NAVAL CHAPLAINCY CORPS ACADEMY

(INTERNATIONAL BIBLE MINISTRY SEMINARY-

INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL SCHOOL FOR INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE)

Chaplain Spiritual Counseling: Will of God

1. Does God spoke to man?

Out of all the voices of the world, there is only one voice we should all hear – it is the voice of
God. In the first chapters of Book of Genesis (chapters 1-3), where recorded the creation of the world
and of the first human beings, God can communicate with man (Adam and Eve). They are asked to name
the animals, tend the garden, have a companionship with each other and maintained an intimate
companionship with God. He even commanded them not to eat the tree of knowledge of good and evil
for they will die (Gen 2:16-17). But they did not listen. And that event leads to the separation of God to
man. Yet God did not give up speaking to man and tell His plans. He even promised Abraham to be the
Father of all Nations (Gen 26:5); He appeared in Joseph’s dream to tell what His plans and to trust Him
(Gen 37:1-44:9); when God talked to Moses in the form of fire to tell his commandments (Exodus 3).
There are many instances recorded in the Bible that God never ceased to speak to us. The first step to
hear the voice of God is to know when God speaks. There two Greek words translated as “word” in the
Bible – “logos” and “rhema”. “Logos” refers to the written Word of God, it is always agreeing with the
“rhema” which refers to the living or life-giving Word of God. A “rhema” Word of God usually applies to
a specific situation, meets personal need and provides individual guidance. It is communicated through a
sermon or a verse from the Bible which suddenly strikes you with great meaning. God may spoke using
spiritual gifts and/or by your inner spirit.

2. What type a listener a Christian should be?

The Bible speaks of two main divisions of listeners: 1. The one who heard and obeyed God (a
hearer and doer) and 2. The one who heard and did not obeyed God (the hearer of the Word) (Mat
7:24,26). In Matthew 13:18-23, Jesus explained and compared the different soils to listeners and their
response to the Word of God. And a Christian should be like the seed on good ground for it will brought
forth a rich harvest. Meaning to say, a Christian listener should also be a doer. For a person who heard
and obeyed God will receive abundance and grace from the Lord because that is his promised.

3. What is the significant role of the Holy Spirit in knowing God’s voice?

The Holy Spirit played a huge role in knowing God’s voice or His will. The Holy Spirit is sent by
God to give us direction on where to go in life and makes the best decision according to His plan. The
Holy Spirit then dwells unto us. It guides the believer to learn the God’s will. The bible has given
examples that demonstrate the leading of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the believers – 1. The Spirit told
Philip, a church deacon to join a chariot he saw on a desert road to Gaza. It resulted in the salvation and
water baptism of an Ethiopan man who was riding in the chariot (Acts 8:29); 2. Peter undoubtingly
obeyed the Holy spirit and it resulted in the first-cultural ministry to the Gentiles (Acts 11); 3. The Holy
spirit prompted Paul into his evangelistic schedule and gave him different directions (Acts 16:7). God’s
plan through the help of Holy Spirit does not harm nor cause havoc but gives prosperity and succession.
And with the aide of the Holy Spirit, we are guided to God’s kingdom. We just must learn to listen to our
inner spirit.

4. What are the prerequisites for knowing the voice of God?

First and foremost, to know the voice of God is to be with His again. We all know that because of
the sin of the first men, we ceased recognized His voice. And for us to with His again is to: 1.
Acknowledge that we are a sinner (Romans 3:23) 2. To know that the penalty of sin is death (Romans
6:23) 3. To confess the sins, asking forgiveness, and believing that Jesus id died for us (I John 1:8-9; John
3:16). We must be born again. We must be free to the sins that Adam and Eve left to us. We must
accept the truth that there is only one God and Jesus Christ who saves us from our sin. We must
establish a relationship with God through Jesus Christ and believe to the truth of the Gospel to learn to
recognize the voice of the God. Secondly, to be mature spiritually. That we are not born in this world to
cohere in the worldly standards of humanity, but we are born to give praise and worship to God. to
dwell in His word and trust His plans and promises that we are already saved and be with Him eternally.
Lastly, to conform to the principles revealed in God’s written word. This would aide us to develop the
mind of Christ because it was set and determined to do the will of God.

