Sweet Love

Lunch for that day was the usual steamed rice, fried milkfish, and a vegetable mix of squash, stringbeans, malunggay (moringa) leaves boiled in water with chopped onion, tomato and flavored with fish sauce. It was a satisfying meal that made my tummy happy. But just when I finished my meal, I felt a craving for some sweets. Without hesitation, I expressed my desire aloud, "LORD, I want a dessert." No, it was not a demand, but a request made known in a way a little child would confidently ask something from her father or mother.

Probably no more than five minutes had passed when a couple knocked on our door. My husband and I were expecting them to visit that day to deliver their wedding invitation, but it never crossed our minds that they would bring something else--a box tied with green ribbon. And inside the box was, well, a round mango cheesecake!

I was tickled pink not only with how quickly God answered my request for dessert, but with how this incident is also an answer to another prayer that morning. You see, I was reading a verse that goes like this: "There is no fear in love [dread does not exist]. But perfect (complete, full-grown) love drives out fear, because fear involves [the expectation of divine punishment so the one who is afraid [of God's judgment] is not perfected in love [has not grown into a sufficient understanding of God's love]."*

The verse is talking about the love of God and how God's love for us removes all our fears. Though I have moments of victory over negative thoughts, I admit sometimes I still feel afraid and I'm distracted by thoughts about the past and future. How can this perfect love of God drive out all my fears? I was drawn to the last few words of the verse: The one who is afraid has not yet grown into a sufficient understanding of God's love.

I realized I may never fully grasp the dimension of God's love for me, and for that matter, for any man. But as God enables, I can at least gain a sufficient understanding of His love, enough to cause a positive change in me. Knowing God is a lifelong process, and everyday is an opportunity to know Him and experience His love. So I began that day with a prayer. "LORD, please open my eyes and let me see how you love me."

When the dessert arrived swiftly than I expected, I thought that God was showing me that He is aware not only of my needs, but even of my wants, and that He is willing to provide for them. On the other hand, I accept that He also demonstrates His love when he withholds a request that will not be good for me. But this time, this precious time, I'm free to savor this demonstration of the sweet love of God my Father in heaven.

“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him." Matthew 7:9-11

*1 John 4:18, Amplified Bible

You can have a relationship with God today. Read this article to find out how.
Did you know that God has adopted us as His own children? If you have some minutes, learn more about it from this video message.

Hungry Like Kopiko and Copycat

Our cats Kopiko and Copycat

Our cats, Kopiko and Copycat, are always waiting outside our kitchen door for my husband to feed them. In the morning, once we open the door, they scramble and meow, expressing their need for food. And as my husband prepares their daily fare of sardines, they run quickly and cry even louder. They're hungry and they're excited to be fed.

Psalm 130:5 says, "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and with hope I wait for his word". The psalmist is also hungry for food for his soul and he knows what can satisfy him and how he could get it. He knows that only God can feed his soul with His satisfying words. And so he waits on God till He receives a message of hope.

Jesus said that we are to live not on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4). Fortunately for us today, God's word has been neatly put together in a book form--the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, the importance of hearing, or in our case, reading the Word of God is always emphasized. The Bible is not just a guide for life, but it is food for our soul. As a human father nourishes his children with food that will make them healthy and strong, our Heavenly Father also offers us spiritual feast for our growth and contentment. His Word encourages, enlightens, invigorates, infuses us with hope, calms our fears, and fills our heart with peace. But like our cats, we are to come regularly, humbly, and with expectation to our Father's table so He can feed us with fresh manna from heaven.

If you would like to start each day with a reading of a Bible verse, visit  BibleGateway. This site also offers various devotionals, Bible study guides, and various translations of the Bible. 

OMF Literature also has a physical and online bookstore where you can purchase Bibles that will suit your need. 

The Philippine Bible Society also publishes and distributes Bibles in different dialects spoken in the country.