God Sees

   “Where can I hide from your spirit?  From your presence, where can I flee?”  (Ps 139: 7)

   If we fully understood the implications of Psalm 139 I believe we would live much differently.  Regardless of where we are, what we are doing, saying or even thinking God is there.  We can’t hide from Him though many try.  He is there, He knows everything about us.

   Imagine how our lives might be changed if we recognized that everything we do is known to God.  No matter how well we hide our actions from others, God sees them.  No matter what lies we tell, God knows the truth.  Would that change the way we live?  I believe it would.

   If a husband recognized that his wife would know of his unfaithfulness, would he still commit adultery?  Perhaps one with a hard heart and no love in them would commit the sin anyway.  But if there were just the smallest bit of love for his wife and the hurt that would be caused I think he might reconsider and remain faithful.

A businessman who knew that everyone would be aware of their underhanded and perhaps illegal business practices might rethink his business ethics.  A politician who was certain that her lies and broken promises would be known to all might consider doing what is best for those who elected her rather than benefit herself.  Those who are powerful and misuse their power might repent and change their ways if they considered that God sees all.

   The fact is God does see.  He does know.  The things we do that we want no one to know are manifest to Him.  The things we should do but don’t are known; the things we say, the thoughts we have, the hatred we harbor for others.  Every part of us is an open book to God; nothing can be hidden.

   We should strive to live in such a way that we wish God to see and want Him to know all that we do.  We should welcome His influence and guidance in our thoughts, actions and in every part of our life.  To me that is a big part what Christianity and faith in God means.  Of course, we will fail to live up to that goal as does everyone.  We are broken by sin and need God’s forgiveness and mercy.  But if we do our best to live the way God wants I know He will forgive us and help us in our efforts.

   “Probe me, God, know my heart; try me, know my concerns.  See if my way is crooked, then lead me in the ancient paths.”  (Ps 139: 23 -24)

I Sin Again 

Again I have sinned.  Again I have failed to resist the temptation.

Why am I so weak?  Why do I not seek Your strength?

You are there, waiting for my call but I remain silent.

You are there, wanting to help me but I fail to ask.

I fail to respond to Your love,

I fail to ask for Your help,

I fail to rely totally on You.

And again I sin.

If I would turn to You I could avoid sin.

If I ask, You will help, You will give me strength.

You are waiting for my plea.

You will always answer me, you will save me from myself.

Lord help me to rely on You.

Help me to call on You.

I can’t defeat the evil one alone.

You are my only hope and yet I fail to go to You.

And again I sin.

Help me Lord!

The Will of God

   “Not to accept and love and do God’s will is to refuse the fullness of my existence.”  (Thomas Merton, “New Seeds of Contemplation”)

   God has a plan for me.  I was created in His image with a purpose determined by God from the beginning of time.  My task is to allow Him to show me His plan and follow it.  Only in this way can my life be what it was intended to be.

   I am no different from all others in this world.  I have my own wants and desires which may or may not agree with God’s will for me.  If I focus only on what I think is right for me I will miss the path to eternal life determined by God.  He knows where I should walk and what I should do.  If I understand and accept this I will ask for the discernment to know His way and the courage to follow it.

   To give up control is difficult.  Everyone likes to think that they know what is best for them, but reality proves them wrong.  Left to my own devices I will stray from God’s path.  I must seek the narrow gate that leads to salvation or risk the highway that leads to hell.

   My judgement of what is best for me is flawed due to sin.  If I look to earthly pleasures I can never obtain those pleasures God has prepared for me in heaven.  If I refuse to seek Him in all things I open my life ever more to the temptations of Satan.

   I seek God in prayer and contemplation.  Prayer for guidance and strength; contemplation to better know, love, and serve Him.  The more I look to Him the greater is His presence within me.  I’ve found that the more I can make my life a prayer the more I am aware of God’s will for me.  Whether it is formal prayer, spontaneous prayer or the offering of all that I do to God I can make my life full of prayer.  Whatever I’m doing can become prayer if offered to Him in faith and love.  If I offer all to God, He will bless my efforts and give me the strength to follow Him.

