FAITH...

Still
Words and Music by Reuben Morgan

Hide me now
Under your wings
Cover me
within your mighty hand

When the oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with you above the storm
Father you are king over the flood
I will be still and know you are God

Find rest my soul
In Christ alone
Know his power
In quietness and trust


Natural VS Right


You wake up one sunny glorious morning. You think you are the most gifted person in the world. You blink. Then think otherwise. Now, you feel you are in pain, in numbing grief, in oblivion. In a steep cliff called “I–don’t know-what-will-happen-tomorrow-please-give-me-reassurance-I-beg-you situation”. You soliloquized. You tell yourself: “Hey! Stop! That won’t give you any good at all.” You felt better in a millisecond, but halfway to the next millisecond you thought you are not convinced.

Then you break down and cry.


Did you ever get yourself into such situation? I do. Not voluntary though. Right now, at this very moment, I am filled with enormous fear of getting dumped outside this country, the UAE. The thought of returning in my home, yes the lovely Philippines indeed, but poorer by thousands of pesos and with a broken heart sends tremors to my already wracked brain.

The news yesterday came out, as Gulf News (the widest circulating newspaper and the most known in the Middle East) gladly informed the readers about this brand new law (rumors say that there’s always a new one being implemented from time to time) that is being (or will be?) implemented in UAE by their Immigration telling Filipinas below 25 years old will not be issued a working/residence visa anymore ( Ice then runs amuck shouting to the Gabriela’s of Information Age: “Mga pinay! Punitin ang mga sedula!!!”).

I am enraged. I raved. I ranted. But no, sorry, I did not curse.

I just wept. And kept on weeping and worrying and asking God, “Why me?” (So Ice, you can stop joking here…change to a more serious tone I implore you.)

Seriously, what am I doing at present is asking and seeking our Lord’s will. But because of my insistent attitude (and yes, lack of faith, admit it…), I am continuously adding more worries to myself by asking so many people via e-mail, phone, mobile (and one on one, think of the gravity of the problem) of this heartbreaking news. More on confirming from them, actually. But hey man, I am only 21, so can I now bid farewell to Dubai? (Since residence/working visa turned its face against me.)

Will that be the case? But isn’t it I’ve gotten so many job interviews, quite a number of offers, only to end up jobless? Penniless? Isn’t it I am showered with blessings, and prayers and wisdom before this voyage? Is this all? Will this be the end of Dubai High?

Answers to those I do not know. What am I trying to do here is to tell you my testimony. It’s true that there are so many problems that one could come across, and it’s equally true that the test of one’s faith begins as problems flooded his or her way.

I planned to go here to Dubai. I prayed for it. Voila! I’m already here (If you haven’t seen my latest pics, you may visit my Friendster account and be surprised on how many pounds did I lose, which in reality, there’s none). I prayed for a job and a good job offer as a Marketing Officer of a blooming television network is given to me. I am confident that there will be other companies which will be interested to hire me and can offer me a higher salary. So then I decided I will just attend as many interviews as I can then choose the best among these companies.

Everything seems to be falling into their proper places, except my heart. Amidst the seemingly assured future come the Lord knocking and asking me, “My daughter, are you still yearning to be with me? Are your plans aligned with mine? You look so sure of everything.” And so He intervenes and gave a ‘little excitement” to my ordinary, assured life. And so the new law came out.

I prayed once again, asking Him to please, please, please, make me stay here in Dubai, to make everything all right, for my qualifications to be considered by the Immigration. I prayed. But I kept on worrying. (This is the natural reaction, but is this the right reaction?) I certainly made myself a bad example of a Christian. I almost forgot what James told us in James 1:6 until I stumbled upon it recently, as recent as today (*wink*). It says,

“6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”

What I am doing contradicts what I am praying. I ask for peace and reassurance from the Lord but I am also the one who’s the culprit for my agitations. The realization struck me. I am lacking of faith. A searing pain bludgeoned my heart upon knowing this truth. And I ask for forgiveness about of this. Now I know faith is not only a word you just throw up in the air or the gush of wind coming from your mouth or the tears that fell from your eyes or the amount of words you’ve said in your prayers.

Faith means a lot more than that.

Faith is about living at peace because you know someone is in charge. Faith is also about knowing there is an Almighty God who will answer your prayer in ways that are most of the time far better than you expected. It is asking and praying wholeheartedly and believing what you have asked has been heard and answered accordingly. It’s not easy to have this kind of faith. That’s why He told us in Matthew 17:20, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Because having faith is lot much harder than solving a series of tests in advanced calculus, then we should resolve to have this extra ordinary faith.

To have this kind of faith takes up a lot of prayers, devotion to the Word, and practicing it in one’s daily life. Yup! Practice the faith! (Sounds cool noh?) Practicing faith starts when one stop saying words of doubt and defeat. Instead our words should reflect that we, Christians, have a victorious God who can do everything and surpass everything. Unless we prayed with a mountain-moving faith, our prayers will not be answered.

“James 1:7-8 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.”.


And lastly, we can always be reminded of James’ simple but practical approach:

James1:22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

The following is a good prayer I have read from a daily devotional online which we can utter when we feel we are about to waver from our faith.

Lord, please forgive me for the times I prayed about a matter and then spoke words of unbelief over it. Grant me revelation from heaven about the power of my words, and help me to control my speech. Thank You that as I speak words of faith and gratitude, I will witness You working mightily on my behalf!


ADDY: (coined term for additional.. harharhar)

Philippians 4:6 (NIV)
6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
I was singing this song this morning and stream of tears flowed as my heart sings too. I feel the love of God and His reassuring words through this song… May you be also blessed through this.
Still
Words and Music by Reuben Morgan

Hide me now
Under your wings
Cover me
within your mighty hand

When the oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with you above the storm
Father you are king over the flood
I will be still and know you are God

Find rest my soul
In Christ alone
Know his power
In quietness and trust