Iliamari Mendoza-Gomez

Beware of Who You Trust

Where do you run in your moments of trouble? Who or what do you take refuge in? As children of God, it is important to ask ourselves these types of questions because sometimes, in our humanity, we will make mistakes and we can lose our focus. It can often be difficult for us to believe and trust in what we cannot see—it’s in our nature.

I have a friend who loved my mother as if she were her own mother. She shared all her problems with Mom and sought comfort, support, and direction from her. When my mother died, my friend stopped communicating with me. She did not go to the funeral service. Not too long ago, I received a message from this friend telling me that her 16-year-old granddaughter had been killed. She was immersed in deep pain, which I could understand as it had only been a year since I lost my mother and how painful it is to lose a loved one. But her words disturbed me when she said she felt lost and alone because she no longer had my mother to comfort and help her. As I talked to her and tried to comfort her with the Word of God, she kept repeating that it was only my mom who would give her the comfort she needed so much at that time.

But those who trust in idols, who say to images, “You are our gods,” will be turned back in utter shame. (Isaiah 42:17 NIV)

Sometimes change seems impossible because of our circumstances and we struggle to find solutions. Sometimes our grief is so deep that we only seek tangible things to comfort us but nothing we do is enough to comfort or help us. The problem is that we can make idols of what we seek for help and comfort without even knowing we are doing so.

When Jesus was walking on the water and Peter said he wanted to walk to Him, Jesus told him “Come.” While Peter’s eyes were focused on Jesus he was able to walk on the water, and it was only when he started looking at the storm around him that he started to sink. Peter lost his focus, began to doubt, and Jesus had to pull him out of the water (see Matthew 14:22-33).

As His children, God provides for us and Jesus said He came to give us an abundant life. We need to trust in Him and give Him all our cares. His love for us is infinite and He is faithful.

I have seen God move in my favor so many times. In my darkest hours, He was the only one by my side, holding me. The more I let go of my worries, my hurt, and my insecurities, the more I can feel His love and how much He cares for me. His love and His faithfulness have changed my life in ways that I never imagined could be changed; and I know if I had tried to do this on my own, I would not be where I am today.

My friend, no matter what’s going on in your life at this moment, I urge you to put it in God’s loving hands and trust that He will do what is best for you. Even if you don’t understand what He’s doing, just close your eyes, let go and let God!

I leave you with this promise from our heavenly Father:

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

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The Power of Forgiveness

Who among us has never been hurt in life? Sadly, we’ve all been hurt in some way.

When I was a young girl, a close friend of our family sexually abused me. I was only 7 or 8 years old. I never spoke a word of this to anyone, but I never forgot what he did to me either. When I turned 17, every time he saw me on the street, he would offer me a ride home. I never accepted the ride and glared at him each time. I could not stand the sight of him; it made me feel ashamed, ugly, dirty—all I could think was, what did I ever do to deserve this?

Eventually, I went to college, moved from Puerto Rico, and began work in Florida. I put that chapter of my life away, tucked so deep within my brain that I almost forgot about it.

Many years later, I joined a Bible study group with some ladies from church. During our third meeting, as we were worshiping, I felt a hand grab mine and pull me to the center of the room. It was the group leader. She embraced me and whispered in my ear, “that man that hurt you when you were a child… forgive him!” No one knew what happened to me. I had never spoken about it!

As I cried, I realized that I had stuffed the pain and it was still there. I held anger toward this man and resented what happened to me. I tried to forgive him in that moment, saying, “I forgive...” but it was just words. I couldn’t even remember his name. For an entire week, I kept saying, “I forgive…” until I remembered his name. Through God’s power, my resentment began to fade.

The man in my story got very ill, lost his mind, and was bedridden for a long time. One afternoon as I entered my home, I got a call from my mom. “Mr. ___” died, she said.

I was speechless. All I could say was, “Oh wow.” As soon as I hung up the phone, I felt something pop out of my body. I believe it was the rest of my unforgiveness. Since then, I no longer feel ashamed. I literally feel free and have profound joy and peace in my life.