5. How man can achieve Spiritual Maturity?

To be matured spiritually means we must not longer conform to the world. It is when we find
inner peace, the feeling of joy, the feeling that God is with us. Spiritual Maturity will conform us to the
image of Christ rather than the image of worldly standards. To achieve Spiritual Maturity must lead us
into transformation. We must pass the struggle between what we want and what God wants for us. So,
we must surrender to God. if we want to know His will, we must cleanse our mind and turn back toGod.
For he has plans for us to give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).

6. Why is it important to do God’s will?

There are three meaning of the “Will of God” – 1. God’s sovereign will where He already
planned everything that will happen in the universe. It is fulfilled nevertheless of the decision made by
man. 2. God’s will to every individual (thelema). It is what we are seeking in our lives because this is the
will that God wants us to fulfill while having our time in the world, however, we have the choice of
whether to or not the will of God in our lives. 3. The moral will of God where it is the written Word of
God that teaches us on how we should live and believe according to His will.

Therefore, to fulfill God’s willcan determine our eternal destiny, that when we fulfilled His plans
for us, we become worthy in His kingdom in Heaven; It shall strengthen our relationship with God; it will
provide direction because we are incapable of making decisions. And most of the time, without God’s
guidance we wander and end up in darkest places; it provides knowledge of the future. For God is the
only one who has the knowledge of what awaits in the future; it is commanded that we must know it.
For God recognizes when we obeyed Him more than our sacrifices or praise; we could develop spiritual
maturity in judging sound doctrine and will prevents us from being deceived by false teaching; God will
surely answer our prayer. Any man who does the will of God and praise him would be heard by Him
(john 9:31); It will bring spiritual blessings because that’s one of the Lord’s promises; it will help us avoid
punishments; knowing and doing the will of God surely brings success and prosperity despite of failure
and defeat (Psalm 1:3).

7. What is the proper motivation for doing the will of God?

To love God is the motivation for doing His will. For Love desires to please the object of that
love. And when we love God, we should keep and obey His commandments. We should present
ourselves to the Lord with a clean heart and purified soul. We should trust Him despite of failures and
disappointments, because it is the way to experience the success in doing His will. For He will not
forsake us nor leave us. He promised that His plans would never harm us but will prosper us.

8. How non-biblical methods of knowing God’s will affect our relationship with God?

The Bible already warned us about the group who does the works of Satan. These occult
practices are used to determine “guidance”, includes witches, shaman, sorcerers, fortune tells,
astrology, magician, horoscopes and all other practices that is supernatural which is not for God. For all
who are doing these are disgusting in the eyes of the Lord and will never enter His kingdom
(Deuteronomy 18:12).

In the old testament, there is something called “fleece” in determining God’s will. It is usually
done by saying, “if a certain thing happens, then I will know it is God’s will”. In the story of Gideon he
already knew what the Lord had planned for him but he still confirmed. Same with Zacharias who
already heard the voice of the Lord but he still sought for a “sign” (fleeces). Fleece was used as
confirmation not for direction and can be deceptive and misleading. So, God, in the new testament,
sent the Holy Spirit to be our guidance in seeking the will of God, then we must know God’s voice and be
led by the Holy Spirit.

