Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1).

It is curious to note that faith is a universal attribute.

It doesn’t matter if you have religious beliefs or not. All people make use of faith. But when we analyze your statements, two doubts arise in my mind: What is your definition of faith? And, faith in what or in whom?

For example, athletes have faith in winning. Politicians have confidence in the appropriateness of their approaches, and companies have faith in their growth plans.

Some are confident of their chances and their ability to defeat their opponents. The others have faith in the adequacy of their political programs. And the latter rely on the formula of reducing costs and producing better and cheaper than their competitors.

The problem is that in a sports final there are two or more contenders and, except for one, all the others will lose, all the governments end up defeated at the ballot box, and of all the companies competing for a sector, only one manages to be the dominant one, and that for a while.

So I’m afraid we have a problem with their definition of faith.

Faith definition

In the best of cases it would have to be reduced to “a certain statistical probability”, if not a simple wish.

In other cases we cannot speak of faith, but of strength. You have the best players in the world and you have managed to get them to play together. It is very unlikely that an inferior team will beat you. Unless you make a very bad tactical approach.

Sun Tzu, in his book “The Art of War” wrote:

‘If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will lose every battle; if you know yourself but not your enemy, you will win some battles and lose others; but if you know your enemy and know yourself, you should not fear the outcome of a thousand battles.‘.

Very interesting and motivating this Sun Tzu, however, this is not faith either. This does not always work, and if not, just ask Nadal and Djokovic.

Because true faith is something very different. It is not a matter of probabilities. Nor is it a matter of wishful thinking. Nor is it about dominance over others.

Faith, I insist, is something very different.

Let’s look at the definition of faith found in the Epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 11 and verse 1:

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

True faith is absolute certainty. He who has faith does not say: ‘I trust that we are going to obtain victory’. He who has faith affirms: ‘We have already conquered’.

Paul does not say that ‘we shall be more than conquerors in Christ’. Paul affirms: ‘we are more than conquerors’.

And Paul did not express the desire that nothing could separate us from the love of God. Paul affirmed: ‘Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God‘. He did not know what was to come in the future, but he knew that any attack was already defeated in Christ.

Wish or hope

On the other hand, faith has to do with what is awaited, not with what is desired.

And the difference is subtle, but crucial.

At a subway stop we wait for the arrival of the convoy, we do not wish the arrival. The wish is something you long for, but you don’t know if you will achieve it or not. On the other hand, what is awaited is something that we do not yet have, but that we know will happen.

Victory and success are wished for in the world. But Christians await the coming of Christ.

You can fight and strive for success, but you will never be certain that you can achieve it.

However, in Christ we have the certainty that he will return for his people.

It does not depend on our strength or ability. It is Christ who has taken the decision. We just have to stand firm in the faith.

In the meantime we will suffer problems and adversities, and it is natural and legitimate to desire to be delivered from them. However, faith tells us that we are in his hands and that we can trust in his mercy and wisdom.

This is what Jesus expressed in Gethsemane:

“My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”(Matthew 26:39).

Because faith knows that if God allows us to experience this adversity, it is to ensure our victory.

Object of faith

Finally, faith has to do with the object of faith.

The natural man relies on his own capabilities. Sun Tzu put it very well. But they forget that the times are in God’s hands, and the best prepared plan can be ruined by a simple rain.

They trust in chariots and horses, but we trust in God, like David before Goliath or like Elisha before the prophets of Baal. The work does not depend on us. It depends on God.

We may not be able to see God, but He has changed our lives. We may not be able to see our future, but we know it is at God’s side. And we have not yet received our crown, but we know that it is waiting for us in heaven.

So when God leads you to face challenges, don’t look at your capabilities or the strength of your adversary. Look to God, listen to his words, have faith in him and wait upon him, and you will receive what God has for you.

God bless you.

Cover photo by Matt Duncan on Unsplash

En el Valle de Sombra de Muerte

A lo largo de nuestras vidas, todos vamos a pasar por valles de oscuridad y dolor.

Pero la Palabra de Dios da ánimo, y nos muestra cómo seguir adelante en dichos momentos, y vencer.

