Faith 101: The Good Grapes

The Lord says:

"No one destroys good grapes.

instead, they will make wine with them.

Neither will I destroy all my people-

I will save those who serve me."

-Isaiah 65:8 TEV-

Just like the old saying goes: "A tree laden with good fruit is stoned", a good grape will also be picked, crushed and trampled to produce wine. 

Yes, if God sees something good in us, He will use it for a greater purpose. But during the process, He will take away some precious things in us as He prepares us for our mission; He will let us make big decisions like letting go of some habits that we're already used to; to lay down and humble ourselves and to shift our focus away from ourselves but towards Him and to His plans.

If we won't recognize it, we will think the other way around. We will interpret it us God's punishment, a trial, and we will start to battle against Him and our faith. We will then ask ourselves and God, "What's the sense of being good if what we will reap are challenges and trials, hardships and pain?"

Part of the challenge is when Satan comes into the picture. He will use other people for us to be discouraged and to give us greater burden and the hardest part is when he will cloud our emotions and will plant tricks and lies inside our hearts so that we will rebel against God for the hardships, difficulties and pain of being used for His purpose. He will make us half-hearted and disobedient. He will use every circumstances to steal our passion.

So, at all times, we need to have a good communication and relationship to God so that no matter what happens, we will learn how to submit and accept Him, His plans and His ways of accomplishing them.

He said: "I will never destroy my people- I will save those who serve me." This is true. His ways are painful and sometimes hard to bear but if we trust Him, the best product will come out from us and we will become better person or even the best.

Personally, I also experienced this. I've been through a lot and still striving to fight a lot of things 'til now. Even the simplest way of attending Sunday service is also a challenge for me at some point. Spending almost if not more than 10 hours at the office Saturday night 'til Sunday morning, then will just sleep for like 4-5 hours in our office's retiring room, then will attend service, cell group meeting, PSOL training then will go back to office for another shift- Sunday night 'til Monday morning. It's physically exhausting and draining but inside me is an energy that keeps me propelling. For more than two years now, this is my routine. But when I've realized that I am not losing anything of myself, instead I gain more for myself, I really feel happier, stronger, better and more blessed. Yes, God is letting me undergo a hard training that brings out the best in me. Of course, this is only an example on spiritual aspect of my life. Personally, socially, professionally and financially, I also undergo trials, challenges, pruning and testing but words are not enough to explain how God guides me and blesses me amid these challenges.

So, let us always remind ourselves that there is something good inside us that God wants to come out and use for His purpose and plan. The process may be hard, difficult, and painful and sometimes we never understand, but we have to keep an open communication with Him through our prayers and Bible reading.

Let us fix our eyes not only to the negative side of what is happening in our lives but to the days when we are really blessed, and to the beautiful reward that awaits us.