9. What is a true prophecy?

A prophet can be regarded as one who is the final authoritative revealer of God’s will. In every
period of the Bible we notice that God chose who is his prophet. In Old testament, when God loosen His
anger in the humanity and decided to wipe the world through floods, He came to Noah and asked him
to build an arc that could accommodate every creature of any kind that God has made and to warn
people to have a change of heart. There was also a time when God talked to Elijah to warn the people
for worshipping idols. When Joseph was prisoned in Egypt, God came to his dream and tell what would
happen in the next 14 years. While in New Testament, He sent His one and only son, Jesus Christ, to tell
His plans to people, and teach the way and the truth, to redeem us from our sins. God sent people who
are guided by the Holy Spirit to tell His plans to the world.

In the modern day, it could hardly tell who are sent by will of God to tell His plans to the world.
It is said in the Bible that time will come where several people will proclaim that they are the “prophet”
sent by God. They are coated in words that like-God but the outcome is opposite from God wants us to
do and will. These self-proclaimed prophets will deceive people to do sins. And because of this, we
should learn to foretell a true prophecy. A true prophecy should be examined in relation to the
scriptures and should agree in the written word of God. It should be harmonious to what is written in
the Bible.

10. What are the two major divisions of God’s will?

God made the universe in the most perfect way, like how He puts the stars and moon in the sky
to be the light that will shine in darkness, like how He organized our body giving each part a function
that works in synchrony. He put everything, even the smallest things, on earth according to His will.

There are two divisions of God’s will: 1. The revealed will and 2. The not revealed will. The
revealed will is the moral and sovereign will which is the written Word. This are His master plan to the
world and man, the commandments and His promises. The not revealed will is His individual plan for
everyone which are the occupation we would have, the ministry we would join, who we would marry,
the kids we would have and other specific situations.

11. How can one distinguish the pattern of God’s will?

As a believer, we should be able to learn the pattern of God’s will. The pattern of God’s will shall
be the standard whether we are conforming with what God wants us to be. First is the Perfect Wil of
God which means the way we are living and every decision we are making are in harmony in the Written
Word of God and His individual plans for us. Second is the Good Will of God, which is the believer is not
within the Perfect Will of God because he chose not to obey the Individual plan of God but still living in
sovereign and moral will of God. Third is the acceptable will of God where the believer is not concerned
of what God planned for him but still God permitting him to live the life he chose even its not God wants
for him. And lastly, the Outside Wil of God which is the believer is in direct disobedience to God’s
revealed will. The pattern of God’s will in a believer’s life is not always in a straight perfect line. The
pattern of God’s will to a believer always comes through up and down pattern. There will always comes
a time that we stumble and fall and sinned. But we get up, repent and be still walking in the path that
God made for us.