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La entrada Faith is confidence in what we hope se publicó primero en David Gómez.

When you have to face challenges before which you feel helpless, remember that with you goes the One who is able to accomplish everything.

“You are meaner than Cain.”

Calm down, I’m not saying it to you. This was an expression that was used a lot, when I was growing up, to refer to people who acted in an evil way.

Later the phrase changed to “you’re meaner than Channing,” in reference to a character in the Falcon Crest series who was always hatching plans to screw up his surroundings.

And the truth is that their plans used to be quite successful.

And that made me pretty angry.

Not because she was bad, but because when I made my plans they almost never, to say never, went the way I thought they would.

It used to happen to me like in the joke about the Spanish hell, the one in which supposedly a demon passed by every day at 12 o’clock to light the oven and torment the souls. The problem was that when there was gas for the oven there were no matches, when there were matches there was no gas, and when there was gas and matches the devil didn’t get through.

So I grew up believing I was a planning nullity.

But when I started working I began to discover that maybe it was something that wasn’t just me.

In fact, the rare thing is that the plans worked out well, to the point of being sent abroad by my company for three weeks to assemble a machine and spend seven months there.

Then I began to think that maybe the issue was not just mine, but that perhaps, for Spaniards, planning is not in our DNA.

But then my company sent me to Germany for three months to receive training at the headquarters of a famous German multinational.

And then I discovered that the Germans also missed more than a shotgun at a fairground booth when it came to planning.

So, I thought that the problem with the plans was not in me, nor in my genetics, but that it is something that affects us all for a very special reason: we will never have all the data. Not even all of the most important ones. Although the truth is that the Germans had them.

What we can always count on, however, are the unforeseen events.

So, is it worth investing time in planning our activities?

And the answer is a resounding yes. Because even planning badly is better than not planning at all.

Because you might save yourself the time to sit down and think. However, you will spend the day running back and forth solving problems that were easy to foresee, and wasting time by not having coordinated basic actions.

And if this is so in our natural life, what will not happen to the plans in our spiritual life, with an enemy lurking night and day to bring us down?

To him who is able to do

But once again God comes to our aid with a promise that, curiously enough, is tucked in as if by stealth.

In this “half-saying farewell” of the Epistle to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul could have said:

Now to God who is mighty, to him be glory in the church in Christ Jesus throughout all ages, forever and ever. Amen.

This would be a correct and totally spiritual phrase. However, the Holy Spirit inspired the apostle Paul to modify it slightly. And so it says (Ephesians 3:20-21):

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. .

The meaning of the phrase does not change much: we must give glory to God. However, this small addition is of great importance to us.

Thanks to him we can realize that we are not alone when it comes to making plans. Indeed, God has already prepared them for us. He is only waiting for us to approach Him in order to set in motion all the necessary preparations for these plans to become a reality.

Because God is not only capable of making perfect plans. It is also the only one able to make them perform far beyond our best dreams or our capabilities.

Because, when you walk in God’s ways, and serve Him, it is not only our capacity that acts, but we have the help, guidance and power of the Holy Spirit working in us and through us.

So the next time you sit down to make plans for your life or for your ministry, remember that God is the only one who has the ability to make perfect plans and the power to do it all.

And that it is enough for us to seek his will, believe him and obey him so that we can say with complete confidence that, in God, we will do exploits.

God bless you.

Cover photo by NASA on Unsplash

Crecer en la fe

Descubre una vida de plena libertad y gozo en Cristo.

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La entrada To Him who is able to do se publicó primero en David Gómez.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

A few days ago I was listening to a radio announcer commenting that he had a terrible weekend. Everything went wrong.

And there are days when it seems better not to have gotten out of bed, and in some cases, there are even whole months.

I remember when I was a child there was an event that, if it weren’t so serious, would be comical.

We were on vacation at the mill where my maternal grandparents worked, and one day, as my grandmother was leaving the main building she tripped and fell. There were three steps and the ground outside was paved with boulders because loads of wheat were still coming in on mules.

