Sometimes it is hard to hear God’s voice.

Sometimes it is hard to hear God’s voice. Not because He’s being allusive or trying to get us to decipher some code in a message but because we make it hard. I know personally there have been many times I heard His voice and second guessed it because I didn’t have faith that I was hearing His voice or that it was even His voice to begin with. I don’t know why we as Christians, let alone people, always second guess what we know in our hearts to be true. I’ve missed out on some great moments and opportunities because of that. Had I just had faith, I probably could have saved myself a lot of toil and trouble if I would have just listened and obeyed trusting that God would take care of me and wouldn’t lead me astray. Its hard though because as people we like being in control and knowing what’s going to happen but once you give your life to God, He’s in control and you just have to have faith that He’ll take care of you. A big thing is that you have to die to yourself meaning that your control is gone and given to someone who will probably do a better job since He is the One that created us and planned our lives out. That’s the big thing I struggle with. I don’t like being vulnerable and feeling unsure about what will happen but God is such a good God and its almost crazy that I could ever think He may do something that would hurt or hinder me. Isn’t it smarter to give your life over to someone who genuinely cares and has an unconditional love for you and wants to give you the best out of life? In times that I doubt I reflect on Matthew 17:20 that says even with the smallest faith great things can happen but with big faith even greater things that you never thought were possible can occur. God speaks to us a lot in many different ways and if you trust and have enough faith to listen, he will change your life for the better and cause good things to happen to you. Have faith in God because He’ll never let you down.
-Barbara Filomeno

Mercy

M E R C Y


Psalm 86:15 says, “But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.

As a pastor’s daughter, growing up in church made me almost take for granted the mercy of my Lord. To me, mercy was something for the really “bad people”. I felt as though I didn’t need to cry out to the Lord to show me mercy. That suddenly changed when I reached high school and thought I had really matured. I made some mistakes that really grieved me and I began to draw away from the Lord. Although I felt convicted and asked the Lord to forgive me; I still struggled with the simple, yet complex truth that Jesus died for the sins of every person, including me. I struggled to get over my mistakes. A little while later, a close friend of mine went through some passages in the Bible with me. She began to talk with me about God’s love and mercy. She reminded me that when we ask God to forgive us and we truly repent; He throws it into the sea of forgetfulness. He then remembers it no more. After that conversation, I asked the Lord to forgive me; I truly repented and asked Him to help me remember that no one is perfect. I also asked the Lord to forgive me for being so proud, and not taking His word seriously when it talks about His mercy. I then felt His love so deeply like never before. I felt so much peace and joy. Tears came down my eyes as I thought about my Savior who loved me so much and died for the sins He know I would commit over 2,000 years later. When I read Psalm 86:15, it had a new and very important meaning to me. This time, I wasn’t taking His mercy for granted. I truly believe His love and mercy is for everyone, we are all sinners. This new meaning has changed so much in my walk with Christ. It has drawn me so much closer to my Father in Heaven. I am excited to be able to testify of His love and never ending mercy. I am so excited to share God’s love with the women of Mercy Ministries! J Osama Onaghinor