17/08/2026
GOD IN THE DISTANCE
Esther 3:1–15
Sometimes, when you look at something from far away, all you can see is a small light in the distance.
There is a story about a little boy who used to wake up every morning. Kada aga, pagkabugtaw niya, he would immediately run toward the front door because he knew that when he opened it, makita niya ang iya parents nga may ginahimo sa gwa.
It became his routine.
Every morning, he would wake up, run to the front door, and look for his parents.
But one morning, the little boy woke up, ran to the front door and wala na niya nakita ang iya parents.
He looked outside.
Wala sila.
He waited. He searched. And eventually, natulo ang iya luha because he thought his parents were gone.
But after some time, from a distance, he saw something.
He saw his parents coming toward him, carrying something for him.
He thought they were gone.
He thought they had left him.
But the truth was, they were only out of his sight.
Sometimes, amo man na ang aton relationship with God.
Just because we cannot see God does not mean God is not there.
Sometimes when we look at our situation, all we can see is darkness.
We ask:
“Lord, asa ka?”
“Asa na ang Dios?”
“Ngaa daw layo kaayo si Lord?”
Especially during times of crisis, amo na ang aton mabatyagan.
When there is danger, we ask, “Asa naman si Lord?”
When our prayers seem unanswered, we ask, “Lord, ginapamatian mo pa bala ako?”
When we are doing our best but nobody notices, we ask, “Ngaa daw wala man may nakakita sang ginahimo ko?”
But today, I want us to understand this:
God may seem distant, but He is never absent.
He may be working in the distance.
He may be working behind the scenes.
And sometimes, we simply cannot see what He is doing yet.
And this is what we can see in the book of Esther.
ESTHER 3:1–15
The characters in this part of the story are King Ahasuerus, Haman, Esther, and Mordecai.
At this point, Esther had not yet revealed her identity as a Jew.
Haman was promoted by the king.
He was elevated to a position of great authority over the other officials.
Haman was an Agagite, connected to the Amalekites, a people who had a long history of conflict with Israel.
Haman had power.
He had position.
He had honor.
He had authority.
But despite everything he had, his heart was not right.
And while all of this was happening, God seemed silent.
Esther was still hidden.
Mordecai was still unnoticed.
Haman was rising.
And it looked like the enemy was winning.
But the truth was:
God was already moving in the distance.
1. WHEN PROMOTION AND HONOR ARE NOT GIVEN TO US
Esther 3:1
Haman was promoted.
But Mordecai was not.
And sometimes, amo man gid na ang ginabatyag naton.
We see someone being promoted.
Someone gets recognized.
Someone receives appreciation.
Someone gets the opportunity.
Someone gets the position.
And we ask:
“Ngaa hindi man ako?”
“Ngaa siya?”
“Ngaa hindi man ko mapasidunggan?”
“Ngaa wala man nila nakita ang akon ginahimo?”
Sometimes, you give your best at work, sa ministry, sa school, or even sa family but nobody notices.
You sacrifice.
You serve.
You show up.
You help.
You remain faithful.
But there is no applause.
There is no reward.
There is no “thank you.”
And sometimes, that can make us feel like God is far away.
But remember:
People may fail to recognize you, but God never fails to see you.
You may be unnoticed by people, but you are never unnoticed by God.
Mordecai did not receive the promotion that Haman received.
But that did not mean Mordecai was forgotten by God.
Sometimes, we ask:
“Lord, ngaa siya man?”
“Lord, ngaa ako wala?”
But we need to understand that God’s timing is different from our timing.
Just because you are not being recognized today does not mean God has forgotten you.
Sometimes, God allows you to remain in a hidden season because He is preparing something that you cannot yet see.
So if your hard work is not being recognized, don’t stop being faithful.
If nobody says thank you, keep serving.
If nobody sees your sacrifice, God sees it.
2. SWALLOWED UP WITH EVIL, PRIDE, AND ANGER
Esther 3:2–6
Promotion is not evil.
Honor is not evil.
Success is not evil.
But the danger is when we cannot handle what comes with promotion and honor.
Haman had position.
He had authority.
He had people bowing before him.
But there was one person who refused to bow—
Mordecai.
And because one person refused to give him the honor he expected, Haman became angry.
Imagine that.
Haman had almost everything.
But instead of being grateful for what he had, he became obsessed with the one thing he did not receive.
Pride can make you forget everything you already have because you are too focused on what you don’t have.
Haman’s heart was slowly swallowed by:
pride, anger, hatred, and evil.
Sometimes, amo man na ang danger sang promotion.
When you rise higher, you can begin to think:
“Mas mataas na ako sa ila.”
“Dapat respetuhon ako.”
“Dapat sundon ako.”
But God’s blessing should never become the reason for our pride.
The higher God lifts you, the more humble you should become.
And Mordecai made a decision.
He refused to bow.
Why?
Because he chose to remain faithful to God.
He chose loyalty to God over compliance with a corrupt culture.
Mordecai knew that standing for God could put his life in danger.
But he still stood.
