Destiny

"Every moment of my life is in your hands, rescue me from the clutches of my foes who pursue me." (Proverbs 31: 15)

My destiny is in your hands

My times are in your hands

My fortunes are in your hands

Commit your destiny to Yahweh

"Commit your destiny to Yahweh, be confident in him, and he will act." (Psalm 37: 5)

Since my destiny is God's hands, why not commit it to him? (Psalm 31: 15)

Commit your way to the Lord (Psalm 37: 5)

All my ways are before you (Psalm 119: 168)

A man's way is ordained by the Lord (Proverbs 20: 24)

A man's way is not in himself (Jeremiah 10: 23)

Make straight paths for your feet (Hebrews 12: 13)

He will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3: 6)

 

I am the way (John 14: 6)

This is the way, walk in it (Isaiah 30:21)

 

Teach me your ways (Exodus 33: 13; Psalm 86: 11)

That he may teach us his ways (Isaiah 2:3; Micah 4: 2)

That your way may be known on earth (Psalm 67: 2)

God made known his ways to Moses (Psalm 103: 7)

He who has promised is faithful

"Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10: 23)

Perseverance – standing firm

Continue in faith, stable and steadfast (Colossians 1: 23)

Stand against the devil's wiles (Ephesians 6: 11-14)

Resist the devil, standing firm in the faith (1 Peter 5:9)

Stand firm in the faith (1 Corinthians 16: 13; 2 Corinthians 1: 24)

We must hold fast our confidence (Hebrews 3: 6, 14)

Realize the full assurance of hope until the end (Hebrews 6: 11)

Stand firm in the teaching (2 Thessalonians 2: 15)

Stand firm in one spirit (Philippians 1: 27)

Stand firm in the Lord (Philippians 4: 1)

Persevering in tribulation (Romans 12: 12)

Hold fast our confession (Hebrews 4: 14)

Hold fast the confession of our faith (Hebrews 10: 23)

We boast of our perseverance (2 Thessalonians 1: 4)

You have endured (Revelation 2: 3)

(ROGET'S THESAURUS OF THE BIBLE)

Make Yahweh your joy 2

"Find your delight in the Lord who will give you your heart's desire." (Psalm 37: 4)

My soul thirsts for God (Psalm 42:2; 63:1; 143:6)

My soul yearns for the courts of the Lord (Psalm 84: 2)

At night my soul longs for you (Isaiah 26: 9)

There is nothing on earth I desire but you (Psalm 73: 25)

Your name and memory are our desire (Isaiah 26: 8)

Many desired to see and hear what you do (Matthew 13: 17; Luke 10: 24)

 

I long for your:

• Ordinances (Psalm 119: 131)
  
• Salvation (Psalm 119: 174)
  
• Precepts (Psalm 119: 40)
  
• Commandments (Psalm 119: 131)
  

The Lord will fulfill all my desires (2Sam 23: 5)

He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37: 4)

May he grant your heart's desire (Psalm 20: 4)

You have given him his heart's desire (Psalm 21: 2)

The desire of the righteous will be granted (Proverbs 10: 24)

The desire of the righteous ends in good (Proverbs 11: 23)

 

Delight in the Lord, and he will grant you your heart's desires (Psalm 37: 4)

Come, everyone who thirsts. (Psalm 55: 1)

If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink (John 7: 37)

To him who thirsts I will give the water of life without cost (Revelation 21: 6)

Whoever is thirsty, let him come (Revelation 22: 17)

Whoever drinks the water I give will never thirst again (John 4: 14)

Give me this water so I will not be thirsty (John 4: 15)

 

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5: 6)

Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be fulfilled (Luke 6: 21)

He who comes to me will not hunger or thirst (John 6: 35)

Earnestly desire spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:31; 14: 1)

(ROGET'S THESAURUS OF THE BIBLE)

Make Yahweh your joy

"Make Yahweh your joy and he will give you your heart's desires." (Psalm 37:4)

Delight yourself in the Lord (Psalm 37:4)

Then you will take delight in the Lord (Isaiah 58:14)

They drink from your river of delights (Psalm 36:8)

They delight to know my ways (Isaiah 58:2)

Will the godless take delight in the Almighty? (Job 27: 10)

 

He delights in the law of the Lord (Psalm 1:2)

I delight in your law (Psalm 119: 70, 77, 92, 174)

I delight in your commandments (Psalm 119: 35, 47)

I delight in your statutes (Psalm 119: 14)

Your testimonies are my delight (Psalm 119: 24)

Happy the man who delights in his commandments (Psalm 112:1)

(ROGET'S THESAURS OF THE BIBLE)

Liberation 5

"If you make my word your home you will indeed be my disciples; you will come to know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8: 31 – 32)

No Compulsion:

If the Son sets you free you will be free indeed (John 8: 36)

