roman guevara

ROMAN GUEVARA
Daily Devotional Reading

"I’m Reading a Book again!"

Scripture:

Ezra 7:1-10

¹
After these things, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra
son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, ² the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, ³ the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, ⁴ the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, ⁵ the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest- ⁶
this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law
of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had
granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was
on him. ⁷
Some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, singers,
gatekeepers and temple servants, also came up to Jerusalem in the
seventh year of King Artaxerxes.

    ⁸ Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. ⁹
He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first
month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month,
for the gracious hand of his God was on him. ¹⁰
For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of
the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.

Gaano karami kaya sa atin ang gustong sabihin yung "I’m Reading a Book again!"?

Ahem, let’s face it, the reality is, bihira naman sa pinoy ang mahilig magbasa ng libro.

Para sa marami sa atin, e, pang "Nerd" lamang ang ganyang trip.

Buti
na nga lang at nauso ang blogging sa internet, kaya, marami ang na re
reintroduce sa kagandahan ng pagbabasa, at minsan pati na na sa
pagsusulat, as people are now just discovering the tremeandous benefits
of being online.

Yun nga lang, we don’t know yet kung me positive
effect ba ang blogging sa pagdevelop ng desire among Filipinos to
really read "Books". Mas maeenganyo ba tayo magbasa ng libro, o mas
dededmahin natin sila, kasi, me internet naman? Kasi dba, at least sa
internet, nakapagbasa kana, nakapaglaro kapa!

Ako man, prior
to this devotional, e, masyado ata ako nalunod ng maraming puwedeng
gawin online, kaya sa kabusy busyhan ko, e, lately ko lang narealize,
na it’s been quite awhile since i held and read any book.

Let me share about my "Nerdish" history.

I
grew up with the Bible on my face, literally. My parents have been
active members of church ministry, ever since the terms "active",
"church", and "ministry" was invented! Kaya by the time i was born, my
parents, specially, my mom, made sure, that the first book, i would
ever see, e, siyempre, yung bible. Be it an adult bible, a children’s
bible, or a children’s comics na bible din pala ang laman, whatever,
basta, bible. O diba exciting!

Kung nakita niyo lang ang mukha ko nun everytime my mother would say it’s bible study time? Nevermind that part.

Going
back, eventually, however, when i was like Grade 4 i think, that was
the first time na nagpabili ako ke mama ko ng libro na ako talaga ang
pumili. It’s about greek mythology. Hindi ko rin agad nabasa nung
nabili. But i kept it with me all the time. Kasi hindi ko pa alam noon,
na binabasa pala ang binibiling libro!

Until one day, i was sent
to an interschool spelling competition (i told you me pag ka nerd ang
history na ito e, diba), ang tagal bago magstart, kaya, i decided to
finally read this new book of mine. And i was surprised na na enjoy ko.
At sa madalit sabi, e, bago magstart ang competition, e, natapos ko na
siya. And i kept on reading and reading it, until halos ma memorize ko
na ata ang contents.

And as far as i could remember, that started my love affair with books.

I
grew fond of the encyclopedia. For those who were born late, e, ang
encylopedia ay isang set of books containing general information, as in
anything under the sun from A-Z. Halos araw araw, before ako kumain,
bago pumunta sa school, pag najejebs, or i just want to escape my turn
to wash the dishes, e, nagbabasa ako. I discovered kasi na pagnakikita
ako ng mama ko na nagbabasa ng encyclopedia, nagiging exempted ako sa
dishwashing chore. Kaya ayun, tinodo ko na ang pagbabasa.

Later,
when i became a Pastor at 17 years old, i felt, i needed more training
and knowledge concerning Pastoral ministry. E, hindi naman ako puede pa
mag bible school noon, kasi kasalukuyan akong nagtatapos ng aking
college degree. Kaya naging hobby ko non ang pagpunta sa National
Bookstore, and then later various christian bookstores. I would spend
long hours in the bookstores. Natutunan kung mag enjoy sa pagtingin ng
ibat ibang libro, holding the books, admiring the cover, browsing from
time to time. I know, it’s getting very freaky, but it’s the truth.