   Nothing I do is as important as my relationship with my God.  I live in a world that is corrupt and sinful; a world that will pass away in the blink of an eye at God’s command.  The world I seek is the heavenly world of God.  Only by lovingly and willingly accepting God’s will for my life can I hope to obtain that heavenly home.

“What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him…” (1 Cor 2: 9)

Trust

   Trust is something we all seek but is hard to find in society today.  We want to trust our friends and family but many times we are disappointed by their betrayal of our trust.  It would be ideal to be able to trust those politicians we elect but we have found them unworthy of our trust.  Even within our churches we sometimes find a lack of fidelity leading to hesitancy in trusting.

   A husband and wife should be the picture of trust yet far too often that trust is betrayed as well.  Those couples who live a life of trust are shining examples of what true love and faith in one another and in God can accomplish.  Yet it seems many don’t accept and live the vows taken at the altar of matrimony.  The blessings of a faithful marriage are easily destroyed by disloyalty.  Once betrayed, the trust of a spouse is difficult, if not impossible to regain.

   I see the lack of trust and trustworthiness as a result of our broken relationship with God.  From the beginning of time, through history and continuing today the bond of trust between us and God has suffered due to our failures.  Our trust in God suffers because we can’t find it within ourselves to truly trust anyone or anything.  Still, there are two in whom we can always trust.

   We can trust Satan to do everything in his power to turn us from God.  He will continue his attempts to undermine our trust in God until the end of time.  He is the direct cause of our lack of trust.  Adam and Eve were convinced by Satan that even God couldn’t be trusted; that the Lord had lied to them about the tree of knowledge.  They believed him and turned from the relationship of trust they had with God.  Still today, he strives to convince us that no one, not even God, can be trusted.

   Thankfully, there is one in whom we can place our trust and never be disappointed.  God never goes back on His word, He never lies to us or betrays the trust we place in Him.  If ever we doubt Him it is because of our own weakness and the efforts of Satan.  He has been betrayed by us from the beginning of time yet remains faithful to us.  He waits with love, forgiveness and mercy for all who look to Him in faith and trust.

   We need to trust if we are to find true friendship and love.  In God we can find all the trust and love we could ever hope to possess.

   “For the Lord’s word is true, all his works are trustworthy.”  (Psalm 33: 4)

Silent Contemplation

   I spent this morning with my Lord.  I left home about six-thirty, went to church and sat in a quiet chapel and prayed.   A little later I went to Mass and gave praise and worship to God and received my Lord in Communion.  I then went for a walk around the church grounds, found a picnic table under a shade tree and sat enjoying the beauty of God’s creation.

   Later I went back to the chapel and sat in silent contemplation.   I said nothing but quieted my mind to be totally present with God.  Words are wonderful but silence in golden; particularly when wanting to truly experience God’s presence.

   At times my prayers seem to be a list of things that I’m asking of God rather than a two-way conversation.  If I stop and think about it, God already knows what I’m going to say in my prayers so words aren’t really needed.  Still I think God wants me to come to Him in petition and tell Him the things I think I need and ask for His graces and mercy.  I don’t question whether He will answer my prayers because I know that He will.  The answer may not be the one I was expecting but it will be the one that is right.

   It seems simple but sitting in silence and trying to completely focus on God can be difficult.  My mind wants to wander, it wants to be active and resists the inactivity of silent contemplation.  To quiet myself, it sometimes helps to focus on the crucifix, the blessed sacrament or even just a candle.  Even then outside thoughts intrude and force me to once again quiet myself.  I’m convinced that the distractions are the work of Satan.

   Vocal prayer is of great value and I will always pray the prayers of the church and the spontaneous prayers of my heart.  These are necessary to a full spiritual life.  But there is a special quality and spirituality to silent prayer.  Perhaps it’s because then I’m not speaking but listening; allowing God to speak to me.  Sometimes I need to just shut up and let Him talk.  I can’t say that a great voice from heaven comes to me but I am aware of His presence within me and the peace and joy that comes with that presence.  I’m also convinced that He guides me through these times of silence even though I may not even be aware of it.

   I will take the opportunity to spend quiet time with my Lord and listen to hear His plan for me.  In the silence He is there.

“Be still and know that I am God!” (Psalm 46: 11)

Whom Do You Serve?

