"If we cut off their tongues and forbid the Christians speech, they love with their hands, with their feet, and with their eyes, they love always and everywhere until their last respiration."

This is my love life. This is how I want to love my Maker, my Husband (Isaiah 54). I am in love with none other than Jesus, my Lord and Saviour.

2016 was not the year when I started falling in love with God. But I became more intentional with Him this year. I wanted to know Him more than to merely see His promises come to pass. It was all about Him and His steadfast love and faithfulness for me. I have always known that He could love me that much. But I never knew that that kind of love could be enough for me.

In the previous year, God started building my faith into a whole new level. I had greater faith in Him. When I entered 2016,  I declared that He is Emmanuel (God with us). Throughout the year, I did not doubt Him when things get shaky or out of control. Instead of complaining and worrying, He taught me to focus on Him. He taught me how to listen, obey, and be still. He revealed more of His character and how much He loves me. This is the ultimate reason why this year was better than the previous years and why I am looking forward to the best years ahead. God is not yet finished with those He loves. He is going to do more and more amazing things for us. Why? Just because He loves us. Supernaturally.

This supernatural love could only be learned from God. While I was reading Luke chapters 23 and 24, I was crying. It was the time when the authorities insisted on Jesus' death even though He did not commit anything wrong. He was just and sinless in their eyes. But He was crucified. On our behalf, He asked God to forgive us for our sins because we did not know what we were doing. To be loved like that and to be taught how to love like that is a gift. Nobody deserved it. But Jesus did it anyway because of His love for us. That is His selfless, supernatural, unconditional love.

Before 2016 comes to an end, I want to write about how God showed His love to me as an act of gratitude to Him. It might be different from how God expressed it to you this year. But I'm sure there is one thing in common. It showed the depth and magnitude of His love.

"His unconditional love is limitless."

I felt God's limitless love when I started being a full-time student in April. I was jobless, broke, and delayed in the thesis calendar and life goals I have set for myself. I asked Him about the reasons for the sufferings repeatedly. I did not lose my faith. But I was crying out to Him and begging Him for quick solutions.

For each time, He did not turn His back on me. He faced me, assured me of His promises, and loved me. Despite my imperfections, His love did not cease. His love never ran out. He chose to continue loving. He provided solutions, both quick and lengthy, through financial support, new doors, encouraging and generous people, and countless little miracles. All I needed to do was be still and trust Him.

"His selfless love is shared."

Everyday, I asked God what He wanted me to do or learn from Him. It seemed that every place was a classroom. He was the teacher. Once, I felt the urge to buy something from a store in a mall. I ended up having a lengthy conversation with a saleslady. She told me that she was an inactive Christian who could not go to church anymore due to her work. She also has a baby girl. She was worried about so many things. In short, she was in a total mess. Before I left the store, I asked her if I could pray for her and she agreed happily. She was so grateful after that. As for me, I was in awe about how God used me to show compassion and love to a stranger. One visit to a store turned out to be a divine meeting.

From that day on, I asked God to use me to encourage and spread His love to others. If we have God in ours heart, then we must be overflowing. Other people need Him too. Even though we're tired, we're not being loved, or we're facing problems, we can still be a channel of His love to others. It may be difficult at times. But are we willing to die to ourselves in order to share God's love to His people? It is how God loves. He loves even though there is a need for sacrifice, even though there is not so much to gain from it.

"His supernatural love is satisfying."

Like most women, I have always dreamt of a man who would sweep me off my feet one day. I have always prayed about him. I entered this year with a brand new and restored heart. But in the middle of the year, I started to look for ways to meet new people. In this day and age, I considered the Internet as a possible venue. But a few days after, I laid on the floor, closed my eyes, and conversed with God in the middle of a Worship and Prayer Night at church. God asked me two questions. His first question was, "How do you feel about it?" I told Him that I felt so bad. I could not imagine telling my future husband about talking to numerous men before him, scanning each one, in order to select someone that matches me. There is nothing wrong with meeting people in the Internet just as long as it is God's will for your love life. Moving away from it was a decision based on my own conviction. I could not handle it like other people could. In short, it was not God's will for me. The second question was, "Don't you trust my divine algorithms or match-making?" He reminded me about my dream as a young girl. I dreamt of meeting the one in a bookstore or in a very movie-like face-to-face interaction. He asked me, "Would you settle for something less when you could have the best 'cute meet'? I could do it. I am your matchmaker." So I surrendered it to Him and let Him write our love story the way He planned it.