Anger, resentment, and bitterness can haunt our hearts for a long time, especially when the cause of the initial hurt is in the distant past. Even if we don’t know it’s there, God does. And I am living proof that He can help a person see that it’s there. We can trust He knows when we reach a time in our lives to have it exposed and help us forgive.

Jesus teaches us to forgive:

But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too. (Mark 11:25 NLT)

Forgiveness sets us free so we can be forgiven, move on, and live a good abundant life—which might include restoring the broken relationship, if the abuser repents and the abused desires reconciliation. If God forgives me, who am I not to forgive those who have wronged me?

The devil would like us to do the opposite. He is a liar. Don’t let him steal your peace and your joy.

When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit, so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes. (2 Corinthians 2:10-11)

Is there anyone that you need to forgive? Don’t wait; forgive them as God enables you, let go, and let God work on your behalf.

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Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Trust God

One of my favorite Bible passages is Psalm 23. Even before I knew Jesus, I knew this Psalm—and I read it so many times that I memorized it way before I gave my life to Christ. Every time I read it, I feel a sense of calm, security, and well-being. The first verse alone is enough to make me feel secure and cared for: The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing (Psalm 23:1 NIV).

Trusting in God was not something I immediately learned to do when I accepted Jesus as my Savior. As I started going to church and reading the Bible, I learned I could trust God, but the understanding of His Word was revealed to me as I allowed Him to work in my life in times of trouble.

Back in 2012, I was working for a retail store. My roommate had lost her job and wanted to move to Miami. I was a new Christian at the time, and I didn’t understand the importance of listening to God’s voice or how to ask for His direction. However, I could feel in my spirit that it was not the time to move. Since my roommate had been a Christian for many years, I decided to share what I had felt in my spirit with her. She didn’t listen to me; all she was thinking about was her need to work, and moving was the only solution for her. Eventually, I gave in and transferred to Miami. The first year went by without any major events, but at the beginning of the second year, I was struggling to pay bills, my roommate was in and out of jobs, and the financial responsibility was falling mostly on me. Even though I made good money, it was hard sometimes to make ends meet.

To add to my frustration, I got demoted from my position unjustly. Although my salary was not affected, I did not want to be in the new position. Thinking about the situation, I remembered the words my pastor said in a previous service, so I decided to take up the challenge. Every morning, instead of sitting in the break room to read my Bible before starting to work, I chose to stay in my car and spend time with God and reading His Word.

After a few weeks, I realized God was moving me to change jobs, but the new job paid considerably less than what I was making at the time. I thought about it for weeks and was not sure what to do. One morning, as I was meditating on the Word and my situation, I said to God, “Okay, if You are asking me to move to this new job, I will do it just because You’re telling me to. I guess You know best!”

I took on the new job, with a big pay cut, but I learned how faithful God can be when we trust Him. All my needs were supplied. I could see God’s hands working on my finances. I would go shopping for groceries and buy all we needed without my card being declined. I saw my bank account’s balance stay untouched, and even a paycheck amount increased because I helped a homeless lady!

Psalm 25:2 reads: I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. It’s been nine years since the day I chose to trust God. There has not been one day where I have not seen His faithfulness in every area of my life. Many days have been trials, and God has taken care of me and walked me out of each one. I proclaim His goodness and His love, not just for me, but for all of us.

I don’t know what your circumstances are or what are you going through right now, but God knows—and He wants to take care of you and everything. So, open your heart and let Him in and trust that He will do what is best for you.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

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God Gets First Place

The year was 2014. I had a great job, and everything was going well in my life. And because I was still getting to know God, I trusted most people who were good to me. I figured that if I didn’t have a reason to mistrust someone, then they were okay. Until the day I was demoted from my position. I couldn’t understand what had happened or why, especially when I had been “employee of the month” twice in a row.

But I remember the store manager calling me into his office and telling me I was being demoted because I was not doing my job. I was so upset that I told him he would be better off firing me and be done with it. To my surprise, his reply was, “You are too good of an employee for me to fire you.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Noticing that I was upset, he immediately told me I could take the day off, or even a couple of days, and not to worry about it, that I would be paid.

