Waiting

2 Then the Lord said to me,
“Write my answer plainly on tablets,
so that a runner can carry the correct message to others.
3 This vision is for a future time.
It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled.
If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently,
for it will surely take place.
It will not be delayed.
4 “Look at the proud!
They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked.
But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to GOD

- Habakkuk 2:2-4

Are we living the best life we could possibly dream of? Is there not anything else in life to hope for? Of course there is! Somehow most of us are still waiting for something, a plan to take place, a goal to achieve, a dream to happen. While some of us are working towards the plans we have made for our lives, most of us are waiting for something that we have been asking GOD in prayer. Our hopes and dreams are yet to be fulfilled. 

What are the dreams of your heart? Better yet what are those that GOD has promised to you? GOD says to write them on paper, modern for tablet, or you can indeed write them on your computers, tablets or smartphone, to remind you of HIS words. Humans are frail and we easily forget the many things that we should remember, especially the promises of GOD in our lives. Reminding ourselves of GOD's word and promises for us enables us to stay focused on why we are where we are in the first place. It's very easy to get off track, easy to get discouraged and lose heart on doing the things we started to do because of the harships that come our way. It doesn't mean it's gonna be easy even when we know we are following GOD and we are blessed by GOD. If you are facing a tough road right now, hold on! GOD says His promises may seem slow in coming to pass, it may take a while BUT it will surely happen so wait and don't get out of track, stay there, stand in faith. Remember what you have received from GOD in the first place. HE will not be late, HE will come thru for you and everything will take place according to GOD's perfect time.

Don't hope in what people can offer, don't hope on riches, don't hope on anything else but on GOD alone. Everything in this world will fail you if you hold on to it. Only GOD and HIS word can truly exceed your expectations. Others may put their hope on their money or wealth, their talents, their knowledge, their capabilities, their friends, their system, their allies and whatever it is that they are boasting in their hearts will make their plans succeed. But now this, if you hope on anything else but GOD, it will fail. But if you hope in the LORD, then you are called righteous by GOD. Because this is how HIS faithful followers live, they live by faith, they live by hoping and trusting in the invisible GOD who will carry them through whatever situation they are struggling with and make impossible things become miraculously possible!

Troubles

2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

- James 1:2-4

The bible talks about troubles and that it should be a cause for us to have joy. Isn't it weird how it tells us to do the opposite to be joyful when the natural human reaction for having troubles are sorrow? Why? why should troubles be an opportunity to have great joy?! It's just crazy the way GOD tells us to deal with things. But HE says troubles test our faith. How is faith tested when we have troubles? I think it is tested if we could answer yes to this question: would we still be grateful to GOD inspite of the troubles? would we still trust GOD inspite of the troubles? would we still have joy even in troubles? Only blind faith or insanity will enable us to have joy when the world is against us. If we are able to be greatful, to trust GOD and to have in the midst of troubles then our faith is strong and we are surely depending on GOD for everything. Each time our faith is being tested, our faith becomes stronger and each time our faith is strengthened through troubles, our endurance has a chance to grow. For every follower of GOD, we expect this kind of molding in our lives for GOD is constantly shaping us to be the best that GOD wants us to be. A man or woman in the likeness of who GOD is. Of course, GOD has a lot of work to do with us because we are frail, infalliable beings, prone to many weaknesses. But the good news is, GOD will never give up on us as long as we don't give up trusting HIM.

When trouble hits us, the first initial reaction is to wallow in sorrow and misery. It is only natural for anyone to be sad when there's trouble. But even in the darkness of night, isn't it most wonderful to know that GOD is encouraging us to be joyful? HE is Sovereign and everything HE does will achieve great purpose for HIMSELF and for the work that HE is doing. Just think of it this way, we are GOD's masterpiece, troubles are just the tools that sharpen, mold, enhance us to be the best masterpiece HE has ever created.

Used to the Abuse

^{1 Soon the people began to complain about their hardship...}

^{4 Then the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Israelites began to crave the good things of Egypt... 5 “We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted. 6 But now our appetites are gone. All we ever see is this manna!”}

^{- Numbers 11:1,4-6}

³⁹ “But our ancestors refused to listen to Moses. They rejected him and wanted to return to Egypt. ⁴⁰ They told Aaron, ‘Make us some gods who can lead us..’ ⁴¹ So they made an idol shaped like a calf, and they sacrificed to it and celebrated over this thing they had made. ⁴² Then God turned away from them and abandoned them to serve the stars of heaven as their gods! 