12. What are the ways of God to tell His will for us?

Nothing, even a sin, will ever separate us to God’s will. God talks His will for each man through:
1. The Written Word –that everything that He wants to happen and what He wants us to be through His
commandments were already written in the Scriptures;2. Prayer – praying with fasting allows ourselves
to put our spirit in the state where God can actually talk to us about His plans just like Paul and
Barnabas. When praying, we are asking to fulfill His will to us and to the world;3. Counselors – God, by
His will, chooses people to communicate His plan to the world. These can be a Pastor, a Priest, or
someone who has the wisdom gave by God; 4. Circumstances – God communicates His plans through
circumstances. God puts us in a situation whether the deed is against Him or not and use it for His own
purposes. One Bible example is when Joseph was sold by His brothers in Egypt. He believed that God put
Him in that circumstances for he has a purpose, and that is to save God’s people in famine for seven
years. However, we must be careful in considering circumstances alone in determining God’s will. For
example, God told Jonah to go to Nineveh, but when he came to the waterfront, instead of waiting, he
took the boat leaving for Tarsus. Jonah manipulated circumstances to fulfill his own wishes.
Circumstances in life must be viewed in relation to what God has revealed through other methods; 5.
Open and Closed doors – Circumstances of life result in what has come to be called “open and closed
doors”. When we missed something because of the circumstances the door for that opportunity must
be closed and so another opportunity would come to us that God has planned. A closed door does not
mean we have missed God’s will and it is not His will to do something. Sometimes a door is closed
because it is not the right time in the plan of God; 6. Angels – God sent angles to tell His plans to us. For
example, the birth of Jesus. An angel came to Mary and said that she will conceive that Son of God who
will redeem us from sins. An angel sent to Lot and told him to leave because the judgment of God was
going to fall in the city; 7. Miracles – God spoke through miracles to make everyone know that He is the
true and living God. He also communicated in miracle by nature, a pillar of fire and a cloud I the sky gave
direction to the Israelites by night and day as they travel to the desert; 8. Dreams – God also talk to us
through dreams, but not the usual dreams. It’s a dream that He tell His plans for us.; 9. Visions – it is like
dream but could see something. It is like having a dream without being asleep. For example, in the Book
of Revelation, God allows Apostle John to visualize what would happen in the last days of earth and how
He will judge us; 9. An Audible Voice – the Bible is full of the declaration “and God said” or references to
the fact that God “spoke” or “commanded”; 10. The Inner voice of the Holy Spirit –God uses the inner
voice of the Holy Spirit, being called as being “led by the Spirit”. When we are being “led by the Spirit”,
assumes a spiritual life in those being led. Once a sinner experienced the new birth of salvation God
gives a new spirit receptive to His communication. It is said that the spirit of man is the candle, or the
lamp of the Lord (Proverbs 20:27) which make God uses to direct the steps for His will for He enlightens
and guides our spirit. We should then train our minds and spend more time strengthening our spirit to
be sensitive to God; 11. Gifts of the Hoy Spirit – spiritual gifts are also the way of God to speak to men. It
is an endowment power given by the Holy Spirit. The extraordinary gifts (charismatic gifts) are the word
of wisdom, the word of knowledge, increased faith, the gift of healing, the gift of miracles, prophecy, the
discernment spirits, diverse kinds of tongue, and interpretation of tongue.

13. How do we know when God is speaking to us?

As I learned in the previous chapters, God never ceases in speaking to us. There are different
patterns and ways that God uses to tell His plans for us. He even gave His son, Jesus Christ, to
communicate His plans to world and every one. He might put us in a situation that would tap our
sleeping spirit. Every day we often disregard His voice because we only heard the noise of the world. In
order to know when God is speaking to us is to strengthen our Holy Spirit for it is the light that would
submit us in the hands of God. it will serve as the guide to know what God wants us to be and His will for
every individual.

14. How one can be able to find God’s will?

Because of the sin that made us separate to God, we are unable to talk to Him, and missed His
will. These are the steps in finding God’s will:

a. Pray – Jesus taught His followers that part of the regular pattern of prayer was to be for the will
of God to be done. Praying allows God to give directions in our life. When to make decisions, ask
for wisdom; when we are struggling, ask for grace and mercy; when we are in the peak of our
lives, be thankful for God is speaking to us in many ways.
b. Study the Scriptures – when we are in a situation, we must consult first the written word of God
(Bible). Every open door, opportunities, everything that we “think” it is God’s will must be first
tested by the written Word of God. we must earnestly search it to determine the specific
guidance in our situation.
 c. Listen to the inner voice of the Holy Spirit – the Holy Spirit is God’s one of God’s way of
communicating to us. This would be possible when we pray in the language of the Holy Spirit,
for He takes God’s plan and will reveal it to us. The Holy Spirit will guide us according to what
God’s plan for us.
d. Seek Christian Counsel – God appoints people in Jesus’ name to help believers in making
decisions. But keep in mind that all counsel of man must agree with the Written Word of God.
e. Analyze the Circumstances – Before we make decision, we should analyze the circumstances we
are experiencing in making decision, if it is for God or if it is only our own desire. These should
be considered in relation to the guidance God gives thru prayer, study of the Word, the inner
voice of the Spirit, and Christian counsel. Circumstances should not be used alone to determine
God’s will, but they do define the context of the decision which is to be made for sometimes
circumstances limits choices or provide opportunity for new direction in life.
f. Use the Biblical keys to Direction –
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy
ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

