116. Wala ka sa Lolo ko. As for him, fear God and see that the Lord is good.

22 February 2021
Fear of God. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Psalm 34:8

1 Peter 1
17 Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 

1 Peter 2
3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Psalm 34
Of David.
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;
    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
9 Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
    for those who fear him lack nothing.

I will share towards the last portion of the blog, part of my previous reflection related to above verses.

I take this opportunity to pay tribute to a man who I thought I need to fear back in college.

He was a professor, Department Chairman for Industrial Engineering. In those days, some professors have a reputation of being "terror" or "patok".

Back then, as much as possible, we would try to evade enrolling a subject under a "terror" professor. At senior level, it was difficult choosing professors for the major subjects.

I should say this particular professor had somewhat a reputation of being a "terror".

The unlikely happened when I enrolled in his class, then there was recitation for us to give a definition for methods engineering.

I was timid in college and had sweaty palms since maybe high school.

I do not really remember what made me raise my hand, I stood up and gave a definition, along with my other classmates. I do not know what caught the attention of our professor, he decided to exempt me from the prelims for giving a good answer.

Next, I found myself in his office, he asked me to do a project for him. Later he asked me to deliver the lesson in one of his classes wherein some students were my batchmates. I was really sweating out. I did other projects for him including one on revision of the course curriculum. During my last semester, I was designated adviser during enrolment, role normally for faculty members.

Then after graduation, he offered me to teach if I don't immediately get employed. I got employed, so he told me to go part-time teaching in the evening; I was assigned major subjects.

I would say I could have declined the offer, but I must have convinced myself that I had nothing to lose, so I did part-time teaching for 5 years.

Looking back, if I enrolled the same subject under another professor, for fear of this "terror" professor, then I would have not met a great encourager.

We got close, that he and his wife were our wedding principal sponsors. We lost contact after over the years. We got reconnected sometime middle last year, I told him my sincere gratitude for the break he gave me which had been extremely helpful in my work life.

He is in his early 70's, I pray for him for good health and long life.

Indeed, an experience expecting fear that turned out for my good.


When I went through midlife crisis over a span of 5 years, I had everything to fear, I had no money for the college of my children and I sank into depression. Looking back, it was the way for me to encounter God in a very personal way. That was about 17 years ago, by God's grace He restored my life and my health.



Now here is part of my reflection 22 October 2017.

"1 Peter 1:23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

"Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing (Psalm 34:11, 4, 9). Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases (Psalm 103:1-3). This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The Lord will rescue his servants; no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him (Psalm 34:6, 18, 22, 8). Praise the Lord, O my soul, for His compassion, this I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.""

Someday, my children's children will say, wala ka sa Lolo ko, as for him, fear God and see that the Lord is good. Amen.

May you be blessed with God's Word.

Maraming salamat.

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