   “If it does not please you to serve the Lord, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your fathers served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are dwelling.” (Joshua 24: 15)

   Joshua had brought the Israelites across the Jordan and into the promised land.  Now they needed to decide who they would serve going forward; the false gods of those who lived in the lands or the one true God.  Once again freedom of choice was put to the test.  God had brought them from Egypt, through the desert, across the Jordan and into the promised land.  Yet He would not impose Himself upon them; the choice was theirs.

   We also must decide who we will serve.  Will it be the one true God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit or the false gods of the society in which we live?  The choice is ours.

   Satan provides us with a nearly endless option of false gods to serve.  He doesn’t care which one we choose so long as it’s not the true God.  We can serve fame and money if that is what we want.  We can worship at the altar of self, seeking only to serve ourselves if that is our desire.  Some want it all and will serve any god that is likely to give them everything they want.  Many serve multiply gods just as the ancient Romans and Greeks had. 

   Saddest of all are those who claim to serve God but instead serve false gods.  They speak of faith, but their faith lies in whatever serves their desires.  Pride is the ruling force in many causing them to look only to themselves rather than to God.  It is the height of hypocrisy to put on the façade of faith and still serve only selfish desires and the gods of self-interest.

   The Israelites responded to Joshua’s call to decision by responding, “Far be it for us to forsake the Lord for the service of other gods.” (Joshua 24: 16).  Yet they repeatedly failed in their efforts to serve God, suffering hardships, exile and captivity by foreign forces.  Still, God was with them ready to welcome them back when they came to their senses and returned to Him.

   He is with us today as well.  Even though we sometimes fail in our efforts He waits to welcome us home when we recognize our failings, seek forgiveness and come back to Him.

   “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24: 15)

Deep Water

   God sometimes calls His followers into deep water.  Places where they would never choose to go on their own.  With faith in God and confidence in His love, we can follow His call and go into the deep waters of God’s will.

   Abram was called from his homeland to take his family and go to a new land unknown to him.  Without hesitation Abram took his family and belongings and followed God.  He became Abraham, the father of many nations.

   Moses was amazed by a burning bush that wasn’t being consumed by the fire and went to see it.  From the bush God called Him to free His people from slavery in Egypt.  Moses resisted but eventually followed God into the role of leader; one who would free the Israelites from slavery, speak person to person to God on their behalf and lead them to the promised land.  Very deep waters indeed for one who at first resisted God’s call.

   Jesus called His disciples from common men; fishermen, tax collectors and others.  These men left their jobs, homes and families to follow Him in His ministry.  All but one died as a martyr to their faith.

   We too may be called to deep water by God.  Christianity isn’t limited to the shallow end of the pool.  Sometimes it requires jumping into the deep end even though we may not know how to swim; relying totally on God and His plan for us.  The challenge may be different for each of us.  One may have a fear of public speaking but called to do so; another may be called to a life of service in the priesthood; another to marriage and service to God and family.  What is feared as deep water by one may simply be a great place to swim for another.  We each have our fears and God will sometimes call us to overcome those fears.  With faith and confidence in His love we can answer His call knowing that He is always with us.

   “Peter said to him in reply, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’  He said, ‘Come.’  Peter got out the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.  But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’  Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him… (Matt 14: 28 – 31)

Impatience

   We are an impatient people.  We want what we want and we want it now.  We go to fast food restaurants and still complain about slow service.  We want computers that instantly respond to our keystrokes.  We want our cars to go faster so we can get to our destination quicker.  Speed limits are simply a suggestion.

   The same applies in our work life.  The boss wants the problem solved yesterday and tomorrow is too late.  We expect promotions and raises as a matter of course and quickly regardless of our efforts.  Emails are expected to be responded to within minutes of hitting the send button.

   We can’t even slow down for fun.  We load everyone into the car and drive as fast as we can to the theme park.  We rush into the park; run between rides and complain because we must wait our turn.  We grab a quick lunch, gulp it down and head back out for more of the chaos we call fun.  We wonder why our children are in a hurry for everything when they are simply following our example.

