10,000 REASONS

FORGIVEN ONLY TO FALL ONCE AGAIN. Getting ‘fresh starts’ only to get all muddy again. AND you ask yourself, “When will I ever get it right?” AND you beat yourself up! (Oh! How good we are in doing this! We are all experts in condemning ourselves!)

“Ang tagal-tagal mo ng Kristiyano ganyan ka pa din?! 

Pa-simba-simba ka pa! Not ounce less Abby! 

You are the same as you were 10 years ago.”

And the past haunts you down, reminding you of all your failures, calling you names of shame and regret and you wonder, “How long is this gonna last?”

Hosea 7:1 [My own version]

"Everytime I gave [you Abby] a fresh start, wiped the slate clean and got [you] going again

[you] soon filled the slate with new sins."

When I know and I know that I DO NOT DESERVE a single act of goodness from the Lord and yet He still bless. How stubborn and wayward daughter I become and yet His love remains constant. A thousand times I've failed, still His mercy remains and I can't help but to fall on my knees and to realize HIS RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF AN UNDESERVING PERSON JUST LIKE ME. 

Oh God! what a terrible SINNER I am before You, when it is just right to PUNISH me, to WALK AWAY from me and to GIVE UP on me, YOU PURSUE ME STILL.

"OH! How He must tire of our ruthless ability to accumulate sin BUT GOD forgives us anyway.

His constant pursuit of us leaves Him exposed BUT GOD still seeks us.

We run BUT GOD still relentlessly pursues us.

We sin again and again BUT GOD so loved the world.

We are ‘treacherous and half baked’ BUT GOD remains.

We are ‘bird-brained, mindless, clueless’ BUT GOD understands.

Like a weather vane, we turn our backs on Him BUT GOD endlessly welcomes us back.

“Our love for him is like a morning mist, like the early dews that quickly disappears,” BUT GOD loves us still. We constant change BUT GOD never does." 

BUT GOD! Thank God for those two words. We are hopeless before You OH GOD!!! BUT GOD, YOU ALWAYS MAKE A WAY.

And in the middle of my self-proclaimed verdict of guilt and condemnation there God gently whispers,

“I know what is coming Abby. I know you will fail this test 

and you will fail some more but trust Me, I will not let you fall away completely. 

My gentle hands can always lead you back to the right path. You have never gone so far that you can’t come home to me Abby. Trust me, your story isn’t finish yet. Take heart my daughter, I am not done with you yet.”

 Life is unfair. Life is tough and sometimes it will knock us down. But we are never defined by our failures nor our mistakes, what define a person is how she gets back up and keep going. We should never quit on God quitting on ourselves. When He said that He will put into COMPLETION whatever He has started in you, He meant it. You are never too late to start a new chapter of your life. You are never too old to dream new dreams once again and you are never too far from God’s love to reach you. There’s hope, it’s with Him, it’s HIM and it is a sure thing because GOD IS OUR ULTIMATE HOPE AND OUR GOD IS A GOD OF REDEMPTION.

“Do not put a PERIOD where God puts a COMMA.”

 “…but where sin increases, grace abounds all the more.” – Romans 5:20

All is GRACE, undeserved, unmerited favor of GOD.

I remember a conversation with my pastor:

Pastor: Pag nadapa, tayo ulit at bumalik sa piling Niya. Wag na wag mo i-disqualify yung sarili mo, kasi pinili ka na Niya?

“29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also GLORIFIED.” – Romans 8:29-30

And if you are tired of trying and failing and trying once again and failing again and trying some more and failing… come to the Lord who gives rest. Rest in Him and let Him fix you and win the battle for you. He is able and He is willing.

"28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28

Whatever you have done in the past, there is absolutely nothing that can make God love you less or love you more. HE LOVES YOU WITH UNENDING, UNCONDITIONAL AND UNWAIVERING KIND OF LOVE.

"38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels now demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any power, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will able to separate us from the Love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:38-39

If I fail nine thousand nine hundred ninety nine times, I will find TEN THOUSAND REASONS to get back up because God said, “Abby I am not done with you yet and your story has still to be unfold and to be told. Wait upon the Lord, wait upon Me.”

To all who has been given thousand times of chances and still couldn't get it right, 

sharing you this video, I hope you get blessed! WE ARE LOVED BY GOD NO MATTER!