My grandmother fell from the top of the steps and hit one of those stones. This caused him to be shocked and knocked out for a few minutes, as well as a gash on his forehead that began to bleed profusely.

And I, who was the only one who saw it all, instead of approaching to see if I could help, I started shouting, “it wasn’t me, it wasn’t me”.

Fortunately my screams alerted my parents and grandfather and they attended to her immediately.

The truth is that I had been having a season in which many things had broken. Maybe because my curiosity led me to get into places I shouldn’t and to observe everything. And of course, to observe better, sometimes you had to pick things up, or move them aside, and they had the bad habit of falling down.

The thing is that when something appeared broken, all eyes turned to me. And since they were usually right, I didn’t mind taking the punishment.

But this time I didn’t want to take a punishment that I didn’t deserve and that, given the severity of the consequences, I estimated would be considerable.

Thank God my grandmother recovered well, and it was made clear that I had nothing to do with the incident.

And no, if you think that after that I stopped getting into trouble you are very wrong. But I did learn something, I had to be more careful not to break so many things.

Since then I have continued to research and learn, and not only have I become somewhat skilled at not breaking so many things, but I became an expert at maintaining and fixing them.

So it seems that the passage in Romans, chapter 8 and verse 28, the one that says: And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose, was fulfilled.

However, I seem to be back to my old ways. With the difference that now I don’t break things, now I seem to break myself, well me and my circumstances.

Many of you know José Ortega y Gasset’s phrase, “I am me and my circumstances”, alluding to the fact that not everything that happens to us is under our control. Because a simple unforeseen event can ruin the most careful of projects.

Although the truth is that the phrase is a little longer and goes like this: “I am me and my circumstance, if I don’t save it, I don’t save myself”.

So, in a way, this man encourages us to try to understand and change our circumstance in order to help ourselves.

It sounds reasonable. However, the concept contains an important trap. The word “circumstance” comes from Latin and literally means “that which surrounds us”.

If we apply this to the previous sentence, the philosopher is telling us that if we act on the environment we can change our self.

And it is true that if we take care of our environment we can have a better world, but those things do not help us to be better people.

For the truth is that, as Jesus teaches us, it is not what goes in, but what comes out of the person, that contaminates.

Therefore, although we Christians take care of the things that surround us, as a sign of our stewardship towards what we have received from God, our efforts should be focused on taking care of and changing our inner self, with the help of the Holy Spirit. For only a heart and mind renewed by Christ can help us on the path to eternal life.

So do not be afraid of circumstances, nor let yourself be discouraged by them, because if you love God, if you walk in His will, every circumstance that God allows in your life is one more step towards your final victory in Christ.

For we know that all things work together for good to them that love God..

God bless you.

Cover photo by OJ on Unsplash

En el Valle de Sombra de Muerte

A lo largo de nuestras vidas, todos vamos a pasar por valles de oscuridad y dolor.

Pero la Palabra de Dios da ánimo, y nos muestra cómo seguir adelante en dichos momentos, y vencer.

Quiero saber más

La entrada All things work together for good se publicó primero en David Gómez.

Have you ever been approached on the street by a stranger to congratulate you and give you a gift?

But a real gift, not one of those promotions whose objective is that you end up buying something from them.

For me, at least, no.

Nor is it usual for someone with whom you have a terrible grudge to approach you to give you gifts. And if it does, before you open them you x-ray them. Just in case.

And that happens because we give gifts to people we love and know.

People who have helped or taught us in a selfless way. People who have granted us the privilege of their friendship, their time, or even their resources.

It is these people whom we honor with gifts, and whose achievements we congratulate and recognize.

But the rest of the population often remains invisible to our eyes. Because we understand that they have done nothing for us, nor are they anything for us.

At most, we make a donation to an NGO. But sometimes it is more out of remorse than out of true altruism.

And this is so because, by nature, we are selfish. Even, in some cases, these gifts are a way to “maintain a relationship” that, perhaps, we are neglecting.

However, Jesus shows us the true nature of the attitude of giving. Thus, in the Gospel of Luke chapter 14 Jesus speaks about a wedding, and tells his host that when he holds a celebration he should not invite friends, but the poor and needy.