Eventually,
pag nagkakapera, bibili na ako ng mga nagustuhan kong libro, until, it
came to a point, na masyado na akong maraming books in my collection,
to put up my personal library.

Now, don’t think i read all the
books i bought. Nung natutunan kong bumili ng libro, medyo nagdecrease
ang reading time ko. Kasi, nararamdaman ko rin naman ang katamaran,
lalo na pag saksakan ng kapal ang libro. At isa pa, mukha kanarin
namang matalino just by bringing the book all the time kaya, narealize
ko na, puwede na rin yong di masyado nagbabasa, basta dala dala mo lang
lagi.

Kaso, nung naging preacher na ako, naguilty naman ako, kaya, i decided to really read and study.

I can say that in my 15 years of ministry, me "highs" and "lows" ang pagbabasa ko ng libro.

Me
mga taon na ang "high" would mean, i read at least (1) book a week,
sometimes pag maikli lang yung book, nasisingit ko pa dalawa o tatlo.
Ang "low" naman would mean (1) lang a month, o dinaman kaya stretched
pa yung (1) book over several months, or at it’s "lowest", siguro, naka
(1) book lang ako sa isang taon.

Like this year.

I started
kasi the year focused on recording, releasing, and promoting my first
worship album since 1999, kaya, i havent had the time to really sit
down and grab i book i’d like to really read. I havent been to any
bookstore lately. Kaya medyo nagbackslide ata ako sa area na ito.

Until one day i realized how important it is for God’s people to really take some time to study God’s word.

Like the man in our scripture today, Ezra.

Sabi, "The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was on him."

Why was God’s grace on him? Because he "devoted" himself to the study, observance, and teaching of God’s word.

Dapat
ma inspire tayo sa kanya. Subukan din natin na magbasa. Una ng Bibliya.
Pangalawa, ng devotionals katulad nito. Anu ba naman yung magdevote ka
ng time sa isang araw para silipin ang ganitong devotional reading sa
internet? At pangatlo, ng libro. Siyempre, iba pa ding achievement yung
nakahawak ka at nakatapos magbasa ng isang libro, na magpapalakas ng
ating pananampalataya, at magpapayaman ng ating diwa.

I
myself have been convicted of this, kaya, just yesterday, i held and
read a book again. It was such a joy nung hinawakan ko yung librong
binabasa ko ngayon "Growing Deep in the Christian Life" by Chuck
Swindoll. Siyempre, i had to dust it off first, kasi medyo madumi na si
Sir, sa tagal ba namang hindi siya napapansin. As of  this writing, e,
nakaka second chapter na ako. Thank God.

Ikaw, don’t you want to say it too "I’m Reading a Book again!"?

MAKE THIS YOUR PRAYER FOR TODAY

Dear
God, let me just say today that you are indeed a great and mighty God.
You are truly amazing and glorious in all your ways. And i worship you.
I honor you. I give you praise. I come Lord once again before your
presence, bowing at your feet, asking and seeking forgiveness for all
my sins. For the things i thought of, said, and done, that displeased
you in some way, Lord forgive me. Help me Lord today to understand your
message. Help me to see and feel the conviction that comes from the
Holy Spirit. Help me Lord to have the zealousness and passion to read a
book. To read the bible. And other literature that can help me grow as
a person, as a christian. I commit this day to you, believing that you
will protect me, guide me, and bless me in everything that i shall be
doing. I lift to you even my those who are dearest to me, my friends
and family. May they also experience today, the fresh touch of God’s
love. Be glorified in my life, in Jesus name, amen.

IF
YOU HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED BY THIS DEVOTIONAL, AND THE OTHER ONES IN THIS
SITE, FEEL FREE TO RECOPY, REPOST, OR LINK AT YOUR OWN SITE, GOD BLESS.

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