59. Wala ka sa Lolo ko. His struggles were overwhelming, the Lord gave him courage to persevere.

14 November 2020

Google Translation

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. - Nelson Mandela

Acts 23

11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

Acts 22

22 The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He’s not fit to live!”

Acts 23

14 They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.”

Apostle Paul was under grave threat.

Earlier.

Acts 21

On to Jerusalem

10 After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.

11 Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”

12 When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 

13 Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 

14 When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”

Let me share something I wrote 27 August 2017.

“Apostle Paul did not succumb to intimidation.

I graduated high school barely five feet in height; I had a tooth protruding outside, my smile was wry. I was very uncomfortable speaking up; I had sweaty palms, I would often be holding a hanky; I was awkward shaking hands. After college, during job interviews, my heart would be pounding.

A few years back, we had a high school reunion. One classmate, after a handshake, observed, hindi na basa ang kamay mo ah. He was taller than me way back, but that time around he was physically looking up to me.

“Lord, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (The Apostle Paul’s Epistle, 2 Corinthians 5:17). Lord, more than my physical struggles, I was threatened spiritually. I could not pray when circumstances were overwhelming; that is a thing of the past. Lord, You lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; You set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand (Psalm 40:2). Lord, You gave me courage, You are my Savior, Redeemer, I praise You in Jesus’ name. Amen.””

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

3 he refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths

    for his name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk

    through the darkest valley,

I will fear no evil,

    for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

    they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me

    in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

    my cup overflows.

6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me

    all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

    forever.

The Lord is my Shepherd, He gave me courage when my struggles were overwhelming.

My children's children will someday say, wala ka sa Lolo ko; his struggles were overwhelming, the Lord gave him courage to persevere. Amen.

May you be blessed.

Maraming salamat.