Because friends could return the invitation and repay the favor. But the needy could not, and that is what God would value and reward.

In fact, that is what God did with us.

Although God loves us, for many He was a perfect stranger. At most someone we had heard of, but with whom we either had no relationship at all, or our relationship was one of hatred or contempt. But, in all cases, we lived outside their ways and their will.

And in spite of that contempt, God gave us the best of gifts.

Let’s see what Luke’s Gospel tells us, chapter 2 and verses 10 and 11:

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

God had no obligation to us.

We had done nothing to reciprocate.

In fact, we had earned his back.

And yet, his love for us, a genuine and selfless love, impelled him to give us redemption and eternal life.

He paid the price for our sins, for our rebellions, for our indifference against Him. And in Christ he gave us eternal life, granting us the right to be his children.

It doesn’t matter what our attitude toward God is. He looks at us through His mercy and wants us to recover the perfect relationship that we human beings had with Him at the beginning of Creation.

And that is why he sent Christ to rescue us. No strings attached, no fine print. A gift of love.

But like all gifts, you can only enjoy this one if you accept it and unwrap it to use it.

So this Christmas I invite you to accept the gift that God offers you, because no other gift will transform your life as Christ will.

And if you already have it, remember to share it with everyone else, known or unknown.

Because, as valuable as the things you can share are, Christ is the only gift that will bring them life.

God bless you.

And a very Merry Christmas.

Cover photo by Gareth Harper on Unsplash

La entrada The best Christmas gift se publicó primero en David Gómez.

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13).

For many centuries, Christians have wondered how it would be possible for the whole world to witness Christ’s return to Earth.

Today it is no longer necessary to imagine. When Jesus returns there will be thousands of cell phones broadcasting that glorious moment, around the world, in real time.

Because one of the benefits of technology is that it allows us to see, first hand, what is happening anywhere on the planet.

The good, and the bad. The Iraq war was the first war broadcast live on television.

And this new terrible war in Ukraine is the first war that is being broadcast live on social media.

And what we can see is Dantesque, which is a polite way of saying hellish.

Through cell phones we are seeing terrible images of crime, suffering and destruction. Romantic or epic concepts of what war means or heroic sacrifice are swept away by reality.

We do not see people who go joyfully to give their lives for their country. What we see are only people full of pain who try to defend their own, and who die and suffer because of the evil of others.

And we Christians are in the midst of this world. And our brothers in Ukraine are going through the same hunger, the same suffering and the same death as their fellow citizens.

In fact, a volunteer from a Spanish church was also killed in the massacre at the Kramatorsk station. I was there giving comfort, and a little water and food, to the refugees.

And when you hold in your arms the mangled body of your mother or your child, it is very human to let yourself be carried away by anger, and cry out to God that fire come down from heaven and destroy the one who has done this.

And like this there are hundreds of situations that push us to our limit, whether in professional, moral, economic, or whatever other issues. Issues that serve as an excuse for our human, but often mistaken, reactions.

Because our life does not exist to serve as a support for our passions. Nor can our cry be for destruction, however much pain we may feel, but that the earth may be filled with the glory of God.

Let us see what the Word of God tells us in the first epistle to the Corinthians, chapter 10 and verse 13:

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

And a nuance before continuing. The Greek word used in this verse serves both for what we know as temptation and also as test.

Because just as it happened to Job, God is faithful, and He will never allow our adversary to come with temptations greater than the strength He gives us.

Nor is God going to lead us into situations that we cannot endure and that destroy us as Christians.

Rather, in all these circumstances He is going to give us a way out. And that way out is none other than to look to Christ on the cross, dying for you and for me, and crying out to God for forgiveness for his executioners. Because without that forgiveness the end of his executioners, as well as yours and mine, would be terrible. And eternal.

Does this mean that we cannot cry out to God for justice? Of course we can, and indeed, that should be our cry. May his righteousness and his fear fall upon every person in this world, whether for salvation or damnation.