God provides keys to open the door to Hs will. In Proverbs 3:5-6, God says we should Trust
Him. We should not be afraid of what God may ask to us for His plans would never harm us. God
also says that we should not lean on our own understanding. We should not depend on our own
judgment in seeking His will. And lastly, in all our ways, we acknowledge Him. We should honor
Him in everything we do, in thought, word and deed. We should put God above all things and
everything we do, and He will make us succeed and direct our path.

g. Choose the way of Wisdom –When we pray for His will, we should ask Him first to give us
wisdom. It is only God who can give us wisdom. The “way of wisdom” gives us the option that
offers the opportunity for spiritual advancement in every area of life.

15. How do we know if it is God’s will for us?

We, the believers, like the word “instant” – instant coffee, instant noodles, instant services –
instant “life”. We are hurried to have this and that, to be someone like that, to achieve things without
hardships. And because we are in a hurry, we forgot that there is a God who is the Captain of our lives.
We made decisions only for own. We often disregard what He wants us to be and to have. That’s why
when we made decisions in our own judgment, everything is a mess, everything did not work the way
we want it to be. For when it is God’s will, we are at peace. Everything would run smoothly as it is what
God wants us to be and to have. Yes, it will take a lot of time but all, through His time, will be worth it.

16. How to help resolve differences in a fellow believer?

Individual people have different preferences or choices in life, but we cannot argue their
decision, yet it is always best to consider “Does it glorify God?”. To resolve such differences, both should
distinguish between matters of command and freedom, cultivate “own” convictions, allow others
freedom to determine their own convictions, limit liberty by love and resolve all offenses.
 17. How biblical model help in decision making?

One must be able to identify the problem, question, or life situation for which guidance is
sought. Then, search the Written Word of God to see if the problem dealt with by commandment,
example, or general principle. If the answer is “Yes” it should be harmonized on the Scriptures, if “No”
then proceed on with the decision-making model under the word “no”. There is also a situation that was
not dealt in the bible – questionable practice or real-life situation. When are to decide in relation to
questionable practice then we must proceed on the Biblical principles for guidance in questionable
situations/practices such – “Does it glorify God?”, “What is the motivation?”, “Does it promote spiritual
growth?”, “Is it an enslaving habit?”, “is it’s a compromise?”, “Will it lead to temptation?”, “Does it give
the appearance of evil?”, “Does it violate your conscience?”, “How will it affect others?” – pray, then
make decisions. When are to decide in relation to real-life situation - e.g. marriage, ministry, occupation,
residence, choices of church – we should proceed in these steps:

1. Pray
2. Study the Scriptures
3. Listen to the Inner Voice of the Holy Spirit and miraculous guidance
4. Seek Christian counsel
5. Analyze circumstance
6. Use Biblical keys to direction
7. Make decisions

Always keep in mind that when we decided, and we are in peace it is God’s will for us. If in
making decision, we do not have peace, we must continue to seek the Lord using the Biblical method.
God is the umpire of our lives, we must wait until we have peace.