   Worst of all, we let our impatience affect our faith life.  We pray and expect God to answer immediately.  He is supposed to be quick about it and give us exactly what we asked for.  If not, we question His existence and His love for us.  We forget that God knows what we need and it may not be what we think we need.  We also forget that sometimes the answer to our prayer may be “not yet” or even “no”.

   We get up on Sunday, rush to get dressed for church; pull into the parking lot with barely minutes to spare and curse because close parking places are taken.  We run into the church and complain because we can’t sit in “our” pew.  We are frustrated if the sermon goes longer than we think it should.  Then we rush out the door as soon as possible, many times before the service is complete.

   It isn’t supposed to be this way.  We are frustrated, angry and always in a hurry when we should be at peace.  But peace isn’t something that can be rushed.  We must take the time to put ourselves at peace; not only with ourselves but with God.  If we don’t, our lives will remain in chaos and we will never truly enjoy life and the joy of God’s presence.

   Slow down.  Take a break to spend time with God.  Our faith can’t be rushed, it must be carefully and slowly nurtured.  In this way we can come to know the serenity and peace of God.

   “But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day.”  (2 Peter 3: 8)

Prayer of Renewal

Father, I am flawed, but You are perfect;

I wander aimlessly, You show me the path;

I can’t see the road ahead, You give me light to see Your way;

I wonder if I can find peace, You give me comfort;

You don’t need me, but You love me.

I need love, You give me Your love and mercy;

I am lost in a wilderness of sin, You forgive and strengthen me;

I reach out to You, You welcome me with open arms;

I need to come home, You take my hand and lead me;

I need to trust, You renew my faith.

Lord, show me Your ways that I may follow You always.

Amen

Humility

   Humility is a virtue, but society today most often views it as a weakness.  Humility and humbleness have come to be associated with fear, cowardice and being a “door mat” for others to walk on.  If you asked most people today to list the virtues they strive to develop, humility and humbleness would probably be at the bottom of the list if they were on it all.

   Yet humility is important to faith; without it we can never truly understand the love and mercy of God.  Jesus showed humility throughout His life.  He accepted the rejection of others without lashing out; He never forced Himself or His teachings on anyone.  Even to the point of death He humbly accepted the abuse and abandonment of others.  He did not consider humility to be a deficit but rather a necessary part of a life in service to God.

   We need humility in our lives if we are to live the will of God.  We are not to be proud or boisterous in our faith, but confident and assured.  We are to approach others as children of God and, if children of God, worthy of our love and respect.  But we need to understand the true essence of humility if we are to understand our need for it.

   Humility isn’t subjecting oneself to the scorn and insults of others.  Being humble doesn’t mean thinking ourselves second best or inferior.  It certainly isn’t letting others walk all over us as a doormat.

   Humility is recognizing that the world doesn’t depend on us to exist.  In fact, we aren’t even needed for the world to exist, but that’s OK because God has willed that we exist.  Humility admits that others may be smarter and stronger than we are, but it doesn’t matter because being the smartest or strongest isn’t necessary for a life of faith and joy in God’s plan for us.  Humility is understanding that we are unworthy of God’s love and mercy but rejoicing in the fact that He loves us anyway.

   The word humility comes from the Latin “humilis”, literally “on the ground”.  It goes further back to the Latin word “humus” meaning earth or soil.  “For you are dirt, and to dirt you shall return.”  (Gen 3: 19.)  If we humbly approach God with love in our heart and faith in our soul nothing else in this world matters. 

  If we are to truly understand humility we need to turn to scripture.

   “Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.  Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found in human appearance he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.” (Phil 2: 5-8)

Oceans of Faith

   The oceans of the world are cyclic.  The tides come in and raise the water levels and then recede, reducing the level.  Waves form far at sea and work their way to the shore, some small and some very large.  As they reach the shallow waters they crest and crash onto the shore and then recede, perhaps to form again in deeper waters.

   Faith is very like the ocean in some ways.  The tides of faith raise our awareness and closeness to God while the ebb tide leaves us in a calm.  These changes in faith can be beneficial.  We need to realize their graces and be thankful.

    If we glory with God in the high tides of His grace our faith grows.  We see the beauty of the world and everything He has created.  As the tide recedes we calm ourselves and come to know God on a deeper level.  Each phase is important to our faith.  They help us build our faith and rest in God’s love.