Let us remember that, if we have to give an account of every idle word, how much more, he who has rejoiced in the pain of others, will have to give an account of it in heaven before God, but also on this earth.

Therefore, let us not make excuses to let ourselves be carried away by our desires or by our anger. Let us be children of our Father in Heaven.

And, in the face of so much pain and suffering, let us cry out for consolation, but, above all, for the return of our Lord.

After all, cell phones are now ready for all to see.

God bless you.

Cover photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

La entrada God is faithful se publicó primero en David Gómez.

…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Amen (Matthew 28:20)

It has been almost 2000 years since Christ left us to return to the Father.

A long time, but during which the church, with its lights and shadows, has been fulfilling the Great Commission that He entrusted to us: to go into all the world and preach the Gospel, baptizing and teaching to keep His commandments .

A duty, undoubtedly, far beyond our capabilities and skills. And that would be impossible without the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, it is not surprising that, when God calls us to serve Him, in whatever service, our first response is: “no”.

And, under a false sense of humility, let us reply like Jeremiah or Moses, “Lord, I am useless, please send someone else”.

Curious humility that leads us to reply to God to tell him that he does not know what he is doing when he asks us to do this or that.

It is not humility, it is fear of failure that leads us to answer this way.

The fear of screwing up and being laughed at by others, or that God Himself will throw our uselessness in our face.

It is pride that makes us answer God: “No”.

For if we were truly humble, we would obey Him without grumbling.

It is true that lack of experience leads us to doubt our capabilities.

But what we have to remember is that in God’s ways the capacity does not depend on us. It is not of him who wills or of him who runs, but of him on whom God has mercy.

That is why we all can and should commit ourselves to the task of serving God wherever He needs us, to make the message of the Gospel grow in the midst of this earth.

When Jesus committed the Great Commission to the disciples, they faced the same fears.

They knew their weaknesses. They had fled when Jesus was arrested. Even after his resurrection, He had to call them back because they had returned to their old professions.

If Jesus was not going to be with them, who would continue to perform the miracles and wonders that attracted so much attention? Or who would silence the enemies of truth with words of power and wisdom?

That is why Jesus, when he gives them the witness of the task ends with these words that we find in Matthew chapter 28 and verse 20: And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Yes, it is true that He physically left us almost 2000 years ago, but the truth is that He has never left us alone.

His Holy Spirit has been with us since Pentecost, and since then nothing and no one has been able to stop His church. And nothing can stop it as long as He is with us.

They may persecute us, they may try to silence us, they may even kill us, but as long as there is a church the Gospel will always continue to run. For we have the promise of Christ that his presence will be with us until the end of the world.

As Peter said when he healed the paralytic, our services are not done by our power or virtue, but by faith in Christ and the grace of God.

Whatever God calls you to, forget your pride, say yes to God, and start working.

If you have to train, train, and if you have to mature, do it. But don’t wait until you’re perfect, because then you’ll never do anything but whine in the corners.

Whatever you have in your hand at any given moment is what you must give to God so that He may bless and multiply it.

For even with only five loaves and two fish, physical or spiritual, God can lead you to feed a multitude.

And the fact is that life, and victory, belongs to those who say yes to God, to those who dare to put their hand to the plow and, in the name of Christ, go forward.

Until the finish line.

Because Christ is and will be with them.

God bless you.

Cover photo by Ellaby on Unsplash

En el Valle de Sombra de Muerte

A lo largo de nuestras vidas, todos vamos a pasar por valles de oscuridad y dolor.

Pero la Palabra de Dios da ánimo, y nos muestra cómo seguir adelante en dichos momentos, y vencer.

Quiero saber más

La entrada And surely I am with you always se publicó primero en David Gómez.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

You may think this is an inappropriate question for a blog like this one.

But this is a question that gives a lot of play.

Because it not only tells us about priorities, it also tells us about the arrogance of human beings.

In order to develop our lives, it is good to have a roadmap in which we keep in mind our priorities, our objectives and our values.

In this way it is easier to focus on what we really consider a priority for us, and thus be able to concentrate energy and resources on it and make the achievement of our goals more feasible.

