By Sis. Elaine Medina
Reading for the day: Ephesians 1:4-5
December is a month of reflection and decision, where the past and the future meet like brushstrokes on a canvas – the end of the calendar year, cresting onto the new. It’s the perfect time to revisit the choices that shaped the year behind us and sketch out the goals and plans that will guide us forward. It’s a time for honesty, where we can consider what worked, what didn’t and how we might step into the new year with clarity and purpose.
Ever since I was young, I’ve had an inclination towards journaling and planning. There is something incredibly satisfying about writing my plans and adding that “checkmark” after a task has been completed. December has always been uniquely exciting for me – not just because of the festivities but also as a season of recalibration. It was when I’d order a new planner for the next calendar year, putting pen to paper to reimagine what could be, and setting a course to make it happen.
Imagine my pleasant surprise when Ptr. Genalyn Concepcion announced a 4th Watch, SPA Planner?
I was elated! Journaling is a tool for intentional living, designed to help us align our daily actions with God’s purpose in our lives. It combines the spiritual discipline of meditation with the practical habit of planning to ensure that our goals aren’t just wishful thinking but our decisions are purposeful steps towards breakthrough.
The passion to read and meditate on the Words of God is a habit that was clearly seen in the life and ministry of the Goodman of the House, Apostle Arsenio T. Ferriol. This was also a practice I would often witness personally from our Apostle Jonathan Ferriol during my time training under him in the Maranatha Bible School International. Many times, I observed him alone in the dining room of the former pastoral house in Carson, deeply engrossed in the study and meditation of God’s Word. His commitment was a living example of how deliberate devotion to God’s Word shapes a faithful and purposeful life.
I’m reminded of a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson:
“Sow a thought and you reap an action;
sow an act and you reap a habit;
sow a habit and you reap a character;
sow a character and you reap a destiny”
This insight rings true for us as Christians. Every decision we make, no matter how small, carries weight and significance. These decisions weave together to form the fabric of our lives. As December unfolds and the new year approaches, it is an opportune time to examine the choices that defined this year and commit to cultivating habits that align with God’s purpose for our lives.
God Himself is a God of decision. He chose us before the foundation of the world—not by chance or obligation but with intention and love. It says in Ephesians 1:4-5
“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—”
As this Christmas season unfolds and a new year approaches, let us consider the beautiful outcome of God’s divine plan. In His love, He sent His son Jesus so that we could have eternal life in Him.
God chose us, not whimsically, randomly, or coincidentally. God chose us intentionally, deliberately, and purposefully.
God chose us, not whimsically, randomly, or coincidentally.
God chose us intentionally, deliberately, and purposefully.
As recipients of God’s grace, our response should be just as intentional. Let us make the deliberate choice to pursue God with greater passion this coming year. Let us cultivate a deeper relationship with Him through consistent reading, meditation, and reflection on His Word.
Let us make the conscious decision to choose God every opportunity we have, because He first chose us.
Reflection: What would you have chosen to do differently this past year? What new decisions are you making for God?
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