The truth shall make you free (John 8: 32)

Freed from sin (Romans 6: 18)

He who has died is freed from sin (Romans 6: 7)

Set free from the principle of sin and death (Romans 8: 2)

Everyone who believes is freed from all things (Acts 13: 39)

He has freed us from our sins by his blood (Revelation 1: 5)

(ROGET'S THESAURUS OF THE BIBLE)

 

Liberation 4

"If you make my word your home you will indeed be my disciples; you will come to know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8: 31 – 32)

When the Lord brought back the captives of Zion (Psalm 126: 1)

I broke the yoke of the king of Babylon (Jeremiah 28:2)

I broke your yoke and burst your bonds (Jeremiah 2: 20)

(ROGET'S THESAURUS OF THE BIBLE)

Liberation 3

"If you make my word your home you will indeed be my disciples; you will come to know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8: 31 – 32)

Let my people go (Exodus 5:1; 7:16; 8:1, 20; 9:1,13; 10:3)

Let my son go (Exodus 4: 23)

Let them go (Exodus 6: 11; 7:2)

I will deliver you from their bondage (Exodus 6: 6)

I have come down to free them (Acts 7: 34)

I broke the bars of your yoke (Leviticus 26: 13)

I brought you out of the land of bondage (Deuteronomy)

Liberation 2

"If you make my word your home you will indeed be my disciples; you will come to know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8: 31 – 32)

Bring me out of prison (Psalm 142: 7)

Peter's chains fell off (Acts 12: 7)

Everyone's chains were unfastened (Acts 16: 26)

The angel opened the prison doors and brought them out (Acts 5: 19)

The angel brought Peter out of the prison (Acts12: 7 -10)

I will walk at liberty for I seek your precepts (Psalm 119: 45)

(ROGET'S THESAURUS OF THE BIBLE)

Liberation 1

"If you make my word your home you will indeed be my disciples; you will come to know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8: 31 – 32)

Theme of liberation:

The Lord sent me to proclaim the release of the captives (Isaiah 61: 1; Luke 4: 18)

To bring prisoners out of prison (Isaiah 42: 7)

The Lord releases those condemned to death (Psalm 102: 20)

God shattered their yoke (Isaiah 9: 4, Jeremiah 30: 8)

When I break the bars of their yoke (Ezekiel 34: 27)

I will break his yoke from off you (Nahum 1: 13)

God leads out the prisoners (Psalm 68: 6)

Four men loosed in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3: 25)

God breaks their bonds (Psalm 107: 14, 16)

God loosens the bond of kings (Job 12: 18)

You have loosed my bonds (Psalm 146: 7)

I will set your captives free (Zechariah 9: 11)

(ROGET'S THESAURUS OF THE BIBLE)

Take and Receive

"Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation.

Through your goodness we have this bread to offer,

which earth has given and human hands have made.

It will become for us the bread of life."

Liturgy of the Eucharist (Roman Missal)

Inspired by the above prayer, I say:

"Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation.

Through your goodness I have this delay, disappointment and obstacle to offer,

let it become for me the bread of life."

 

The holy Mass is very rich in symbols. In the Mass, during the offertory, I bring my prayers, desires, joys, hopes as well as pains, sufferings, delays, disappointments and obstacles. I bring also my disabilities, deaths, the loss of loved ones, the disappointment of broken dreams, the failure of relationships, my physical, emotional and spiritual pains. I place all in the outstretched arms of Jesus, my high priest. Jesus defeated death through his pains on the cross. My pains are united with his act of redemption on the cross.

 

We bring to the Mass our joy and sorrow and, as people of faith, come away changed and blessed with peace.

The Power of Lent

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2: 20)

Lent calls us to reaffirm our participation in the victory of Christ over the powers of death, sin and evil.

Lent calls us to return to the power and victory of our baptismal experience.

Lent demands that we abandon the confidence we place in the things the world loves, which brings us weakness in the face of evil, sin and death. It is a provocation to return to our source of power and strength – the victorious Christ.

Lent returns us to the power of the word and of the cross.

Lent is a journey. It leads from the recognition of the weakness and powerlessness before the forces of evil and sin to victory over those forces through the cross and empty tomb.

The Purpose will be accomplished

"The Lord will complete what he has done for me." (Psalm 138: 8 -Roman Missal)

"The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me." (New Revised Standard Version)

"The Lord will accomplish his purpose for me." (Revised English Bible)

"The Lord is with me to the end." (New American Bible)

"Yahweh will do all things for me." (New Jerusalem Bible)

 

Ten years ago, I confided the following reflection to my journal:

"Insight I got last night at about 2 am:

If God is with me, it is accomplished. If God is with me in the Enterprise, it is accomplished.

The critical question in the Enterprise is this: Is God with me? Yes or No?