As a result, all kinds of organizations, from businesses to governments to Christian denominations, are now developing their respective and famous agendas. What if the 2030 agenda, what if the 2033 agenda, what if the 2050 agenda…

They are really very useful tools for making consistent progress, because if we know where we are, and we know where we want to be, it is easier to determine the steps to take and the direction to follow.

However, these agendas have a problem. The truth is that we do not know what the future will bring.

First, because what we consider rock-solid today may tomorrow prove to be as unsafe as sand. In the crash of ’29, many went to bed rich on Wednesday, October 23 and woke up broke the next day.

Second, because our actions do not always achieve the desired results. Buying a lottery ticket gives you a chance, but does not guarantee you a prize.

Third, because our goals are not always going to be the right ones and we may find ourselves achieving our dreams only to discover that it was not what we expected.

And fourth, and most important, because we are not even certain that we will be alive tomorrow.

They are agendas based on the shortness of what we know at the moment of departure, but they cannot take into account everything that will happen along the way.

And knowing this would be invaluable in order to rework the roadmap in a seamless manner.

But how can we know what has not yet been produced?

We could try to develop artificial intelligence algorithms, but there may be so many variables and options that it would be unfeasible.

Trust in the Lord

However, there is a better alternative, to ask God, who has the time in His hand, to guide us in preparing it, as the book of Proverbs reminds us in chapter 3 and verses 5 and 6:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

It’s not that you stop planning and take a chance to see where you land.

It is about trusting in God’s power and grace to make the right choice, not so much in your own abilities or resources as in the certainty that God places in your heart.

If God brings you before the Jordan, and tells you to cross over, do not be afraid of the width of the river or that you do not know how to swim; trust God with all your heart.

And when you make a decision, sincerely seek to do God’s will, so that, even when you make a wrong decision, you will be sensitive and humble enough to allow him to straighten your paths and allow you to reach the streams of fresh water of the Holy Spirit, which will fill your life with blessing.

And so you can complete your race with victory.

God bless you.

Cover photo by Michael Shannon on Unsplash

La entrada Trust in the Lord se publicó primero en David Gómez.

These are very difficult times.

Pandemics, climate crises, wars…

Indeed, life is a fragile and ephemeral thing, as the Psalmist reminds us:

The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.

Psalm 103:15-16

We spend our lives struggling and striving to improve it.

We want to have a better position, a better job, better training, better savings….

And we do not realize that this is exactly the same thing we did when we did not have Christ in our lives.

The same as the world does.

And worst of all, sometimes we do it without even thanking God for what He has already given us, and for what He spares us.

And we forget God’s message: Seek the Lord and live.

At the beginning of the war in Ukraine, one of the news broadcasts featured a young student who had gone to Ukraine to study for a degree.

This young man was already safe in Poland, to begin his return to his country. But when the journalist asked him what his departure from Ukraine had been like, the young man replied that he had been treated very badly, that he was forced to stand for more than 15 hours in a crowded train where he could not even move, and that this caused problems with his legs.

Really? Were you treated badly because you were evacuated to safety while many others were left suffering and dying in razed and encircled cities?

It’s sad, but, sometimes, we do the same. We have stopped seeing God as Lord to see Him as a mere provider. It is no longer enough for us that God saves us, heals us and gives us his grace and gifts, now we want him to do it our way.

We keep forgetting God’s message: Seek the Lord and live.

Now, is it a bad thing to want to improve? Of course not. Even Paul, when writing to the Corinthians tells them in his first epistle:

Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so.

1st Corinthians 7:21

Wanting to improve is good, but only if it is done from God’s perspective. That is why we must seek him.

Amos

Amos was a man who tended and drove oxen.

He was a man of the country and had received no theological training other than that which was given by the Levites to the people in general. As he says: “I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet”.

And yet, God called him to announce his message in a very difficult time for the kingdom of Israel.

A message of judgment and punishment, but also of reconciliation.

The problem, for the Israelites, was that they did not listen.

They were very focused on their goals, to become a strong and feared kingdom, even if it meant making war on their brothers in the kingdom of Judah.