I was angry, hurt, and confused. But instead of following my emotions, I chose to follow a challenge my pastor had given us: to read the Bible and wait for God to speak. So, in the days following my demotion, I spent an hour or two reading, worshiping, and waiting to hear from God in the employees’ parking lot before work. Not too long after I started doing this, God told me to be quiet and wait on Him, to not be angry, and that soon those who had wronged me would no longer be there (Psalm 37:7-9). Shortly after all this took place, God moved me to a different job. And in the following years, He moved me again to two other jobs, and each one was always better than the last.

To make a long story short, that was the first time I listened and followed God’s instruction. This set the way I wanted to live my life thereafter—giving God first place in my life, listening to His direction, being obedient, and trusting that He would always take care of me.

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:6 NIV)

Making God the center of our lives and being obedient to His will brings blessings, including protection from those who want to harm you.

The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’” Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe (1 Samuel 24:4).

He will supply all your needs:

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

Since that day, my relationship with God has grown immensely. I depend on Him for everything, and I listen for His direction. Even when I don’t understand what He is doing, I obey Him. Today, I can honestly say that I walk from glory to glory—and that many have been the blessings I’ve received from our Heavenly Father. He’s got me working for His kingdom and living the abundant life that He’s promised to all who receive Jesus Christ as their savior. I have peace, I feel loved, I am protected, and have no worries for the future—because I have God by my side.

So, today, I invite you to trust God with everything you have. Seek Him and listen for His direction. Obey Him even if you don’t understand. Because nobody knows you better than your Creator. And if you don’t know Jesus yet, ask Him to come into your life now. Then, experience the amazing love He has for you!

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Beware of the Wolves

There is no doubt that current times are difficult. Hatred, envy, greed—conflict is all around us. I remember when life growing up was simpler, less hectic. Kids played on the street while the neighbors enjoyed a friendly chat, and strangers would greet each other as they passed by. You could see people smiling, helping each other. There was respect, values.

The Bible talks about the evil increasing in the last days, and this is what we are experiencing today, not only in the world but also in the church.

But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. (Jude 1:17-19 NIV)

Be careful, for example, of churches that only seem to preach about prosperity and good times. Be careful that they don’t call what’s bad as being good and what’s good as being bad. And make sure they don’t twist the Word of God to confuse and lie to their congregations.

Please don’t misunderstand me. God does want us to prosper and have an abundant life, but He wants us to be wise and lean on Him and not on our own understanding.

Be on guard against those who would pull you away from what God wants.

These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage. (Jude 1:16)

In Matthew 10:16, Jesus said: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”

You might ask, “How do I accomplish this?” The beauty of God is that He answers—and in 1 Peter 5:8, He tells us that we need to be alert and of sober mind.

Make sure you are serious about your relationship with God. Be disciplined by reading the Word of God, and always seek Him. Be careful of your salvation and vigilant of the wolves that want to see you fall from grace. The enemy has a plan and it is to destroy us. And he uses many things—such as people, money, work, sickness—to take our focus away from Jesus. As part of the body of Christ, we must help each other.

But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. (Jude 1:20-21)

The good news is that we don’t have to do this alone. Jesus is with you and me, walking beside us every day to guide every one of our steps! Jesus defeated the devil when He died on the cross. He has great plans for our lives. He gave us purpose and authority—and His love for us is eternal. He loves you just the way you are.

Today, I encourage you to keep your focus on Jesus and be intentional in your relationship with Him. Read your Bible to gain the knowledge you need to continue your walk with the Lord. Pray, worship, spend time in His glorious presence, and if you don’t know Jesus, my friend, I invite you to give your heart to Him. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. May God bless you abundantly!

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Let Your Little Light Shine

Remember those first days, weeks, or months after you accepted Jesus as your Savior? Everywhere I went people would say, “You look different, you have this glow!” I was hungry to learn about Him and so eager to be like Him! But, has it happened to you that as time passes you start getting more comfortable and suddenly you realize that sometimes you’re not as eager anymore? Or is it just me?