Everything started to change. God changed my heart into a heart that yearns for Him alone. It was not fixed on finding my life partner. It was focused on knowing Him and experiencing His steadfast love and faithfulness. To the world, my relationship status would be described as lonely, boring, and loveless at my late 20s. But to me, this season was joyful, exciting, and full of love. I am in a relationship with my Father, the Great Lover Himself. I do not need to worry about anything for His love lasts and satisfies. It is all I could ever need in this season.

If you find yourself looking for a love that is limitless, overflowing, and satisfying, enter a love life with God first. It is the best love story one could ever have. The love story that we are yearning for with another person begins with Him. In order for us to fully love another person, we must learn to love like God. He is going to prepare us for that journey but we must die to ourselves and love Him first. In return of our love for Him, His peace that transcends all understanding will fill us (John 14:27; Philippians 4:7). We do not need to worry about our identity or our worth. God's love consumes us.

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." -Lamentations 3:22-23

This is the steadfast love that I found in 2016. I hope and pray that those who haven't experienced God's love seek it and find it with all their hearts (Jeremiah 29:13). May His love in us continue to overflow.


"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." 
-Matthew 22:37

Cheers to your best year yet! (:

K

A million times in our lives, I'm sure we have heard God's voice telling us to "Go." He wanted us to do something, usually something that we did not think highly of. But before we obey Him, we usually ask Him a question, "Okay, God. But when?" This response might be due to fear from the unknown or lack of trust in Him. But no matter how hard we resist to follow His command, He will never stop bugging us until we act on it.

Through the years, God has kept on reminding me to believe and trust Him through this verse: "For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay." -Habakkuk 2:3

While waiting, God does not want us to believe and just be idle. He wants us to continue living our lives while entrusting Him our dreams and desires. Sometimes, the delays come just because we do not believe. We could not wait. So we move based on what we want; ignoring God in the process. Or sometimes we just sit still doing nothing. How do we really respond?

This year, I asked God some questions and the Bible Verses He gave to each one that satisfied my yearnings for answers.

1. What is God's plan for my life?



We have asked this question a million times. He is the only one who could tell us the things that He desires for us. He might use people around us, strangers, friends, or family. But we could only make sure that it is from Him when it confirms what He has already told us. It comes through His Word, prayers, visions, and prophecies. God reveals it to YOU and ME.

2. When is the appointed time?



Good things take time. God makes waiting part of receiving the beautiful plans He has for you and me. He does not only want us to enjoy receiving them but to enjoy the process of waiting upon them. He has already gone before us and He will guard us when that appointed time comes.

3. How do I wait for it?


4. What do I do when it comes?


Simply be thankful. Let God's steadfast love and faithfulness be known to mankind. Spread the Word about how good, pleasing, and perfect God is. We are expected to receive what we have been given. But we must have a grateful heart to God who has given us all things.

In this season, I have heard God's voice telling me to go and do things. Sure, I have asked him a lot of questions aside from the ones I listed here. The key is to just keep on seeking Him. When you get answers, obey Him.

Through the process of waiting upon Him, I realized that listening to other people clouds God's messages. You must listen to God only. Many times, people kept on saying to do this or to do that. Then, when I started to commune with Him, everything became clear. God wanted me to keep on taking chances until the right time for me to step into the open doors come. It was not for others to do. It was between me and God.

God wanted me to do my part by exercising my faith in Him. It was not easy to just go and do things while others are doubting you or advising you to do something else. But doing the things God has asked you to do, without knowing the outcomes, acting out of pure faith, honours Him. I believe that He will outdo every pain, suffering, and hardship that I have experienced in order to get there.

So when God says go, don't say no. Just go.

I do not like being angry. It is the feeling that I hate most in the world. I feel bad after showing my anger at someone. Most people would say that it is normal to be angry and that it is healthy to be angry sometimes. Being an introvert does not necessarily mean that there will be less chances of showing anger. Actually, it is dangerous an introverted person to be angry because he/she does not let out his/her feelings as often as an extroverted person does. But when the times comes, an outburst happens.

I always pray to God about anger. The Bible has several verses about it that I have held on to all these years. These verses guide me in how to manage my anger. It helps me respond to someone or something in an appropriate or respectful manner, one that leads me away from hurting another person or even myself.

1. Anger leads to sin.