God communicates his presence at the beginning of an undertaking by words. Examples are: Moses, Joshua, David and Paul. He also communicates his presence in the course of the enterprise by signs. A good example is Joseph in Egypt.

How has God shown his presence with me in the Enterprise?

Words: "I myself will lead you across. I will not forsake you. I will not abandon you." (Deuteronomy 31: 6; etc)

Signs: Kinder, billet, QOP, wagen, October miracle, bibliotek, Eucharist, etc.

God is certainly with me in the Enterprise. Success is guaranteed. All I need to do is to be steadfast in the way that God is leading me and be patient.

Teacher

• They want to be teachers of the law, but are ignorant (1 Timothy 1:7)
  
• They love being called Rabbi (Matthew 23: 7)
  
• You are a teacher and do not understand? (John 3: 10)
  
• I have more insight than my teachers (Psalm 119: 99)
  

 

• A disciple is not above his teachers (Matthew 10: 24-25; Luke 6: 40)
  
• Do not be called Rabbi, for you have one teacher, for the Christ is your only Teacher (Matthew 23: 10)
  

 

• They will accumulate teachers after their own lusts (2 Timothy 4: 3)
  

 

• For many days Israel was without a teaching priest (2 Chronicles 15: 3)
  

 

• Jehiel was teacher of the king's sons (1 Chronicles 27: 32)
  
• A teacher called Gamaliel (Acts 5:34)
  

 

• You called me teacher and Lord (John 13: 13)
  
• Hail, Rabbi! (Matthew 26: 49)
  
• The teacher says, 'My time is at hand' (Matthew 26: 18)
  
• Mary called out Rabboni! Meaning Teacher (John 20: 16)
  

 

• God appointed teachers in the Church (1 Corinthians 12: 28)
  
• He gave some as pastors and teachers (Ephesians 4: 11)
  
• In the Church there are prophets and teachers (Acts 13: 1)
  
• You ought by this time to be teachers (Hebrews 5: 12)
  
• The Lord's servant should be an able teacher (2 Timothy 2: 24)
  
• As must elders (1 Timothy 3: 2)
  
• Not many of you should be teachers (James 3: 1)
  
• Let him who is taught share with him who teaches (Galatians 6:6)
  

(ROGET'S THESAURUS OF THE BIBLE)

Disciple

"If you make my word your home you will indeed be my disciples; you will come to know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8: 31)

Disciple – discipulus: I learn and I teach.

Disciple – pupil: one who receives instruction from another. One who accepts the doctrine of another and assists in spreading or implementing them.

Every true disciple of Christ must be free.

Disciple – learner:

• Jesus called his 12 disciples (Matthew 10: 1; Mark 6: 7; Luke 6: 13)
  
• His disciples came to him (Matthew 5:1)
  
• Jesus took the 12 aside (Matthew 20: 17)
  
• Jesus spoke to his disciples (Luke 6: 20)
  
• Joseph of Arimathea was a disciple (Matthew 27: 57), but secretly for fear of the Jews (Luke 14: 33)
  

Make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28: 19)

Learning:

• Ezra determined to study the law of the Lord (Ezra 7: 10)
  
• Take my yoke and learn from me (Matthew 11: 29)
  
• You did not so learn (Ephesians 4: 20)
  

Always learning and never coming to a knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 3:7)

(ROGET'S THESAURUS OF THE BIBLE)

 

 

Endurance

Enduring to the end:

• Love endures all things (1 Corinthians 13: 7)
  
• He who endures to the end will be saved (Matthew 10: 22, 24:13; Mark 13: 13)
  
• By your endurance you will gain your lives (Luke 21: 19)
  
• If we endure we shall reign with him (2 Timothy 2: 11)
  
• They bear fruit with perseverance (Luke 8: 15)
  
• He who keeps my works to the end (Revelation 2: 26)
  
• I want to complete my course and my ministry (Acts 20: 24)
  

 

• We commend ourselves by much endurance (2 Corinthians 6: 4)
  
• We endure all things (1 Corinthians 9: 12)
  
• I endure all things for the sake of the elect (2 Timothy 2: 10)
  
• When persecuted we endure (1 Corinthians 4: 12)
  
• I know your perseverance (Revelation 2: 19)
  
• Here is the perseverance of the saints (Revelation 13: 10; 14: 12)
  

 

• God gives perseverance (Romans 15: 5)
  
• May the Lord direct your hearts into the steadfastness of Christ (2 Thessalonians 3: 5)
  

 

• Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial (James 1: 12)
  
• We count those blessed who endured (James 5: 11)
  
• The testing of your faith produces endurance (James 1: 3)
  
• Tribulation produces perseverance (Romans 5: 3)
  

 

• Endure hardship (2 Timothy 4: 5)
  

  
   

  
   

• You have need of endurance (Hebrews 10: 36)
  
• Pursue perseverance (1 Timothy 6: 11)
  
• Add to self-control perseverance (2 Peter 1: 6)
  

 

• Because of his friend's persistence he will give him what he needs (Luke 11: 8)
  
• The unjust judge will be worn out by the widow's persistence (Luke 18: 5)
  

ROGET'S THESAURUS OF THE BIBLE

Preparation is power

"The Lord is not being slow in carrying out his promises, as some people think he is." (2 Peter 3: 9)

There is meaning in delay. Could the meaning be that the delay affords us greater preparation time so that the crown will be bigger and more secure? Preparation is power.