   The waves of faith are another way of growing our faith in God.  Our faith can quietly build in the depths of our soul and come crashing to the shore in wonder and awe.  We should ride those waves and revel in the joy God brings to our lives.  As the wave recedes back into the sea so our faith may recede into contemplation.  A time to truly recognize the gifts and blessings of God in our lives.  A time to anticipate the next wave, wanting to again experience the glorious heights of God in our life.

   Most things in nature ebb and flow in a similar manner.  To me it seems our Heavenly Father has given us an understanding of faith if we will only take the time to see and appreciate it.

   Just as the sun rises and sets so our faith rises in glory and sets in the love of God.  As the wind blows our faith can spread God’s love and the calm lets us quietly and reverently praise the Lord who gives us all things.  When the flower of our faith is in the bloom of spring we can be a great force in God’s kingdom.  In the winters of our faith we can deepen our faith, preparing for the blooms of the next spring of our life.

   We are part of nature, created by God.  Nature can help us better understand our faith life if we pay attention to its’ ways.  He has given us a means to recognize His majesty and love; we should take the time to appreciate it and give Him all glory and praise.

Wake Up

   “And do this because you know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep.” (Romans 13: 11)

   Several years ago a radio station I listened to played a short editorial program of about 3-5 minutes each afternoon.  The announcer would identify some area of society or law that he considered to be bad.  He would explain the concept then state, “Wake Up, America!”  At that point he would list all the reasons that the law or custom was wrong-headed.  It was usually good for a few laughs and many times made a lot of sense.

   I think it is time for us to say, “Wake Up Christians!” and begin to address the evils permeating our society.  We look around and see evil throughout society; evil being ignored by most everyone.  Approximately 45% of all marriages end in divorce.  In some places as many or even more babies are killed by abortion than born.  Young men are being killed by the thousands every year in some cities.  Even our churches seem to have ignored the evil in society and in some cases within the church itself.  There’s certainly enough evil in our world to warrant a wake-up call.

   When we look at the lives of Jesus, the apostles, and those of faith throughout history we see them confronting evil, not ignoring it.  Our Lord, all but one of the apostles and numerous martyrs were put to death for standing up for what is right and denouncing what is wrong.  Even today, there are those who are severely persecuted and even put to death for their faith.

   As Christians we have a responsibility.  We weren’t called to a life of ease and pleasure; we were called to a life of faith.  There will be crosses we must bear, suffering we must endure in this life.  If I am to suffer I prefer to suffer and even die because I had the faith and courage to stand up for God.  Paul said, “For to me life is Christ, and death is gain.” (Phil 1: 21).  We should never seek harm or death, but we should be willing to endure both for Jesus, who died for us.

   There are so many ways to stand for God.  The best way is to live our life according to God’s will for us.  Whether we ever do anything great in the eyes of the world our lives can have an impact on others.  If living our life in a Godly manner encourages just one person to seek God and salvation it has been worthwhile.  If we are recognized as great in earthly terms but live our life without God, we are a failure.  Only through our lives and the way we live them can we affect society and perhaps make our little corner of the world a better, more faithful place.

   “Get away Satan!  It is written: The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.”  (Matt 4: 10)

The Bread of Life

   “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” (John 6: 53)

  Let me state unequivocally that I, without doubt and in complete certainty believe that the Holy Communion I receive at Mass is, in fact, the body, blood, soul and divinity of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  While the wafer of unleavened bread and the cup of wine appear unchanged, their substance has been transformed into His body and His blood.  I have no logical explanation, just my faith in the words of Jesus Christ.

   I don’t trust in this truth just because the Catholic Church teaches it but because Jesus Christ taught it in no uncertain terms.  He specifically and clearly says that His body and His blood are true food (see John 6: 22-71).  I can see no other meaning for the words He spoke.  He was emphatic, direct and unwavering in His statements.  In my mind there is no room for question about His intent.

   Making this claim was surely abhorrent to many of those hearing it.  The thought of eating human flesh and drinking blood was disgusting to them just as eating human flesh and drinking human blood is disgusting to us today.

