without my knowledge, she was trying to help me sort out my needs. Indeed, God uses people as an instrument. In my case, He answered my prayer through my brethren in the church. I couldn’t forget my churchmates especially Sister Millet, Sister Hershey and her family, Brother Princely, Brother Rot, Sister Jinky, Sister Rina and to all of my brothers and sisters in Christ who prayed for me continuously. Until now, I am still very thankful to them from the bottom of my heart.
I was already set to go home for two weeks. As soon as I arrived home, I cleared all of my children’s school papers for transfer. It was really strenuous. I was so exhausted every single day. I had booked our tickets going to Mindanao and time was running out. I was not yet done with their school papers. I started to worry. I had only few days left to settle everything in Laguna. Lo, and behold, God is always on time. I got all the papers that I needed for my kids at the last minute. I praised God for His goodness! We could finally set sail to Mindanao.
Because of the time constraint, I didn’t have time to ship our things through cargo and so we had lots of luggage. Imagine, we brought all our things all the way from Laguna to Mindanao by ourselves! When we reached the seaport at 4 am, one of the officers told me that the schedule of our voyage would be delayed for 2 days. I was distressed with that bad news not to mention my exhaustion from having insufficient sleep ever since I arrived from Dubai, and from packing our stuff by myself. I have decided to sleep for a while in the pier then stay in the nearest and cheapest hotel while waiting for our voyage. Though we all slept on the bench for a short period, I was thankful to God and praised Him for our safety. Despite our situation, I could still see how happy my kids were especially the little ones.
Finally, the day had come and we boarded the ship. We traveled for one day and two nights then we reached Cagayan de Oro or commonly called CdO. Upon reaching CdO, we needed to travel four hours by bus to reach home. My mother was surprised to see us because no one told her that we were coming. She hadn’t seen me nor her grandchildren for fourteen long years. She couldn’t even recognize her grandchildren because the last time I went home, I only brought my eldest daughter who was then two years old.
Despite life’s problems, don’t forget to smile.My children enjoying the view. First time to ride a ship.
I knew that it would be difficult for my children to adjust to their new environment especially in terms of communicating with people in their new community. All of them were born and raised in Laguna in which the dialect was Tagalog. My children had to learn Bisaya. I believe that eventually they can adapt so I keep on encouraging them.
After two weeks I had to leave them and go back to Dubai to work. I left them with a happy face. I thank God for helping me through my siblings and my church family. I also thank the Lord for my sister who pledged to take care of my children while I am away for work. Sometimes, I keep on asking why I had a lot of trials in life. But, in spite of these trials, I always keep in mind that God is always with me. And with God beside us, nothing is impossible.
A very special Sabbath indeed.
Look at those beautiful smiles!
I praise God for His promise in Joshua 1:9 which says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage, do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord God is with you wherever you go.” This verse gives me strength every time I am feeling down. I thank God for the trials that I had. I know in this world that we live in, there’s always problems and tribulations. But we have a God that is bigger than our problems. A God that is able and mighty. A God who is faithful and keeps His promises.
I keep on praying that God will help me to stand still whatever trials may come. May we have faith and be of good courage just like Joshua. With this, I encourage everyone to keep the faith and to pray more as we are face life’s challenges. May this testimony of mine inspires you and makes you see how wonderful our God is. God bless us all.
This is my first time writing a testimony. There are many instances that my fellow churchmates requested me if I can share a testimony in church, but I never testified, not even once. Not because I don’t have a story to share but simply because I have stage fright. However, I praise and thank God that somebody asked me to give a testimony during this pandemic crisis. I am glad that during these days of lockdown/quarantine period, a friend of mine asked me to share how God and prayer works in my life.
This COVID-19 pandemic has affected the whole world, and I am not exempted, unfortunately. I worked in a nursery school here in Dubai. Because of this pandemic, the government mandated to close the nursery schools. And, last March 2020, our company decided to have its employees on furlough. I started to worry. My family back in the Philippines needed my financial support. What will happen to us if I will not generate an income? How will I be able to support them while I am on unpaid leave? How will I be able to pay my rent? How can I buy food? Aside from my financial problem, my employment visa was also my concern. It was due to expire in April 2020. I wouldn’t be able to renew it since the school would be closed indefinitely. Fortunately, the UAE government allowed the expatriates to stay in the country until December 2020 even if their employment visa has expired. At the very least, my visa will not be a concern anymore. With this, I would be able to find work even if my visa has expired.
There was a time that I received a text message from our company/owner. It was mentioned in the text that they are offering part-time jobs to their staff who are on unpaid leave. I was happy to receive such a message. However, taking that part-time job would mean risking my health since the workplace will be in a Covid-19 testing clinic. My concern was, there’s no guarantee that the company will shoulder our medical expenses in case we will be contracted with the disease. Yes, I needed money but I couldn’t afford to risk my life. So, I confided to my housemates regarding the job offer and, they raised their concerns if ever I will take the job. First, the company didn’t offer free accommodation, which would mean that I will stay in my current flat and, there’s a chance that if I will get infected, they will be at risk too. Second, the company won’t be giving insurance to part-timers. Having heard their feedback, I have decided not to take the job offer. It was a tough decision for me to make because, again, I thought, how would I survive without an income? Yet, I reckoned that life is more important than money. I cried that night and prayed to God and asked Him what will happen to me and my family now that I had an offer, but I rejected it. I was feeling perplexed. In my prayer, I always say to God that it is not my will but His will be done in my life.
God hears and answers our prayers. When I was praying for food, God provided me food through my housemates who are working from home. They share with me their food every single day. For them, their giving of food was just a small thing, but for me, it was a big help. I thank God and praise Him.
