40 Years

The last leg of my recent trip to the Philippines was attending my 40th high school reunion. I was asked to lead the devotional before the festivities. Here’s what I shared with my classmates.

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40 years. It may be hard to imagine that 40 years have already past since we graduated from high school.

In the Bible, the number 40, especially when used as a time line, means a very long time. Like when Jesus spent time in the wilderness and fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. Maybe some of you fasted for 40 days before this reunion to look more sexy. Don’t worry we have enough food that we will not tempt you to turn stone into bread.

Then there’s the 40 years the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness. 40 years is considered a generation in the Bible. That means it has been a generation since we graduated from our alma mater. Does this mean we are old? Maybe.

There’s an earlier 40 years in the life of Moses before he led the Israelites out of Egypt. That was the time when he thought he was ready to lead, and he took matters in his own hands and he killed an Egyptian. Then he escaped to the wilderness of Midian, never to show his face again in Egypt, at least for a long, long time. I know some of our classmates have not showed up for a long time. Nagtago na, at hindi na nagparamdam. Whatever their reasons are, respeto na lang. Let’s give them their space.

What was Moses doing for 40 years in the wilderness of Midian? Staring at sheep! Yes, from a prince of Egypt to a lowly shepherd.

Maybe Moses thought God has forgotten him. Maybe some of us have felt that way in the past 40 years. What happened to my dreams Lord? Hanggang dito na lang ba talaga ang mararating ko? Apat-na-pung taon ko nang kalaban ang santambak na labada at planchahin. Or maybe you feel that you’ve been toiling for 40 years in a job you really don’t care about but you have no other choice. Do you feel that you’re wasting your life away?

But it needed 40 years for Moses to learn what he needs to learn. It took 40 years for Moses to unlearn what he needs to unlearn. It took 40 years for God to break Moses, that at the end of that time, Moses knew he can do nothing but only through God’s power.

I know God still has a purpose for you. He is still working on us. We just need to learn that we are nothing without His power.

For 40 years Moses led the Israelites through the wilderness. Most of them complained and complained, when everyday they have the pillar of cloud during the day, and the pillar of fire every night, and they have manna every day.

Are we also complaining? Buti nga tayo hindi lang manna, may adobo pa paminsan-minsan o kaya may bulalo pa. There’s really nothing we should be complaining about. If we look at the past 40 years, I know we can see the goodness of God in our lives and we will realize how God was leading us all along.

Lastly, after 40 years wandering in the wilderness, they finally entered the Promised Land. Classmates, we are also bound for the Promise Land. This 40th reunion should not be our goal. I am glad that you are here, but there’s a bigger reunion that you should be planning to attend. And I’m not talking about our 50th reunion either.

John 14: 1-3 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

This is not our home. Our goal should be the grand reunion in heaven. Let’s get our hearts ready for heaven.

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