   So how do I reconcile the revulsion felt about cannibalism and the fact that Holy Communion is the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ?  I accept it in the same way that I accept all of Jesus’ miracles.  I can’t understand bringing a dead man to life; but Jesus did it.  He walked on water; how are we to accept that miracle?  He cured incurable diseases with a touch and a word; He turned water into wine.  Each of these acts defy logic, common sense and the natural laws.  To our minds they are not possible, yet they happened.  That is the definition of a miracle; it can’t be explained by any means available to us; we must accept it on faith alone.

   If I deny that Jesus can change the substance of the bread and wine into His body, blood, soul, and divinity then I should look at all of His miracles in the same way.  They can’t be explained so they must not be true.  Yet most people don’t hesitate to accept the miracles Jesus performed except for this one.  The one that promises eternal life to those who believe is the one many reject.

   Some would say this was only meant as symbolism, but the scripture doesn’t support that.  Not once did Jesus waiver in His claim.  In fact, many of His disciples left Him because of this teaching (see John 6: 68).  Jesus did not call out to them and explain that He was just talking symbolically.  Rather, He let them walk away if they could not accept His teaching.

   Jesus will never force Himself or His teachings upon us just as He did not force them upon those who chose not to believe Him when He lived.  Those who chose not to believe were free to walk away, just as we have the choice to believe or walk away.

“Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.”  (John 6: 56)

Holy War

   “Be sober and vigilant..  Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5: 8)

   There is a war raging about us.  We don’t see it, we don’t even know it’s happening most of the time.  But it is there, and it is the most important battle of our lives.

   The battle I’m referring to is the battle between good and evil.  The prize being sought is our soul.  On one side stands Satan and his demon army.  On the other, God, the angels and saints.  We never see the fighting though I think we often feel the battle within.

   The Archangel Lucifer, whose name means light-bearer rebelled against God in a heavenly war.  Pride would seem to be the primary cause of the rebellion but the result was that Lucifer and his followers were thrown out of heaven by the Archangel Michael.  Since then Lucifer has been better known as Satan and his former angelic followers as demons.  These beings seek to turn us away from God, depriving us of eternal life in God’s presence.  This is the enemy we face each day of our lives.

   Our defense in this battle is led by Michael the Archangel, our guardian angels and all the angels and saints in heaven.  They are our protection against Satan and his temptations.  They fight with the power of God, but we can weaken their efforts by our actions and the way we live our lives.

   Each time we succumb to Satan’s temptations we harm our defenses.  With every sin we damage our relationship with God.  The angelic forces are fighting to save our soul, but we must help in the fight.  If we betray our own forces by our sinfulness we make Satan’s task easier.

   Instead we must do all we can to reinforce our defenses.  Every prayer we say is a strengthening of our armor in this battle.  The power of God grows within us each time we turn to Him for help.  Every act of love, kindness and mercy we display pushes Satan further from us.  He can’t live in a soul full of prayer and love of God.

   The fight for our soul will continue until our death.  Neither God nor Satan will give up on us.  Let’s fight the good fight and win the battle.  Eternity awaits.

   “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.” (Romans 14: 14)

What Is Good

   “You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you.” (Micah 6: 8)

   In the movie “Cool Hand Luke”, Luke repeatedly escaped the prison camp where he was serving his term.  At one point the warden, wanting to make Luke an example, had intimidated him almost into servitude.  He pointed to Luke and told the others, “Luke wants to be good.”  I’ve always remembered that line because, in fact, Luke didn’t want to be good, he just wanted to escape and be free.

   Sometimes I think there is a bit of Luke in all of us.  We want to be good, but we don’t want it to interfere with our freedom.  We would prefer to seek our own enjoyment rather that live in the joy of God’s love.  We have come to believe that we know what is best for us and what is good; we choose our own path rather than God’s.

   Many of our political leaders feed that hunger within us, they tell us that we can get something for nothing.  Don’t worry about caring for yourself, the government will take care of you.  They try to tell us what is good for us while restricting God’s presence in the nation.  Most want to serve their own good, not God’s.

   Even our religious leaders sometimes follow this way.  They want to be seen as loving of all and accepting of all, thinking this is what God wants.  Yet God never hesitated to point out the many failures of the Israelites, inflicting punishment at times.  Jesus healed and forgave sinners but He also cautioned them to go and sin no more.  This is the example our priests and pastors need to follow.  Love the sinner but admonish us against our sins.