• He who is coming will not delay (Hebrews 2:3, Hebrews 10: 37)
  
• None of my words will be delayed any longer (Ezekiel 12: 25, 28)
  
• Will God delay over his elect? (Luke 18: 7)
  
• My salvation will not delay (Isaiah 46: 13)
  
• God will soon crush Satan under your feet (Romans 16: 20)
  
• He will vindicate them speedily (Luke 18:8)
  
• Salvation is nearer than when we first believed (Romans 13: 11-12)
  
• There will be no more delay (Revelation 22: 6)
  
• I will come soon (Revelation 2: 16; 3 :11; 22:7, 12,20)

(ROGET'S THESAURUS OF THE BIBLE)

God finishing his work

"He who began a good work in you will complete it." (Philippians 1: 6)

• God finished his work of creation (Genesis 2: 1-2; Hebrews 4:3)
  
• I have finished the work you gave me to do (John 17: 4)
  
• It is finished! (John 19: 30)
  
• Jesus knowing that all was accomplished (John 19: 28)
  
• The Lord will complete what concerns me (Psalm 138: 8)
  
• He who began a good work in you will complete it (Philippians 1: 6)
  
• It is done! (Revelation 16: 17)
  

Lord, help me to be a finisher. Amen!

Instrument of punishment

"The instrument of one's sin are his instrument of his punishment." (Wisdom 11: 16) Revised English Bible

"One is punished by the very things by which one sins." (New Revised Standard Version)

"A man is punished by the very things through which he sins." (New American Bible)

"The agent of sin is the agent of punishment." (New Jerusalem Bible)

The above scripture came to me as a technical knockout when I read it during my desert experience 12 years ago. It sounded so true and I knew it was true. Reflections and observations of life since then have confirmed this gem of Bible truths. Although the scripture itself was etched into my memory, I lost the reference and did not discover it till today, 12 years after I discovered the scripture.

The full passage goes like this: "In return for the foolish imagination of those wicked people, which deluded them into worshiping reptiles incapable of reason, and mere vermin, you sent upon them in your vengeance mindless swarms to teach them that the instruments of someone's sin are the instruments of his punishment." (Wisdom 11: 15 – 16)

If the sin is love of money, money will be the instrument of punishment. If the sin is over indulgence with food or alcohol, food or alcohol will be the instrument of punishment.

 

No More Delay

"There will be no further delay in the fulfilling of any of my words. What I have said shall be done now – declares the Lord Yahweh." (Ezekiel 2: 28)

The Message:

• Prepare yourself for action
  
• Be always prepared
  
• Be sober and be alert
  
• Do not think or say "The vision concerns a distant future ….. for times ahead." (Ezekiel 12:27)
  
• Things may happen very suddenly
  

The Promise:

• God's plan for me (Jeremiah 29:11)
  
• I will lead you across (Deuteronomy 31: 6)
  
• I will open for you a door (Revelation 3:8)
  
• I will fight for you (Exodus 14: 14; Joshua 1:9; 2 Chronicles 20: 15, 17)

God guiding

"Then the Lord will guide you always and give you plenty even on the parched land." (Isaiah 58:11)

 

You will guide me (Psalm 31: 3)

Let your good Spirit lead me (Psalm 143: 10)

Lead me in the everlasting way (Psalm 139: 24)

Lead me in your truth (Psalm 25: 5)

 

The Lord will guide you continually (Isaiah 58: 11)

With your counsel you will guide me (Psalm 73: 24)

I will lead the blind by a way they do not know (Isaiah 42: 16)

He will lead them to springs of water (Isaiah 49: 10)

I lead them with cords of love (Hosea 11: 4)

I lead you in the way you should go (Isaiah 48: 17)

The Lord directs his steps (Proverbs 16: 9)

 

The Lord has guided me (Genesis 24: 27, 48)

However far away I go, your hand leads me (Psalm 139: 10)

You lead them to your holy habitation (Exodus 15: 13)

The pillar of cloud to guide them (Nehemiah (9: 12, 19)

He leads ne in the paths of righteousness (Psalm 23: 3)

Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness (Matthew 4:1; Luke 4:1)

Led by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8: 14)

(ROGET'S THESAURUS OF THE BIBLE)