Sinabi ni Hesus na sa mundong ito ay makakaranas kayo ng kapighatian, problema at alalahanin. He did not say it for nothing. He gave us the warning to get ready that troubles come in life. Ganyan talaga ang buhay na minsan hindi natin maunawaan, natalo tayo, nabigo tayo kahit ginawa na natin lahat. Tama yong kanta: “I did my best but my best was not good enough.” Yes these could be inconvenient, and you will think that you will never make it. But the struggle is not a waste because it is making you stronger, wiser and better. Alam mo ba na ang reward ng Diyos is proportionate to the pain you’ve suffered. The harder the problem, the bigger is the reward.

Just like yong sinabi ni Joseph na inapi, pinagkaisahan, ipinagbili, inalipin but he later said to his brothers who did the wrong thing: “you meant it for my harm but God used it for my advantage.” Pagkatapos ng mga dagok at suliranin, you will come out wiser, stronger, with better perspective and greater passion. Mas magiging matapang kang harapin ang mas malalaking pagsubok ng buhay. Yes, naloko ka, yes nabigo ka, natalo ka, but they are not wasted. Your blessings are not on what you have lost, but they are on what is left. Kung namatayan ka ng asawa, feel blessed na may mga anak ka pa at pamilyang nagmamahal sa yo.

May kanta na “He never promised that there will always be sunshine. He never said that there will be no rain.” But Jesus said: “I will be with you. I will never leave you. I will never forsake you.” Those setbacks are just setup for us to be prepared for greater glories. He will not allow you to be tested beyond your ability. In 1 Corinthians 10:13: “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it”

In the book of Matthew chapter 14, Jesus fed the 5,000 men out of a little boy’s 2 fish and 5 cupcakes. People were amazed because of that great miracle. Yang mga nagke-cater, alam ninyo ang dami ng pagkain sa ganyang kadaming tao. But when they have eaten, Jesus told the disciples, “gather the leftovers so that nothing is wasted.” He’s God, he just multiplied the food. If he wanted more, he could make more fresh and new, not this leftover stuff. No, he was showing us this principle that “I am a God that doesn’t waste anything”. Ganyan ang ating mabuting Diyos, hindi porke’t tira-tira, leftover, underdog tayo ay pababayaan na Nya tayo. The fragments represent the broken pieces of our lives, what’s left over, what’s not useful, seems unnecessary.

Do you know that there are stories that says those left-overs were used to feed the next 4,000 men in the bok of John 21. Your failures can teach you valuable lessons and resilience. You can also teach others to learn from your mistakes.

Jonah

Elijah was commanded by God to go to Sarepath na kung nasaan ang isang babaeng baog – walang anak. Because mabuting tao ang babaeng eto at ang kanyang asawa, pinatuloy at pinakain nila si Propeta Elijah. Nalaman ni Elijah na ang babaeng ito ay baog at hindi nagkaanak. Nagtanong si Elijah sa babae kung gusto nya mag-ka anak, pero sumagot sa kanya, “gusto ko po pero ayaw kong umasa dahil matagal na kaming nanalangin pero wala naman nangyari.” Pero nagkaanak ang babaeng ito pero namatay. Her life was broken into pieces. Elijah took the child. And he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried unto the Lord and said, O Lord my God, I pray thee let this child’s soul come to him again. And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he lived again.

Sometimes the brokenness of our lives are the miracles on its own. There is this song from Laura Story: “Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops? What if Your healing comes through tears? What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near? What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise? When friends betray us, When darkness seems to win, We know that pain reminds this heart that this is not, this is not our home.

He is the Alpha and the Omega. He is the God of the open doors and the close doors. What if an unanswered prayers are really the answer you’re praying for. King Hezekiah was one of the kindest kings we know in the Bible. He served God well. When he was about to die, he asked the Lord to add more years in his life. But do you know that out of those 15 years added to him, he born his son Manasseh, who was considered to be the most evil king of all time. Kaya our prayer should be, Lord whatever is the best, do it for me. Don’t give me something or someone which is not meant for me.

The widow in Sarepath may have continued and believed in God. Many authorities confirm that her son became the Prophet Jonah.

Marami tayong pagsubok sa buhay, pero hindi yan sasayangin ng Lord. Romans 8:28 said: “all things work together for good” because His plans is for us to prosper, plans to have a better future. Alam ng Diyos kung paano ibalik ang mga nabasag. He is willing to pick up the pieces of those fragments to make all things beautiful in His time.