A month after I was offered a part-time job, another opportunity knocked on my door. Unfortunately, this job requires me to work on Saturday. And so, again, I declined the job offer because I don’t work on Saturdays as I am a Seventh-day Adventist. Saturday is our Sabbath day. Every night, I cried as I pray because of the burden on how to pay my house rent. I couldn’t sleep for more than one month. I was so down to the point that I became depressed. Whenever I was asked a task for our online ministry, I couldn’t take the responsibility because I couldn’t concentrate nor focus on anything that I do. I was feeling hopeless at that time. Sometimes, I was thinking to myself that maybe it would be better if I would just go back home to the Philippines, but what saddened me was the thought of going back home penniless, no savings at all.
Problems after problems. Worries after worries.
On top of the financial problems that I was facing, my sister, who is in the Philippines, told me about an impending problem in our family. That was the heaviest burden to bear. It was the worst problem in our family. When I heard the news, the first thing I did was to pray because panicking wouldn’t help. I couldn’t imagine how stressed my sister was. I just told her to keep calm and pray to God. Pray on how to solve our family problem, and give us the wisdom to help us make a wise decision. Until now, that family problem that we are having is still not fixed. We are still praying for it and hoping that God will solve it at the right time. (I’m sorry if I couldn’t share it in detail.) That family problem of ours has taken a toll on me
Those sleepless nights anxieties, depressions, and hopelessness led me to have suicidal thoughts. I was thinking that maybe the solution to my problem is to end my life. But God is good all the time. He sends me people who helped me by sending me inspirational messages and inquiring about my condition. They also keep on sending me morning and evening devotionals, which helped me uplift my spirit. Reading the word of God and praying every day soothed and eased my burdened heart. I realized that I’ve been of little faith, especially when I had suicidal thoughts. I was embarrassed to God and asked for forgiveness. I thank the Lord God that even if we are unfaithful to Him, He is faithful to us. When I was on a brink of giving up, God lifted me up.
Blessings after blessings.
One day, a miracle happened. Someone gave me monetary assistance and with groceries too! Finally, I could pay my house rent! Not only that, but I was also given help from the church that I am in and from the Philippine Embassy (Abu Dhabi). I always cry with joy and gladness every time I receive any form of help from people. It is heartwarming when God answers your prayers if you put your trust in Him.
Relief goods that I received from friends and strangers. God is good!
I am so blessed that I belong in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, a church where the people are helping each other and are praying for one another. I praise God that He sustains my needs even if I don’t have work. Sometimes I am tempted to accept the job offer which has work on Saturdays because, nursery schools might not open so soon. But I reckoned that I’ve been here in Dubai for six years. I experienced and overcame a lot of obstacles, challenges, and problems. God helped me through it all. He never left my side. We have to have faith and trust in Him. My colleagues always ask me questions like—Why I didn’t take the job? How will I survive without work? My response to them was that I couldn’t afford to disobey God who provides my needs by compromising the Sabbath day. God specifically said in the fourth commandment to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.
God is in control of everything. I will end this testimony with a passage from 2 John 1:3 which says, “Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.”
I hope that you learned something from my experience. Praise and glory be to our faithful God.
Recently, there was another passing of a loved one in our family. It was my aunt. She was the sister and best friend of my mom. She was the most loving and caring aunt I’ve ever known in my life since I was a child. I will never forget her kind-hearted nature. Her beautiful smile and face were still fresh in my mind. The sweet and beautiful memories of her will forever be in my heart.
The news of her death was so heartbreaking. I knew that it is hard for my mother as she lost her sister. How much more to my aunt’s immediate family itself! She left her husband, children, and grandchildren behind. Until now, I can’t still believe that she’s gone. But I know that she’s only sleeping. She is safe in the arms of Jesus. She is just resting until the morning of the resurrection. “We will miss you, Mommy.” See you on the resurrection day!
I remember when I lost my father last September 12, 2009. It was also my mom’s birthday and my graduation day in 1000 Missionary Movement. Moreover, it was also a Sabbath day. We were doing our Sabbath service inside the missionary campus when I received the news that my father passed away. My heart broke into pieces. I felt that my life shattered at that moment. Although I was broken-hearted at that time, I was still thankful to those people who comforted me, and to our Almighty God who gave me strength and courage.
Losing someone you love is one of the hardest things to deal with in life. For me, every time you cry for your loved one, it’s a way of honoring them in your life. It is also another way of showing your grief. It lets the world know that someone precious has left us and that they still matter.
Although there is pain in this world, it’s good to know that this Earth is not our real home. This world will pass away. Everything on this earth is fleeting and transitory. We are just strangers in this world. Heaven is our real home. Our citizenship lies there. God is the architect of the heavenly home, which is endless. (2 Corinthians 5:1 KJV – For we know that, if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heaven.) He is preparing it for those who confess about Him and His truth. (John 6:40 KJV – And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.) Those who believe and trust in the Lord are considered pilgrims and strangers of this earth.
Heaven will never get burned nor destroyed. There will be no more curse, weeping, pain, and death. (Revelation 21:4 – And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.) Unlike here on earth, we are subject to trials, afflictions, and sufferings. The Christian wants to be released from these, and to partake eternal happiness. God is preparing us for immortality. (I Corinthians 15: 51-52 KJV – Behold I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.)That is His purpose and design.
Heaven is a wonderful place to be. We will be with a great multitude of angels standing before the throne of God. We will be wearing robes made white by the blood of the Lamb. And the most important thing of all is that in heaven, we will finally be home with our loving Creator and Savior.
When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that would be. When we all see Jesus, we’ll shout and sing the victory!
I AM WITH YOU 