- Acts 7:39-42

What happened here? Why was GOD angry at the Israelites? Weren't these the same people who cried out in anguish to GOD to set them free from the oppression and slavery of Egypt? Yes, they were slaves and were badly treated by the Eygyptians. GOD had raised up Moses to answer their cries. GOD freed them from the Egyptians' captivity through great miracles and provided for them in the desserts miraculously. But why, after all their freedom have they started to complain? In the book of Numbers it says, they complained of their hardships. Just how hard was it to be out in the wilderness led by a man Moses raised up by GOD? They certainly did not starve. GOD had miraculously provided food for them but ah! They missed the food they used to eat in Egypt. These are all fleshly cravings. They were slaves to their stomachs because they wanted to satisfy their bodies more than be grateful to a faithful GOD. And still what is harder? Travelling from one place to the other, not working but still having food? Or being pushed to work so hard and mistreated like you were just some animal doing labor force? They missed the food and their lifestyle, believe it or not they got used to the routine and the abuse that the Egyptians inflicted on them, they rebelled against GOD by wanting to go back to Egypt rather than follow the leading of a faithful GOD! There are so many people who are abused and when they are free from that abuse, they do not know how to live a free life because they have gotten so used to the abuse, the change that freedom provides for them makes them an alien to life. It is a very sad thing for a certain person to be acustomed to bondage. That is why the scriptures tell us always to renew our minds (Romans 12:2). The things we are used to doing are not always right and to be able to adjust to the changes GOD brings in our lives, we need to constantly renew our minds through reading the word of GOD reminding ourselves that what GOD offers is better than anything we could ever feel we were comfortable of doing. How do we overcome going back to the same old life? Be grateful! Be grateful everyday it keeps you from complaining. It takes a lot of effort to adopt to change, but in return, when we persevere and trust the GOD who has saved us from it, we can celebrate a lifetime of victory!

Faithfulness

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.
- Deuteronomy 7:9

If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is.
- 2 Timothy 2:13

GOD is faithful, the bible clearly states that HE is. And even if we are not as faithful to HIM as HE is to us, HE will always remain faithful because HIS faithfulness is not based on human performance. For we all know that humanity's weakness is committing mistakes. It's not that we want to commit mistakes but it's just that we are not perfect. But regardless of our imperfections and no matter how many times we fail GOD, as long we depend and cling on to GOD, HE will always be faithful to us. HIS Faithfulness is based on HIMSELF, that is HIS very being, HIS very character is being faithful.

There are many times that in human relationships, we get hurt from people's actions or just their failures. And it's hard to stay in a relationship where it has been broken or hurt. That's why when people get hurt, they tend to keep a distance from the people that hurt them. But no matter how many times we hurt GOD HE won't ever keep a distance from us as long as we keep reaching to HIM. HE is indeed a faithful GOD! In the congregation, we don't always have a similar opinion, thoughts, likes or dislikes. We are all different. We cannot avoid the fact that people that work together for GOD in the ministry fail each other therefore hurting each other even without meaning to do so. It is only natural to be discouraged from serving and lose the fire that we once had when we decided to serve GOD. If our commitment to GOD is based on how others have treated us, then we are not serving GOD but people. Our service to GOD should be constant regardless of how hurt we have been by people, because GOD has been faithful to us, we should be faithful to HIM. But it is hard to take an arrow that once pierced your heart and simply carry on. No, we need time to heal and GOD understands that but we should not remain disabled forever. We should try to find peace with whatever that GOD has allowed to happen and trust that GOD is Sovereign, HE is in control and knows what HE is doing. HE is always molding our character to be like HIS. If we understand this concept of GOD who never gives up on us but keeps improving us as long as we are here on earth, then we can simply live without fears of what tomorrow brings for we trust that the faithful GOD of love holds our best interest at heart. Perfect love truly does cast out fear.


- based on the preaching of Pastor Shmuel Aweida