118. Wala ka sa Lolo ko. As for him, let's cast all our anxiety on God because He cares for us.
26 February 2021
Photo by Suzy Hazelwood from Pexels
Anxiety. It weighs down the heart. (Proverbs 12:25)
1 Peter 5
7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
Anxiety, from Merriam-Webster dictionary, apprehensive uneasiness or nervousness usually over an impending or anticipated ill; a state of being anxious.
Anxiety. In the Old Testament, anxiety surrounded the coming to life or birth of the Prophet Samuel, who would be the last of the judges of the people of Israel, and would annoint their first king, Saul, and his successor King David, the man regarded to be after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:14).
The woman to be the mother of Samuel was barren, considered a curse in Old Testament times. She was a godly woman, one of two wives of a Levite named Elkanah, and was constantly mocked by the other wife named Penninah who had bore several children.
Let me share P-R-A-Y-E-R from the book, Victory Through Submission by Rebecca Maria Casipit-Perez, DBS, aka Ate Becks, my benefactor in Christ.
"P - Persistence is sticking to goal. She continuously poured out her heart and prayed sincerely, specifically and sacrificially to God for a son and vowed to give him to the Lord as a perpetual Nazirite (1 Samuel 1:11).
R - Right Course through Prayer. Barreness for Hebrew women causes insecurity and humiliation. She never retaliated against her detractor. Instead, she just wept, did not eat and committed to persistently pray to God (1 Samuel 1:10).
A - Acceptance of Current Situation. She brought her sorrow and loss to God. She accepted her physical condition yet she was strong spiritually and firmly believed her faith and prayer will connect her to the Lord (1 Samuel 1:12-16).
Y -Your Prayers Are Answered. God answers prayers as "She named him Samuel, saying "Because I asked the Lord" for him."(1:Samuel 1:20).
E - Example of a Godly Mother. From the time she first desired to have a child, she prayerfully and purposefully presented her request before the Lord. She regarded her child as a gracious gift from God and expressed her intention to fulfill her vow by dedicating the child unto the Lord (1 Samuel 1:22-28).
R - Rejoice and Give Praise to God. She recognized there is only one, Sovereign God. She rejoiced to the Lord as He determined and changed the status of her life (1 Samuel 2:1-10)."
This woman, Hannah, the mother of Samuel is a model of prayer we can look to in our moments of anxiety. Persistent prayer is tested antidote to anxiety.
Here is my related reflection 24 October 2017.
"It was April last year that Bulwagang Rizal more known as the Faculty Center or FC at the University of the Philippines in Diliman burned down, with fire that started about past midnight. I was then assigned at Campus Maintenance Office and should have responded onsite immediately. I came to know about it when I came to office at 8 in the morning.
Earlier, I developed anxiety when I suffered severe drug allergy to antibiotics; I need a full night sleep, otherwise I will be feeling drained. I shut off my phone at about 11pm, I used to be at bed as early as 8pm.
After 3 days, while coordinating clean-up, I met the person given the additional assignment of being Building Administrator, and he told me he has not slept for 3 nights and his wife was asking him if he has any responsibility for the fire. He really looked disturbed; I asked him what is his primary designation, and he replied he is Electrician.
I told him to forget about any responsibility for the fire, and to get good sleep. We then worked together for the clean-up.
This year, he got the Gawad Tsanselor for his efforts in attending to the fire including the retrieval of belongings of faculty members.
Now I can just narrate it with a quip, bakit ko ba pinahirapan ang sarili ko, but the truth, I overcame it by the grace of God. This I share with people experiencing anxiety.
"Lord, "Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up (Proverbs 12:25); I find purpose in my going through severe anxiety years back, it is for me to be a way of encouragement for others facing difficult situations. I thank You for Your grace, Lord, You.... said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me" (2 Corinthians 12:9). Yes, Lord, I will "Cast all my anxiety on You because You care for me" (1 Peter 5:7). Lord, "To You be the power for ever and ever" (1 Peter 5:11), in Jesus' name this I pray. Amen.""
My children's children will someday say, wala ka sa Lolo ko, as for him, let's cast all our anxiety on God because He cares for us. Amen.
May you be blessed with God's Word.
Maraming salamat.
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