18. What to do when we missed God’s will?

Men from the Bible like Abraham, Moses, David and Jonah, have missed the will of God. Yes,
they have failed the Lord, but still prosper and became great by His Name. There are also men from the
Bible like Saul, Judas and Samson, who have failed the Lord, and ended their lives in failure. What makes
them differ? People like Abraham, Moses, David and Jonah, admitted and repented their mistakes
before the Lord. Saul, Judas and Samson, admitted their mistakes by blaming others, or gives up, and
never repent. And we are sometimes like that. When we missed the will of God, or disappointed Him,
we quit and stray away from God without repenting the mistakes (sins) we made. And when we failed
Him, He only wants us to ask forgiveness and repent our sins and obey His voice again. Then, what do
we do when we missed His will? First, we should Realize our failure. In what situation did we fail to miss
His will? Excuses should not prevent us from admitting our failure – “People would lose confidence in
me”, “I failed, might as well give up and quit”, “I can’t get back to God’s will anymore”. Secondly, repent
for our sins. Admitting just your mistakes is different from admitting and repenting your mistakes. We
should come to the Lord in repentance and ask His forgiveness. It is also necessary to forgive ourselves
too. Third, recognize the departure point. Through prayers, the inner voice of the Holy Spirit and
Scriptures, we should determine at which we missed the will of God. And lastly, return to correct the
error. When we recognize where we made mistakes, we correct the error if it is possible. But
sometimes, we can do nothing to correct error except repent. However, if it is in corrective action it
should be done. Then after, seek God for and act upon new direction. Remove all things that could
hinder us to unhear His voice again. We should do this through prayers and study of His Written Word.
 19. Does God allow man to suffer?

God does not allow every individual to suffer but it relates to the will of God. God did not create
suffering. It originally entered the world through the sin of man. But God can take that which is intended
for evil and turn it for good to accomplish His plans for us. The reasons for suffering can come into the
life of a believer are: others around us, circumstances of life, the ministry are in, direct satanic activity
and our own sin. But trouble is not necessarily a sign of being out of God’s will. The real test of our
spirituality is how we respond during distress. The Scriptures says we should not be ashamed but Glorify
God in the time of suffering (I Peter 4:16). We must commit our suffering to God for He will make things
better and good for us (I Peter 4:19). We should rejoice when we are suffering according to the will of
God for it means He is working in our lives (Acts:5:41). When we are suffering, our faith is being tested,
we are able to comfort others, we learn not to trust our own self, positive qualities are developed, the
works of God are manifested, the power of God is perfected, the unstable is removed, our focus is
changed, our old self-nature is changed, we are being prepared to reign with Christ, it brings spiritual
blessings, we became obedient, it tests the word of God within us, it grows our spirituality and we
developed intimate relationship with God.

If God never let difficult times to come, He would never get our attention. When circumstances
in life is hard on us, our faith must not fail. When we are suffering, it means we are receiving new
revelations from God. Without questions but faith, we must move on to the next dimension of God’s
plan.

20. What are the stages of the revelation of a plan of God?

There are six stages when God will reveal his plans which is evident when He revealed His plans
to Mary that she was to become the mother of the Messiah, Jesus Christ (Luke 1:26-47). God has also
promised revelation knowledge to His followers.

Stage 1: Vexation

To be in “vexed” in our spirit means we have troubled spirit. God permits us to be troubled by
the circumstances of life in order to gain our attention. If we are contented to what we are
experiencing, we would not seek

Stage 2: Revelation

When God already gained our attention, He will reveal His plans for us.

Stage 3: Hesitation

When God revealed His plans to us, we became so overwhelmed that we thought we are
unqualified and questions God, “how can this be?”. We would make excuses and reasons
because of hesitation but God only answers these with details of His plans. Until we move on
from this stage, we will never see the fulfillments of God’s revelation.

Stage 4: Resignation

It is resigning to our desire and chose to accept God’s plan to us.

Stage 5: Verification
 When we accept God’s plan, He will confirm it in every possible way.

Stage 6: Exaltation

When we accept God’s plan for us, it will always bring happiness and result in exaltation of God.

Following God’s plan does not mean it will be without problems. There would always difficult
circumstances in life, but we must remember that the plan of God is greater than any temporary
suffering and it will always bring joy and peace
“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 NIV)

As I read the first part of the module: Chaplain Spiritual Counseling: Will of God, I realized that
God is truly an amazing, omnipotent, powerful, forgiving, and loving to all mankind. Despite of what Eve
and Adam did in the Garden of Eden, He never ceased to love and communicate us. He even has a plan
to the world which is what we called the Sovereign Will of God. He knew that the night would be so
dark, so He placed the moon along with the stars to shine and give light during the night. Even before
we are born, He already knew what we would become according to His will (Thelema). Through Moses,
He writes the Moral will which is the ten commandments. All for His Glory. He communicated His plans
to Abraham and made Him the Father of All Nations. He communicated His plan to Mary and made her
the mother of His son, Jesus Christ, through the help of His angel. God never stopped conversing to us.