And to do so, they did not hesitate to ignore the law that God had given them. And they mocked the consequences of the curse that came with turning away from it.

They thought they were the masters of their lives. That is why they despised Amos’ message and threatened him to keep quiet. Or, at least, for him to prophesy away.

It’s as if they were saying, “If you want to entertain this for us that’s fine, but don’t bother here.”

And the truth is that God heard this “plea” of the Israelites, as we see in chapter 8 of the book of Amos, because after Malachi there were 400 years of silence on God’s part, in which there was no prophet in Israel, until John the Baptist.

They sought to make a great name for themselves among the nations, not realizing that they, along with their brethren in the southern kingdom, had been chosen by God to be His people.

No other nation on earth had such a privilege, but to them it seemed little. They also wanted the shine and luster of the world’s appearance.

Seek me and live

They forgot about God’s message:Seek me and live. For in God alone is blessing, life and honor.

They had already incurred in this tremendous sin centuries before, when they asked Samuel to have a king “such as all the other nations have” (1 Samuel 8).

And here again we see how dangerous it is to insist on our ways and desires, because as in the case of the prophetic silence we have just seen, God also granted them this request:

And the Lord told him:

“Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.

As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you.

Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”

1 Samuel 8:7-9

Israel did not want to be ruled by the sons of Samuel, because they had departed from the ways of God and were corrupt. But they didn’t let God offer them the alternative, they wanted to be the ones to choose the way to fix the problem.

And the ways of man are seldom the ways of God. With the added problem that when you fall in your ways, there is no one to help you up, because God is not around.

And not because He cannot be, but because you have decided to turn away from God and reject his help.

That is why Amos tells them that 1000 will go out and 100 will return, or 100 will go out and 10 will return. And it is that they were going in their own strength, and they forgot that, no matter how good you are, there will always be those who are better than you.

But God did not want Israel to be destroyed, just as God does not want the death of the wicked, nor does He want us to be wiped off the face of the earth.

That is why he offers us his alternative, the only real alternative that guarantees us blessing and joy: To turn to him.

Israel wanted to get what it needed by its own means. But that wasn’t going to work, because in the spiritual world that never works.

Therefore, it will never be a good idea to try to make your life outside of God’s ways, because you will end up decimated; nor to set your sights on the things of the world, because you will end up defeated.

And when problems arise, people run from here to there without anyone chasing them, just for fear that something bad might happen.

People who will seek protection in the Bethel of endless jobs, or will try to enter the Gilgal of unethical agreements, or will try to move to the Beersheba that promises prosperity and security, but none of that will give them what they expect, because only in God will we find life.

The Bible already warns us that there will be wars and rumors of wars, which is why we must be more aware than ever of who we have believed in and in whom we have placed our confidence, and that is why it is more important than ever that we seek God, because only in him will we find life..

And, above all, in these difficult times we are facing, let us be an example of love and generosity to those in need, and let us be an example of light, not allowing anyone to take from us what God has given us.

Let no one rob us of the peace of Christ.

May God bless you

Cover photo by Finding Dan | Dan Grinwis on Unsplash

La entrada Seek me and live se publicó primero en David Gómez.

One of the things that is most valued in a person who has to lead a group or a project is his or her capacity for self-motivation.

This is because, in the course of his or her work, the leader will find himself or herself in situations that will undermine his or her endurance.

Resources that fail, poorly designed systems, collaborators who do their job reluctantly, when they are not putting obstacles in the wheels of the project, superiors who don’t know anything…

Those responsible for finding these people know that if they don’t find someone with that exceptional ability to move forward, most projects will likely never come to fruition.

For this reason, in personnel selection processes, technical preparation is no longer given so much importance, as this is something that the vast majority of candidates will have.

Nowadays, what is most valued is the candidate’s attitude towards life’s problems.

Because chances are, if you get a job like that, you’re going to have a lot of bad nights. And if you don’t have the right attitude, you’ll end up spending your little free time at your psychologist’s office.

And it is the same in the spiritual life.