And this is where we need to ask ourselves:
“Kaya ko bala magtindog sa kamatuoran kung may kapalit?”
Can I still stand for God when it becomes difficult?
Can I still serve God when people criticize me?
Can I still worship when life is painful?
Can I still be faithful when I receive no reward?
Can I still say, “I belong to God,” when my faith is being challenged?
Because sometimes, when you decide to show up for God, your faith will be tested.
When you stand for truth, you may experience opposition.
When you choose to be faithful, people may misunderstand you.
When you refuse to compromise, you may feel alone.
But don’t mistake opposition for God’s absence.
Sometimes, the battle is not proof that God has abandoned you. It is an opportunity for your faith to stand.
Mordecai chose God over compromise.
He chose faithfulness over fear.
3. THE PLAN FOR DESTRUCTION
Esther 3:7–15
Because Mordecai refused to bow, Haman became even more angry.
Instead of dealing only with Mordecai, he planned to destroy all the Jews in the kingdom.
He began making a plan.
He had influence.
He had resources.
He had authority.
And he had the king’s approval.
He even offered 10,000 talents of silver to support the plan.
Imagine how serious the situation was.
The enemy had a plan.
The enemy had resources.
The enemy had influence.
The enemy had authority.
And from a human perspective, it looked like everything was going according to Haman’s plan.
But there was something Haman could not see.
God was already working.
Esther was still hidden.
Mordecai did not yet know how everything would turn out.
The Jews did not yet see their deliverance.
But God already knew the whole story.
And this is where the message becomes powerful:
The enemy may have a plan, but God has a greater plan.
Sometimes, when we are in the middle of a situation, we only see what is happening in front of us.
We see the problem.
We see the delay.
We see the rejection.
We see the unanswered prayer.
We see the danger.
But we don’t see what God is doing behind the scenes.
God is working in the distance.
The enemy may be planning something against you, but that does not mean the enemy will have the final word.
GOD IN THE DISTANCE
Sometimes, we think that because we cannot see God moving, God is not doing anything.
But remember:
Just because you cannot see His hand doesn’t mean He is not working.
Maybe today, you are in a season where you feel like God is far away.
Maybe you are praying for something.
Maybe you are waiting for an answer.
Maybe you are serving but nobody appreciates you.
Maybe you are doing your best but you still feel unnoticed.
Maybe you are asking:
“Lord, where are You?”
But what if God is saying:
“I am here. You just cannot see what I am doing yet.”
Just like the little boy.
He thought his parents were gone.
But they were simply out of his sight.
And sometimes, amo man na ang aton ginabatyag sa Dios.
We don’t see Him.
But He sees us.
We don’t understand the process.
But He understands the purpose.
We don’t know what is happening behind the scenes.
But God does.
WHEN GOD SEEMS FAR AWAY, KEEP SHOWING UP
Maybe you are tempted to stop.
“Siguro indi na lang ko magsimba kay basi mas damo pa problema.”
“Siguro indi na lang ko magserve.”
“Siguro indi na lang ko magtindog sa akon faith.”
But look at Mordecai.
He continued to stand.
He did not compromise.
He did not bow.
He did not abandon his faith just because his situation became difficult.
And that is the challenge for us today:
Keep showing up.
Keep praying.
Keep serving.
Keep worshipping.
Keep believing.
Keep standing.
Even when you cannot see the answer.
Even when you cannot understand the process.
Even when God seems silent.
Because:
God’s silence is not God’s absence.
So when God seems to be in the distance, what are we going to do?
Are we going to give up?
Are we going to compromise?
Are we going to stop believing?
Or are we going to say:
“Lord, bisan indi ko pa makita, saligan ta gihapon Ikaw.”
Faith is not trusting God only when we can see everything clearly.
Faith is trusting God even when we can only see the light in the distance.
Mordecai could not see the whole picture.
Esther could not see the whole picture.
The Jews could not see the whole picture.
But God could.
And God can see the whole picture of your life too.
Maybe today, you feel forgotten.
Maybe you feel unnoticed.
Maybe you feel like someone else is being promoted while you are still waiting.
Maybe you feel like your prayers are unanswered.
Maybe you feel like God is far away.
But remember:
You may not see God moving, but God is still moving.
You may not understand His silence, but His faithfulness remains.
You may not see the way, but God already knows the way.
So don’t stop showing up.
Don’t stop serving.
Don’t stop believing.
Don’t stop standing for God.
Because God is still at work in the distance.
And one day, what you thought was God being absent, you will realize was actually God preparing something behind the scenes.
REMEMBER:
When God seems far away — KEEP THE FAITH.
When God seems silent — KEEP TRUSTING.
When nobody sees you — KEEP SERVING.
When your faith is tested — KEEP STANDING.
When you cannot see His hand — TRUST HIS HEART.
Because sometimes, all we can see is the light in the distance.
But that light is enough to remind us:
GOD IS STILL THERE.
🗣️ : REV. Darwin O. Bernaldez
📸 : Roseshine
✍️ : Althea
