A Promise of Restoration

We just came from our bible study. Everytime our Pastor will say "Be ready for you will be filled with Holy Spirit", it makes me excited because that is the only time I truly pray.. not by my own language but by speaking of tongues. But tonight was different. Why? Because I didn't pray for myself. That's true. From call to worship song:

Nagsusumamo, nagpapakumbaba

O Diyos kami’y patawarin sa aming sala

Sa pagkakabaha-bahagi

Sa pagkakampi-kampi

Sa kawalan ng pag-ibig sa isa’t-isa

Pag-isahin Mo

Ang laman ng aming puso

Pag-isahin Mo

Ang laman ng aming isipan

Bigkisin ng Iyong pag-ibig

Bigkisin ng Iyong pagmamahal

Hesus maghari Ka sa aming buhay

While singing (yes I sing, for God's ear!), I thought that this song is very much (very na much pa!) fit to our country Philippines. There are so many 'not so good' things happening to PH right now. From joint force of typhoon Maring and hanging habagat which left the country flooded and put some places in Manila and provinces under state of calamity, to the Php10Billion scam scandal on pork barrel, to questionable Php7.8Million budget just for the replacement of flagpole in Luneta park. The social networks and TV news are outgushing of these issues, we can see the anger and throwing of blames to the government, and the officials point their fingers to one another. I am too, disappointed and carried out with the situation. So when I heard this song, God made me realized that instead of blaming, condemning each other, we should plea God for forgiveness of our sins, be united, be inlove and let Jesus take control.

Aftermath of Typhoon Maring

Janet Napoles: "Huh? It wasn't me!"

Php8M for replacement of flagpole: are you kidding me?

No matter how long we make noise and protest against the government or to the accused, nothing will change. There might be, Edsa revolution freed us from martial law, former president Erap was impeached because of jueteng, former Chief Justice Renato Corona was impeached due to partiality and undisclosed SALN, former Pres. Arroyo been kicked out too. All these happened by people power. Sounds great but the issues never changed! We changed the officials but corruption is still there - getting worse every succession of administration, and calamity happens every year!


It shows that human effort will just be in vain without God.


Let me go back to my story. I told you I didn't pray for myself nor for my family - which I usually do. I don't know why but before the pouring of holy spirit, I said to the Lord "I want to pray for my country". So I prayed with holy spirit, I cried and laughed - laugh out loud! I rolled on the floor. What does he says? I don't know. I don't understand the language. Why I laughed? The Lord filled me with joy.


On our way home, I thanked God for the gift, and asked him again why me? Then he reminded me: because you DESIRE. Yes I remember, that if we delight ourselves to God, He will give the DESIRES of our heart... but I can't remember the verse. I looked into my bible app at my phone, no 'search' function, so I borrowed Khitz phone. He has 'Olive Tree the bible study app' (by the way, to my dearest sister, if happens that you read this and I hope you are, this is what you asked me - so i urge you to download this app - its good, you can highlight your favorite verse with different colors, with search function and has different versions as well)). I searched for "DESIRE" and 39 verses turned in the result. But I didn't saw the same verse that I'm looking for but I found this: Jer 32: 40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me. 41 I will find joy doing good for them and will faithfully and wholeheartedly replant them in this land." (This is in NLT version).


Seemed like its not only for me because it referred to "them". Whose them? So I scrolled down to read the preceding verses. And to my surprise, it is referring to people of Jerusalem. What made me happy was the title: "A promise of restoration"!. This is a revelation of my prayer! So this is God's promise to our native land:



A Promise of Restoration (Jer. 32)
36 “Now I want to say something more about this city. You have been saying, ‘It will fall to the king of Babylon through war, famine, and disease.’ But this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 37 I will certainly bring my people back again from all the countries where I will scatter them in my fury. I will bring them back to this very city and let them live in peace and safety. 38 They will be my people, and I will be their God. 39 And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants. 40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me. 41 I will find joy doing good for them and will faithfully and wholeheartedly replant them in this land.


42 “This is what the Lord says: Just as I have brought all these calamities on them, so I will do all the good I have promised them. 43 Fields will again be bought and sold in this land about which you now say, ‘It has been ravaged by the Babylonians, a desolate land where people and animals have all disappeared.’ 44 Yes, fields will once again be bought and sold—deeds signed and sealed and witnessed—in the land of Benjamin and here in Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah and in the hill country, in the foothills of Judah[e] and in the Negev, too. For someday I will restore prosperity to them. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

As I said earlier, human act did not bring us into what we desire for our country. Why don't we pray in unity with same mind and let us hold into God's promise. You don't need to be religious to do it. I am not religious, but I'm building relationship with the heavely Father through faith in Lord Jesus.

If happens that you read this, I am not asking you to repost or share this whole article because half of this are my personal views and beliefs. But I urge you to pray and claim the promise of the Lord for our country... and share the highlighted prayer below to your wall so others can pray too:

PANALANGIN PARA SA AKING MAHAL NA BANSANG PILIPINAS

Nagsusumamo, nagpapakumbaba
O Diyos kami’y patawarin sa aming sala
Sa pagkakabaha-bahagi
Sa pagkakampi-kampi
Sa kawalan ng pag-ibig sa isa’t-isa

Pag-isahin Mo
Ang laman ng aming puso
Pag-isahin Mo
Ang laman ng aming isipan
Bigkisin ng Iyong pag-ibig
Bigkisin ng Iyong pagmamahal
Hesus maghari Ka sa aming buhay




I CLAIM GOD'S PROMISES FOR MY BELOVED COUNTRY


GOD'S PROMISE OF RESTORATION (JER. 32)


36 “Now I want to say something more about this city. You have been saying, ‘It will fall to the king of Babylon through war, famine, and disease.’ But this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 37 I will certainly bring my people back again from all the countries where I will scatter them in my fury. I will bring them back to this very city and let them live in peace and safety. 38 They will be my people, and I will be their God. 39 And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants. 40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me. 41 I will find joy doing good for them and will faithfully and wholeheartedly replant them in this land.


42 “This is what the Lord says: Just as I have brought all these calamities on them, so I will do all the good I have promised them. 43 Fields will again be bought and sold in this land about which you now say, ‘It has been ravaged by the Babylonians, a desolate land where people and animals have all disappeared.’ 44 Yes, fields will once again be bought and sold—deeds signed and sealed and witnessed—in the land of Benjamin and here in Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah and in the hill country, in the foothills of Judah[e] and in the Negev, too. For someday I will restore prosperity to them. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

Lord restore our land as you promised!

Don't be exage that if you pray now, tomorrow will change everything, it will but in God's will and perfect time. Yes nothing is impossible with God... to those who BELIEVE him. So let's keep the faith in God and be a good citizen. That's what we can not at least but the best we can do to help the transformation of our country.


P.S. I did not write this because I want to, but I need to. I just followed the task to write it, like Baruch scribed the words of Lord as dictated by prophet Jeremiah.
Credits to the respective owner of photos.