151. Wala ka sa Lolo ko. If God had not been with him, he would have been dead years ago.

2 May 2021

If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me. Genesis 31:42

Genesis 31

4 So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to come out to the fields where his flocks were. 

5 He said to them, “I see that your father’s attitude toward me is not what it was before, but the God of my father has been with me.

Fear of Isaac.

Genesis 31

53 “May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.”

So Jacob took an oath in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac.

Jacob had trouble at home having deceived twice his older brother Esau. He went to his Uncle Laban who became his father-in-law. He had trouble with Laban and set sight going home yet with fear for Esau.

From ligonier.org website/learn/devotionals/fear-isaac/

"Jacob consciously swears by only one God — “the Fear of his father Isaac” (v. 53). This name for the Lord is found in this chapter alone (see also v. 42) and is notable for two reasons. First, Laban is trying to shelter himself from Jacob’s Lord because he is afraid of the Almighty. Therefore, Jacob wisely uses the title “Fear of his father Isaac” to keep Laban in his place. More importantly, fear for God, in the form of reverent awe, is the attitude Scripture prescribes for us in life and worship (Deut. 10:12–13; 1 Peter 2:17). Jacob has learned more of this fear in Paddan-aram through the Lord’s use of Laban to discipline him."

Have you been in serious trouble or feared somebody or something terribly, and that God had been with you that crucial moment, otherwise you're dead?

In my case, it was in 2004, I came to my wit's end, death was staring at me.

Early that year, I was in the Middle East, I had trouble with my boss, and a rare job offer came up, so I exited to come home and wait for further notice. Same job offer suddenly disappeared. I was financially dislocated that time, having no stable job the past 4 years, and I gambled for another job and I lost, I started to get depressed and suffered severe abdominal spasms.

I explored an alternative and embarked on a visit visa, courtesy of a friend, to another Middle East country at the onset of desert summer. I was not able to concentrate on work due to my health condition and I could not live on spicy food and the humid weather. I had to beg my employer to allow me to go home, otherwise I would end up in the hospital, that was my fear. Death was staring at me. By God's grace, my employer allowed me to go home.

Going home, I chose between not ending up in the hospital in a foreign country, on visit visa at that, and having no income again at a time when my children were already in college.

By God's grace, after some time, I was being considered for a job near home. I had to take a written exam which should last for 4 hours. I was losing concentration halfway, and I requested the proctor if I can continue the exam the following day, reasoning that I was not already used to such long exam at my age. God's favor, I was allowed to come back the following day, and eventually I was given the job. Reporting for work was really a struggle since my health had deteriorated.

By that time, Pastor Dan would start to visit me at home for one-on-one Bible study. 

We started attending the cell group of Kuya Nani and Ate Becks Perez. I got encouragement from this community.

Little by little, I started to recover psychologically and towards later part of the following year I was able to trace back the job offer that disappeared, the Lord restored my health enabling me to take the job and recover financially.

2004 was the turning point for me, I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. He indeed worked a miracle in my life. Over that period of about 5 years of severe famine and affliction, the Lord provided for college for my three children. My two daughters attended Ateneo on free tuition, and my son went to UP Diliman also with some semesters on free tuition.

My life verse.

Psalm 118

18 The Lord has chastened me severely,

But He has not given me over to death.

I read this particular verse while on the plane going home for vacation sometime in 2006, and I was brought to tears, tears of joy.

The preceding verse speaks of my response to the Lord.

Psalm 118

17 I shall not die, but live,

And declare the works of the Lord.

"Lord, You were with Jacob, yet he feared for his life - "When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, "We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him." Then Jacob prayed, "O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, LORD, you who said to me, "Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper." I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps. Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children" (Genesis 32:6, 9-11). In my own fear and worries, "Help me, LORD my God; save me according to your unfailing love" (Psalm 109:26). This I pray in Jesus' name. Amen."

One day my children's children will say, "Wala ka sa Lolo ko. If God had not been with him, he would have been dead years ago."

May you be blessed with God's Word. Amen.

Maraming salamat po.