God made me take a good look at myself a while ago. I had been sharing my apartment with a friend for a few years, but my friend was not always keeping her part of the responsibilities. Many times I was the only one attending to the upkeep. Even though I tried different ways of communicating these issues and my feelings to her, she was not listening. And so the friendship became strained; nothing I did was working and I couldn’t deal with the state of our living conditions.

One day, my brother, who’s a pastor, said to me, “Sis, I’m going to tell you this as God is telling me to tell you... You must love her!” My jaw dropped to the floor; I was speechless! Then I began to cry, and I said to him, “How? I’ve done everything I know how to do!”

That word stayed with me for a couple of weeks, and one morning as I was driving to work, suddenly it dawned on me, and I said out loud, “What a hypocrite, how can I say that I love God when I can’t stand my friend!” I remember getting to my office, locking the door behind me, and telling God, “Daddy, I forgive her and I place her into Your hands. I’ve done on my own all that I can and I’m letting go of her. If You want me to love her, Daddy, You have to put that love in my heart for her, because right now I don’t have it.”

God changed my heart and filled me with His love. Even though we no longer live together and the friendship is not as close as it once was, I can be there for my friend if she needs me without feeling angry or resentful. The peace that I have in my heart is amazing.

See, we get comfortable with the idea that doing good deeds makes us more like Jesus. But there is so much more than that. The Bible says,

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1-2 NIV)

I learned that God didn’t want me to carry that burden. All I needed to do was talk to Him, be honest about what I was feeling, and He would give me the answer. When we follow Jesus’ example, we will always find out that love is the key ingredient. When we surrender to God’s will, we always be on the right path, and we will be the light that God want us to be here in this world.

I know life can be hard and stressful at times, but I also know the promises that God has for me and for you. Our walk with God must be intentional, not comfortable; ask God to examine your heart every now and then, see where you are, listen to what God tells you to do. Be obedient and don’t let the worries of life turn off your light.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of Light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. (Ephesians 5:8-10)

Remembering God's Deeds

How often do we consider all the things God does for us? Many times we only talk or think about them when He gives us what we want and life looks good, but what happens when we go through a hard time or when we don’t receive what we ask for in prayer?

Since I gave my life to God, I’ve been on a learning path. I feel how He guides me, consoles me, and yes, sometimes I get scolded too! I can feel His love for me, and I have learned to trust Him.

Most of the years that I have walked with the Lord have been good years, there have been some troubles along the way but nothing major, and so all looked fantastic until four years ago when I learned that my mom had dementia. What I thought would be a slow and lengthy process turned out to be a short and very aggressive one. Once my mom started to show signs of the illness, it took a very short time for her to be bedridden and pass away.

It was the worst time of my life. My mom, my closest friend, my first love, was totally dependent on me… I was not sure that I would know how or even if I would be able to take care of her. Working a full-time job and caring for my mom, I was alone, scared, upset, and very confused; I couldn’t understand why my mom was going through this illness. I had so many questions.

I prayed and pleaded with God to heal her, but nothing was changing. As time passed, I was feeling tired and frustrated. I never stopped praying, reading my Bible, and on the days that I couldn’t pray because I just didn’t have anything left in me, I worshiped with tears streaming down my face.

One morning as I was getting ready to start my day and feeling very bad about myself, I started thinking about the Scripture,

For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. (Romans 7:19 NIV)

Immediately came the answer from God telling me, My grace is sufficient for you. From that moment on I started to learn to let God do what I can’t and just rest and trust that everything will be ok.

I lost my mom a few months ago, but I often think about not only what God did for me while I cared for my mom, but all He has done for me even when I didn’t know Him. I think of all the times He carried me, blessed me, provided for me, loved me and my heart fills with a profound gratitude and a passion to share all the amazing things that God has done for me.

I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds. (Psalm 77:12)

Prayer:
Almighty God, Your ways are not our ways and we need You to help us learn to rest in You. You offer peace to all who seek You. Please help us to experience deeper levels of Your grace and trust You more with everything. Amen.

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Iliamari

Mendoza-Gomez

Contributing Writer

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