"HAST thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

Isaiah 40:28-31

Every time I read or hear this Bible verse I can't help but remember a young man who I once knew back in college. This young man was full of dreams; and he had planned everything perfectly to achieve the things he wanted to attain. He was confident that he would reach great heights. He thought he just knew the right formula that will lead him to success. He would always say to himself like a mantra, the words of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:

"The heights by great men reached and kept Were not attained by sudden flight, But they, while their companions slept, Were toiling upward in the night."

Thus, this young man strove assiduously. He worked his way through various challenges just to be able to set his foot on the track that he believed would bring him straight into his goal.

And just like what is always said and espoused by our present world that have been fast veering away from theistic principles as displayed in certain billboards banners in the streets, conveyed by television commercials, inculcated by mass media, this ambitious young man, above all else, loved and believed in himself.

So what's wrong with this? Aren't we supposed to love ourselves and believe in it to maintain our self esteem and self confidence?

Well, these questions may sound reasonable, but they do not always hold water when it comes to Biblical standards. While the world tells us that "...learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all," the Holy Scriptures explicitly state the contrary. Instead of loving ourselves too much, it teaches us to be selfless, and instead of putting too much confidence on ourselves, it talks about putting our trust and faith in God.

However, this young man believed and followed his heart's desire. He ventured for the fulfillment himself in the light of what he thought was right, just like most of us. The same as what a certain brand commercial says, "JUST DO IT." And this is what the world is actually doing right now. There's nothing new in this as it has always been part of our nature as humans. Since time immemorial each one has been seeking after one's desire. This not something alien to the word of God. In Proverbs 21:2 King Solomon observed, "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts." Thus we are warned, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." (Proverbs) 14:12.

And so the young man went to fulfill his dream. He went not to seek mere fortune but glory. He wouldn't care how it would be done, as long as it can be done. He would always say, "Hindi puwedeng hindi puwede."

This young man has set everything according to plan. He was happy and excited. He could not help that he vaunted in his brilliance. He thought that nothing could go wrong. His dreams are now in the making. He would be a self-made man, owing anyone nothing save only himself. In those moments he always thought of the words of W.E Henley in his poem entitled Invictus:

Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed. I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.

In these words he found solace, comfort and pride. In these words he strengthened his assertions to claim a stead in this world. But the he did not realize that his goals were, in fact, short lived. They are transient and short-lasting. He did not know that the glory he had been seeking was not what God intended for him. He was so engrossed of his dreams that he placed God's will out of the picture. Instead of letting God take control, he took the rudder and guided the ship according to what he deemed is right and expedient to himself.

The wisest man who had ever lived, upon the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, once wrote in Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not to thine own under standing. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Moreover Jesus during his earthly ministry clearly stated in John 12:25, "He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal." These passages in the Bible have wisdom in them. This doctrine Christ much insisted on it being the great design of his religion to wean us from this world, by setting before us another world.

But this young man esteemed his life more than anything else. He valued it more along with all the things in the world. This young man had forsaken his first love, the One who first loved him, the One who first loved us all. He had seek earthly glory without understanding that he was actually sacrificing things that should had been eternal on the altar of temporal. The Scriptures warn us against this. I John 2:15 says, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

But of course the Lord, still loved him, just like any of us, despite the fact that this young man had turned his back from Him. And just like the Bible said in Proverbs 3:12, "For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth." The Lord reminded him that he was going off the track. That he was going the wrong way. That he was traversing the path to destruction, may be not in this life but in eternity.

This young man was involved in an accident that would bring him the ultimate of his life... (to be continued)

Note: Sa aming mga giliwing mababasa, ang inyong lingkod ay huminhingi ng paumanhin sa hindi pagsulat ng kanyang mga artikulo nitong nakaraang dalawang lingo. Ito po ay sa kadahilanang ang ako'y naatasan ng maraming gawain, bilang empleyado ng Batasan, kaugnay sa kasalukuyang ginaganap na budget deliberations para sa iba't-ibang departamento ng ating Pamahalaan. (kavestruz@yahoo.com)

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