Isaiah 59:19

The world just recently witnesses the devastation that took place in our beloved country. When the force of nature relentlessly flooded the almost the whole metropolis, we seen in our own eyes that eyen the flood that mother nature bring is not also respecter of person whether your rich or poor, politician or show biz personality what ever standard of living or status in life we are all vulnerable. Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng is just a kind of wakeup call to us that there is still a sovereign God that is in control of our lives. The same truth remains the same in our Christian life. Like the flood we are not exempted, Immune or free from temptations, crisis, problems, sickness and diseases. As we ponder the book of Isaiah 59:19 says so shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west and his glory from the rising of the sun, when the enemy shall come in like a flood, the spirit of the lord shall lift up a standard against him. Fear is an emotional response to a treat, it is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to stimulus. No wonder fear not was mention in the scripture 365 times for us not to fear that we can hold on to this word every single day, when the attempts of the enemy trying his mighty army to discourage, hinder us from changes in our old self and defeat us through temptations. My brethren there is hope. The recent flood that hits Metro Manila it exempt no one the water level starts to creep gradually same thing with the sins in our lives, it creeps to us in a simple form of lie the gradually increasing to gossip and before you know it we are already drowning with sins and only the blood of Jesus that was shed in the cross of Calvary can cleanse and purify us, regardless of the ruins, damage and devastation that sin (flood) brought to our lives. As far as the east is from the west he remember our sins no more.

The Tools God Uses to Change Us

1. God Uses His Word
The first tool God uses in changing us is the bible. through scripture he teaches us how to live. Second Timothy 3:16-17 tells us, “ the whole bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what was wrong in our lives: it straightens us out and helps us do what is right. It is God’s way of making us well prepared at every point.
Has the bible transformed your life? I heard about a converted cannibal on the island in south seas who was sitting by a large pot reading his bible when an anthropologist wearing a pith helmet approached him and asked. “What are you doing?” the native replied, “I’m reading the bible” the anthropologist scoffed and said, “don’t you know that modern, civilized man has rejected that book? It’s nothing but a pack of lies. You shouldn’t waste your time reading it. The cannibal looked him over from head to toe and slowly replied, Sir, it weren’t for this book, you’d be in the pot! (you will be mine for dinner) The word of God had changed his life and his appetite.

If you are serious about changing your life, you are going to have to get into the bible. You need to read it, study it, meditated on it and apply it.

2. God Uses His Spirit
The second tool God uses to change us is the Holy Spirit. When we commit ourselves to Christ the Holy Spirit comes into our lives to empower and direct us. (Rom. 8:9-11) The Spirit of God gives us new strength and vitality and the desire and power to do what is right. As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like Him. God’s number one purpose in your life is to make you like Jesus Christ. The Spirit of God uses the word of God to make the Child of God more like the Son of God. And what is Jesus like? His life on earth embodied the nine fold fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.

3. God Uses Circumstances
God’s ideal way of changing us is to have us read the bible to find out how we should live and then depend on the Holy Spirit to enable us to do it. Unfortunately, most of us are stubborn and we don’t change that easily. So God brings the third tool to work on us – circumstances. Problems, pressures, heartache, difficulties and stress always get our attention same thing with the flood that hits our country that serves us a wakeup call for all Filipinos all over the world. Just like one author said “God whispers to us in our pleasure but He shout to us in our pain.

The interesting thing about how God uses circumstances is that the sources of the circumstances make no difference to him. We often bring problems on ourselves by faulty decisions, bad judgments’ and sins. At other times our problems are caused by other people. Sometimes the devil causes things to happen to us as he did to Job. But God says the source of the circumstances is irrelevant. “ I will still use it in your life” “I will fit it into my pattern; I will fit it into my great plan in your life, to make you like Jesus Christ.” So there is no circumstance in life from which we cannot learn if we’ll just have the right attitude.
God speaks to us through the bible and by the prompting of this Holy Spirit, but if he can’t get our attention, he will also use circumstances. For example, the bible says that we should be humble, and the Holy Spirit enables us to be humble. But if we don’t humble ourselves, he will use circumstances to humble us.

Brethren, God can use every situation in our lives for our growth and change; As far as the bible is concern, as far as The Holy Spirit is concern; and In the site of God there is no accident. All thing work together for good to those who love God and who are called to his purpose.