But in the modern days, we would realize that we can’t hear the voice of God. Is it because he
already stopped? He got tired reaching us? No. God never stopped. God was never and will never be
tired of communicating to us. then what would had happened? We only heard the noises of the world.
We only heard ourselves. We slowly turning our back against Him because we are conforming to
ungodly virtues of the world. So, we became distant. We kept on turning back. We stray away from the
Lord. We hesitate and quit to do His will.

“What can I do to hear His voice and know His plans?”, the question that comes in my mind
whenever I disappoint God by wandering away from Him. I learned through this module the ways on
how to hear God again. Reading the scriptures or attending to church alone would be enough. I learned
that to be truly hear the voice of God we should experience the “Born-Again Experience”. It does not
literally mean that we are back at being a child. It means to be free in the sins. It means to be free from
the standards of the world and become someone who pleases and obeys only God. Hence, to be born-
again, I learned that we should first acknowledge our sins and that we are sinners. Then recognize that
the penalty of sin is death but if we accept and believe that He, the only son of God, Jesus Christ,
sacrificed for our sin, confessed that we are sinned and asked for forgiveness, thus we no longer under
the penalty of death. When we are born again that would be time that the Holy Spirit will dwell in us
through baptism. it dwells in us to empower us to live a holy life which is acceptable to God. The
dwelling of the Holy Spirit in us will directed us to be matured spiritually. We will no longer conform to
the world. We will be able to distinguish what is good from evil. Spiritual maturity leads finally to
transformation. The transformation will create conflict between the flesh and the spirit. But because we
want to hear God’s voice and know His will for us, we should do something (sacrifice) and surrender
everything to God. We must get rid all the worldly standards and principles and conform only on the
principles revealed in the written word of God (Bible). It will take a lot of meditation and focus on our
mind to light the candle (spirit) that God uses to approach us. When we can already hear Him, He would
let us know His will for us.

Just like what I said above, God knows what will happen even before we are born. Everything is
already planned in His hands. But sometimes, we may ask why some of us suffers from hardship? Why
did we experience such painful things? In times of being in pain, we unintentionally ask Him why? Did
He let that happened? The answer is in big NO. God did not create sufferings, but sins. However, it is
God’s way of tapping us to remember Him or get our attention. It is His way of awakening us that we
depart on His will for us. Just like what happened to Job. His life became miserable. He lost his wife and
children, he suffered from “ketong”, he lost his wealth, but God did not forsake him because Job, during
this course in his life, glorifies God and keeps his faith to Him, so God blessed him doubled. And we
should be like Job. I learned that when we are suffering, we should rejoice for God is trying to
communicate with us. When we are rejected, it is because God will open new door of opportunities for
us. When we are in pain, it is because God is preparing us for upcoming happiness. When we feel weak,
it is because God is making us stronger than before. God never planned to harm us. He planned to
prosper us In His time.

I also learned that when we are making decisions, we should seek first His guidance. In
everything we do, we should rest in Him. We would know that it is His will when we are at peace
because God is the “umpire” of our lives. He observed and reviewed our actions and tell if there is
something wrong. He never closed the doors for opportunities because he opened it at the right time
and moment.

