I’ve cried out for a moment’s rest as of late, but despite my efforts, I find myself constantly hounded by said increased difficulty level of life. I don’t mean to sound corny, in fact I don’t think I care as much about that anymore… I just want to say that it’s all just leading me back to Christ, who has been with me all along.
In the midst of the war on truth and the increasing spread of falsehood and wickedness in the world, we must remember that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of evil. However, we can take heart in the assurance that Christ has already won the ultimate victory through His death and resurrection. While the battles may rage on, and the enemy may seem to prosper for a season, we know that his triumphs are fleeting, and he will ultimately be cut off.
As believers, our calling is not to fret or be envious of the evildoers, but to trust in the Lord, commit our ways to Him, and delight in His presence. In doing so, we conquer ourselves through the transformative power of repentance and meditation on Christ’s finished work. We find our peace and rest in the knowledge that our righteousness and justice have already been secured through Christ’s sacrifice, and we can confidently wait for the Lord, knowing that the meek shall inherit the land and delight in abundant peace.
The war on peace may rage, but we have the assurance of peace in Christ, our eternal victor. Let us fix our eyes on Him, the author and perfecter of our faith, and find our strength and courage in His unwavering love and sovereign reign. For in the end, the wicked shall be no more, but those who wait upon the Lord shall inherit the everlasting kingdom of our Savior, who has conquered sin, death, and every evil once and for all.
And considering what transpired shortly after the posting of my last article, well, all I could say is… Christ is all I have left.
Recently, you could say I’ve seen the consequences of my squandering and negligence. I believe my actions were not without a degree of confidence, and ever since it’s gotten to me – how I don’t necessarily have as much as I used to – I’ve been sensing that now, these slight nuances of confidence are now laced with guilt and regret.
And if that isn’t bad enough, it serves as a multiplier to the anxiety from other sources; I sort of feel like Jonah right now as well, in a sense that responsibilities I’ve been holding off on for the longest time have not only impacted me, but I’ve seen how it has also impacted my entire family and the communities I’m involved in.
In facing said consequences, I’ve also seen another perspective to just how filthy this world could get, another painful perspective to the absolute cruelty of this fallen reality. For the past weeks I’ve been lamenting on there being no sense of ‘delicadeza’ anymore – or, just to cut to the chase, the absence of honor is becoming the norm nowadays.
I thought it was bad enough that I was seeing this going on in the church I serve in, in forms of lack of courtesy and professionalism… but, yeah, like I said, as I faced the rest of the world in facing the consequences of negligence, I’ve seen just how cutthroat people and families are. We’ve all become mercenaries.
Feels like it’s really every man for himself. I used to think that since my turning 40, the difficulty level was increased – No, I suppose it’s been like this all along… it’s just that for the longest time, I could afford to ignore all of it.
I’ve long wanted to do some meditation and to just ‘reprogram’ my entire being by way of intentionally being present with the Lord, and it appears yesterday was the perfect time to do that.
The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.
Luke 16:8
What happened yesterday? I’m not going to go through the details of it all… Will just say that a dispute was raised, and we were on the losing side, it seems. To add salt to the wound, the other party involved appeared to give no empathy, no grace by way of cooperation.
Here’s where I saw how people, whole families still had the tendency to prioritize their own without consideration for a mutual resolution. Here’s where I was presented with the harsh reality that there were still people intent only on what they have without measuring the cost to others.
Part of me tells me that this was all a play of shrewdness and the wisdom of this world, something that I’m obviously not very good at. And though I could react to how we were even laughed at, I’ll still say we won… by way of data gathering.
Granted, we may have let off some emotion… but smugness does tell a detailed story. Hubris only tells me that there is a real possibility that these folks draw their confidence from serious help; And any claim of ‘innocence’ or ‘ignorance’ only proves contradiction. And since we mentioned ‘serious help’, I venture to say this wasn’t something that was quickly orchestrated.
But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.
2 Thessalonians 3:3
I’m insisting to myself, even up until now, that It’s not this other party who is the enemy in this matter. The enemy isn’t even the people whom we have yet to reveal – no matter how I am honestly chomping at the bit to track down and take them down.
No, I know, just as we always have known, that we aren’t fighting against flesh and blood, but those powers and principalities, those cosmic, spiritual powers of darkness, of whom we recognize the ‘evil one’ as head.
But in all that’s happened, I’ve realized that we shouldn’t be surprised that these sons of darkness would have the upper hand, considering how Christ warned us that they are, indeed, a whole lot shrewder than we are…
However, and this is mostly for me, I shouldn’t be overwhelmed, nor should I be impacted for too long, considering that the Lord is faithful, and He will establish me and guard me against the evil one.
The initiative remains, as clear as Psalm 37:3 would say it – We’re to trust in the Lord, and do good; We’re to dwell in the land, and befriend faithfulness.
It also seems, ‘Do good’ has other implications: We’re to abound in good works (as Paul tells to Timothy, for him to share to those with some extra finances), and, correct me if I’m wrong, but we also may want to consider what Christ followed up with in Luke 16:8 – That is, to make friends for ourselves by means of unrighteous (worldly) wealth and riches.
Update: I’ve written most, if not all of that in the days that followed that one event. And, really, I could have finished and posted all of it – but something that was in my mind in terms of a response, considering that last paragraph, was for me to just make a whole lot of money, and to steamroll any and all adversaries that come.
But it’s now, oh, 5 or so days later. And while I haven’t been 100% diligent in listening to what the Lord has to share (considering I’ve fallen prey to the old mindset that demanded immediate gratification, rationalized by recent stress and anxiety), I have had these verses come up throughout the week:
An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
Proverbs 18:15
“Thus says the LORD who made the earth, the LORD who formed it to establish it—the LORD is his name: Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” Jeremiah 33:2-3
Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:30-31
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:19-21
To be honest, I don’t know how to wrap all of this up. Maybe I’ll share how this all panned out when I actually speak about it in around an hour and a half from now.
Until the next post, God bless you.
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