Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and pluck you from your tents; he will uproot you from the land of the living. The righteous will see and fear; they will laugh at you, saying, “Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!” But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever. For what you have done I will always praise you in the presence of your faithful people. And I will hope in your name, for your name is good.
Have you ever found yourself saying, “I am not strong enough for this.” Maybe you lost something significant, or maybe you were hurt by someone you trusted. Maybe it’s been a wide array of things have weighed too much too heavily on you. There have been times I literally found myself on my knees, hands open, intensely aware of just how little strength I have.
The truth is, we are not strong enough a lot of the time, not on our own. The Good News is that we have a God who is always strong enough.
2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness, so that the power of Christ will rest upon me.”
In our weakness, Jesus is more than enough. Paul even goes so far as to write that he boasts gladly in his weakness because of the way Christ’s power is displayed in the midst of it.
What would it mean to boast in our weaknesses? I don’t think God expects us to leap for joy at our pain. Jesus knows human pain–He felt it himself when He came to earth as our Saviour, both fully God and fully man. Instead, we can be confident even in the midst of pain, GOD IS WORKING. This is worth boasting in Christ about. We get to know with certainty that He is working it all together for good. I, myself is reminded of this in Romans 8:28-31 “And we know that those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. If God is with us, who can be against us?”
Pain can be strong but our God is always stronger. As we fight our battles today, may we remember that his power is made perfect in our weakness. We are being held by the most capable hands. He is fighting for you.
I learned that as I seek God through His written word and through prayer and fellowship, CHANGE HAPPENS. At first, I did not notice the difference. As time flies and as I continue my journey in knowing more about Him, I realized that I actually became more patient and more joyful; and I have more self-control and many more godly characteristics. God helped me develop my natural gifts and talents so that I will not only be blessed, but will also be a blessing.
I learned that God is always working ahead of us to bring us into His blessings, to bring us the good things that He has already prepared for us. As we walk with Him, we will become like a green and flourishing tree.
A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump;
a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree.
— Proverbs 11:28
Heavenly Father, let me seek what is good and find goodwill. By my actions, I show that my trust is not in riches, but in prosperity that only You can provide. Through You, I have abundance and thrive like a green leaf.
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake.
Deuteronomy 31:6
These are the words that echoed in my mind as I grasp for air and catch my breath. Two weeks ago, I went trekking with my adventure-goer friends. It was from the foot of Budlaan Falls in Pit-os Talamban going to the flowery peak of Sirao.
I was a bit stressed at work and when my closest workmate invited me for that hike, just as the YES person as I am, of course I confirmed right away. I thought it would be a great stress-reliever. I did my quick research just the day prior our trek and when I knew how steep the trails are, I had my second thoughts. At first I was bit apprehensive knowing that I haven’t climbed for few months and with my current work-lifestyle, I wasn’t sure if I can endure it. I do not have regular exercise, though I walk every morning from IT Park to Mabolo I thought it wouldn’t still be enough for me to survive that day. Not to mention, I am on graveyard shift. With no adequate rest, I was a bit afraid of fainting thus I hesitated. But of course, I am born NOT a quitter. So, Vamonos!
So, that was a Retreat-No-Surrender moment for all of us. It’s like when you say YES in following Jesus. There’s no turning back.
The climb was a bit rough and exhausting. I can already feel a bit of soreness of my thighs even at the first few kilometers that we had. I was third on line to follow the lead-hiker who is a professional one. He has amazing agility. As much as I could, I tried to keep my pace while making sure to conserve every stored energy left. I can literally hear the sound of my fast-beating heart. Thank God it didn’t stop! There were few trails that we need to literally kiss the wall of the hill and swing through the big roots of Mahogany trees. One wrong step or move can instantly end our life.
We need to go down then climb up that huge rock to get into the creek.Me still on the 3rd spot trying to keep up with the lead hiker. NOTE: Trekking is not a race, it’s a test of agility and endurance.That’s how dangerous it could have been. You need to bend and flex a little more or else. . . and yes! we made it to the 1st phase of the trek. 😀 That was nerve-racking and knees-trembling climb!
Every hard climb, we took some rest then resumed. I can still remember myself asking to the lead-hiker, “Hapit na?” or “Are we there yet?”, “How far is it?”, “Can we stop?”, “I am tired“, “my legs hurt“, and the likes. I became impatient and I complained a lot. I am not different from the grumbling people of Israel when they had their journey to the Promised Land. Now the study of Exodus to Deuteronomy made lots of sense. God taught me to stay faithful and content while He is preparing the good things he planned for my life. I asked myself few times if this climb is worth every sweat and strength lost, then I say surely, it was. Not to mention the beauty I saw up there when we reached the peak but also how this whole experience mold my character and well-being.
Budlaan Falls Great Practice Hike Area for Mountaineers The area itself is very suitable for practice hikes that require eye to hand coordination, pacing, assault pacing negotiation, river treks and being close to Nature. This falls should somehow be conserved for what it is worth so that future generations will be able to utilize this. The trails leading to the falls itself should be safeguarded. -TripAdvisor
The falls in Budlaan is usually called “Kabang Falls.” It has seven (7) level falls with the highest one of more or less 15 meters high. To go there, you have to ride a motorcycle (habal-habal) from Talamban proper to Sitio Baugon with the fee of P25 to 30 pesos. The other option is via JY Square then drop by Crossing Buslot in Busay area and walk down to Sitio Baugon or ride a motorcycle from JY Square to Sitio Baugon with a bit expensive fare of around 70-75 pesos. -TripAdvisorSometimes we need to look back and see how far we’ve come through. Just as what the Lord wanted the Israelites to remember how they were saved out from slavery in Egypt. Deuteronomy 5:6 says, “I am the LORD your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”This is how serene it is up there.Beauty of nature awaits you.Me and my childhood friend, Janine. it’s cold when you’re almost at the peak of Sirao.the team is still intact, complete, alive and enthusiasticThe view of the city. Sorry I do not have much closer shot of that panoramic view.
I thank the Lord for the gift of life that we are able to see and enjoy. I am reminded that he is my strength and my steadfast love; and that I should continue to follow His statutes.
Overall, it was a wonderful experience. It was tiring but I had fun. I gain wisdom, I gained new friends and stress was released. Though it only took 5-6 hours, unlike the 40 years of the Israelites, I have learned a lot from it and for that I am FOREVER GRATEFUL for He is my utmost guide, my protector.
photo credits to Carlos Itoh. Follow him on instagram @kenrel1973
It has also served a good bond for me and my friend. No matter what happens, we know that we should stick with each other and support one another as we continue our Christian walk.
Forever grateful 