To go to the end in a faithful manner, facing the consequences of living a life of holiness and obeying God, will require much effort and persistence.

Because we will be up against a ruthless enemy.

And that strength and persistence is something that only a select few have naturally.

And even for those, this natural energy eventually runs out one day.

So, if this capacity for endurance is so rare, how can those of us who do not have it remain steadfast to the end?

Are we doomed because we are unable to develop such a level of resilience?

As always, the answer is in God.

Let us see what the book of Isaiah tells us:

.…..but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:31

To advance in your spiritual life, it is not necessary to go from here to there looking for the latest preaching or the latest talk of the enlightened person of the moment. Nor is it necessary to have an extraordinary innate capacity.

If you want to keep your strength strong, if you want to renew your energy and your vision to move forward, all you have to do is trust in God.

For it is to those who wait for the LORD that this promise is reserved. Not to those who run alone.

And, for this, there is nothing better than to stop and set aside time each day to listen to the voice of God. And dedicate it to prayer and meditation of his Word.

Pray, yes, but remember that prayer is not a monologue. Prayer is a dialogue. It is you talking to God, but it is also God talking to you.

And meditate on his Word in order to re-tune your life to God’s will.

For only in this way can you deepen your knowledge of your Creator and the knowledge of His will.

When you achieve this, the glimpse of God’s glory will renew you completely, and His Holy Spirit will be able to strengthen, comfort and encourage you.

With the added assurance that this promise of God, to receive new strength, is for each and every one of his children. Without distinction of capacity or calling.

So the next time you are thinking of throwing in the towel, go into God’s presence and wait and trust in him. And he will give you the strength to go on, one more day.

God bless you.

Cover photo by Birger Strahl on Unsplash

La entrada Those who hope in the Lord se publicó primero en David Gómez.

In the previous week’s meditation we saw that success in the ministry to which God calls you, whether it is the pastorate, intercession or practical service in the church, does not come from your academic preparation but from your obedience to God.

Now, this raises another question, what does it mean to be successful in your service?

Because, if we look at the society around us, success means achieving your goals, surpassing the achievements of others, and obtaining a position of prestige and well-being.

And, moreover, success in the world is reserved for only a few.

To give you a couple of examples, in some of the most popular and prestigious marathons in the world, more than 10,000 athletes may run, but only one takes the gold medal.

Thousands of candidates apply for public employment offers, but only a handful get the jobs. Only a few take the prize.

The others, who also fought for victory, are left with the bitter taste of failure.

If success in the spiritual life were measured by the same standards, only the pastor of each church would have achieved success. And only one of them would have reached the presidency of his local or national denomination. And, of these, only one would go on to achieve the world presidency.

The rest would be mere secondary actors, if not simple anonymous extras in the film of their own existence.

Sad fate for someone for whom Christ gave his life.

For this is not what God has in mind for his children.

If Christ left Heaven to descend to this Earth and suffer scorn, persecution and death, it was not to give us a life of mediocrity. He did it to give us a full and victorious life, and in which he has reserved for us the role of co-protagonist at his side.

Because for God, each one of us is not just a number in the Book of Life. Each one of us is a child of His whom He loves with all the love of which God is capable. And for whom God has a perfect plan.

That is why, in Peter’s first epistle, in chapter 2 and verse 9 we read:

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

We are a chosen people, because it is God who has called us. It has not been our effort, but God’s grace. Grace that confers upon us the role of children who love and adore Him.

We are also a royal priesthood. People who consecrate their lives to God and who live to worship Him and to manifest eternal truth. And thus, guide others towards life with God.

And we are a holy nation. A people, redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, who have decided to live in the ways of God. It announces a better and sublime way of living on this earth. And a people who show the world the greatness and holiness of God.

In this context, success is not measured by the size of achievements or the number of miracles. It is measured by faithfulness to your calling.

Therefore, true spiritual success is to arrive at the end of your career full of His joy, knowing that God was by your side all the time, that He was able to do through you all that He had planned, and that your faith in Christ has overcome the world.

There is no greater success than that.

May God bless you.

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

La entrada A chosen people se publicó primero en David Gómez.