Finally, what I learned from pondering it is that when God reveals His plan to us, we should not
hesitate whether to do it or not. Yes, we might feel overwhelmed. Yes, we may disappoint Him. But God
is a forgiving one. Unless we ask for His forgiveness and repent before Him, He will surely and always
give us a chance to do His will again. Quitting and stray from Him is not an option we should use. We
might miss His plans, but we will surely back at It again. He will guide us through the Holy Spirit because
He loved us. We must not forget that He gave His one and only son to save us from sins. And for us to
properly do His will, we must put God above all things in everything we say and everything we do and
love Him the way He do because when we love, we obey.
Chaplain Christian Developmental Psychology I-II

1. How man is different from other creations of God?

Out of all His creation, we are the special one. He made us feet to stand and walk. He made us hands to
reach and to hold. He gave us eyes to appreciate His other beautiful creations. He gave us ears to listen.
He gave us the brain that could understand. Our body is composed of organs and tissues that have
different functions to work. When one is malfunctioned, everything would possibly malfunction. Each
organ is under different system. These are:

a. The Nervous System – which is composed of the two main parts of the body – brain and spinal
cord. The nervous system is responsible for the motion of the body, channeling the signals of
the body, how we feel, where skills and knowledge are stored. In short, the Captain of all the
system.
b. Skeletal System – the framework of our body which is made up of bones
c. Integumentary system – the one that covers our body (hair, skin, nails) and is responsible for
sensation and regulates body temperature
d. Muscular System – attached to the bones to maintain posture and help us move.
e. Endocrine System – contains glands that secrete hormones to regulate body activities.
f. Circulatory System – where the heart and blood vessels pump and transport blood to all body
cells and carries waste away from cells.
g. Lymphatic System - which is composed of lymph nodes, lymphatic vessels, lymph and other
lymphoid organs to defend our body to pathogens and other foreign materials.
h. Immune system – that defends the system and protects from pathogens, allergens and cancer
cells.
i. Respiratory System – made up of organs that are responsible in ingesting and digesting food and
breaks down food to absorbed nutrients and eliminated the rest as waste.
j. Urinary System – that helps to excrete waste and controls water and electrolyte balance in the
body.
k. Reproductive System – organs that are responsible to reproduce.

We are the only creation that was made up completely for God gave us the role of stewarding and
preserve His other creations.

2. What is the process of conception?

One of God’s will to man is to reproduce. The first step to conception is Ovulation. It is when the ovaries
releases eggs that grows in small, fluid-filled sacs called follicles. One of the eggs erupts from the follicle.
After the egg leaves the follicle, the follicle develops into something called the corpus luteum. The
corpus luteum releases a hormone that helps thicken the lining of uterus, getting it ready for the egg.
After the egg is released, it travels to the fallopian tube and stays there for about 24 hours, waiting for a
single sperm to fertilize it. It happens 2 weeks after the last menstruation. If no sperm is around to
fertilize the egg it moves through the uterus and disintegrates. The hormone levels go back to normal
and the body of a woman sheds thick lining of the uterus and so the menstruation starts. However, if
one sperm can make it, it fertilized the egg. At the instant of fertilization, the baby’s genes and sex are
set (if the sperm has a Y chromosome, the baby is boy. If it has X chromosome, the baby is girl.

The fertilized egg stays in the fallopian tube for about 3 to 4 days. But within 24 hours of being fertilized,
it starts dividing fast into many cells. It keeps dividing as it moves slowly through the fallopian tube to
the uterus. Its next job is to attach to the lining of uterus (implantation). Some women notice spotting
for 1 to 2 days around the time of implantation. The lining of the uterus gets thicker and the cervix is
sealed by a plug of mucus. It will stay in place until the baby is ready to be born. Within 3 weeks, the
cells begin to grow as clumps, and the baby’s first nerve cells have already formed.

3. How important life?

In the modern days, women who are accidently got pregnant or don’t want to have a baby yet
sometimes choose to abort the child. God commanded the we should make a fruitful of nation. Life is a
precious gift that God gave to us. when a woman chose to abort the child, she already removed God’s
gift of life. it is only God who knows when we first breathe and when is the last.