   God tells us what is necessary to be good.  Throughout scripture, in the lives of saints and the faithful we are given example in word and deed of what is good.  Instead we look to politicians, entertainment stars and news reporters, all of whom have an agenda of their own to push rather than God’s.  Turn off the outside world for a while each day and sit with God and His word.  God will tell us what is required of us, just give Him the chance.

   “Only to do the right and to love goodness, and walk humbly with your God.”  (Micah 6: 8)

Glorious Love

How glorious is Your love Lord!

How long will Your love be with us?

We create a society which refuses to honor You.

We sin greatly in many ways.

We destroy our infants in the womb.

We live for our own selfishness rather than Your glory.

And yet, You still love us.

We refuse to follow Your laws and Your ways.

We refuse to turn from our sins.

We refuse to submit to Your blessed will.

We refuse to take a stand in Your name.

And yet, You still love us.

How long will You allow us to continue this way?

When will You bring judgment against those who hate You?

How many times will You forgive us?

How much will it take to bring us home?

How long will Your love be with us?

Will You withdraw Your love?

Will You condemn those who refuse to honor You?

Will You turn away from those who turn away from You?

Will You let this people continue in their sin?

How long will Your love be with us?

Help us Lord, to turn from our sinful ways.

Help us Lord, to give You the honor and glory You deserve.

Help us Lord, to stand against those who would hate You.

Help us Lord, to create a world which welcomes You.

In all things, in every way.

At all times, on every day.

In all hearts, in every soul.

Let Your will rule, let Your way prevail.

Amen

Chosen by God

   Many suffer from low self-esteem, low self-worth.  They don’t see anything in their lives that make them feel loved or worthy of love.  In some extreme cases they don’t even see themselves as worthy of life.  Some turn to alcohol or drugs; other may even turn to suicide.

   I believe most of us have a skewed understanding of self-worth.  We see it in the terms of this world.  We attach our worth to the balance of our bank account or the size of our house.  Some see self-esteem as a reflection of how many friends they have; how many people say they like them.  While there is certainly nothing wrong with having money, nice homes or lots of friends our self-worth does not derive from these things.

   My spiritual advisor recently gave me what I believe is the true source of our self-worth.  I would like to share it with you and hope you share it with others; especially those who might not recognize their own self-worth.  Whenever you feel unworthy reflect on these words:

You have been chosen by God,

Before the world began; to be Holy,

To be blameless in His site;

To be full of love.

   There can be no greater sign of our worth than the love of God.  A God who wants us as part of His family and is willing to forgive us our faults as a loving parent does for their children.  A God who sent His only Son to pay the price for our sins and to open the gates to heaven.

   Nothing in this world can increase or reduce our self-worth.  The love of God is all the proof of worth needed.

   “For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3: 16)

Son Light

   I’m amazed at the way God tells us of Himself and our spiritual life.  Sometimes the smallest thing that would ordinarily pass without notice gives me another clue to how God works in my life.  This morning was another of those times.

   A few weeks ago I planted some flowering plants in our back yard.  Over the weeks it became obvious that two of them were doing quite well while the other two were struggling.  I finally realized that I had planted two of them in a location where they received a lot of sunlight, especially in the afternoon and evening.  The other two got a little morning sun but not much more.  Without the light of the sun in their life they were dying.  I’ve now replanted them next to the other two where they will get the life-giving sunlight.

   Our faith life is very much like those plants.  We need the light of the Son if we are to grow and flourish.  Without Him our spiritual life will whither and die.  We need to make sure that we are not only planted in good soil based on God’s word, but also that the Son shines on us to give us the strength and love to grow in faith.

   Too many times we plant ourselves in the shade of earthly concerns.  We worry about things that detract from our love of God; the search for money, importance and status concern us far too much.  Sometimes we sit in the shade of television, wrapped up in our favorite show or sports team.  Often we just sit in the shade of apathy, not seeking the things we need to be searching for; letting our faith life waste away.

   Just as the plants needed the sunlight to survive, we need the light of God’s Son if our soul is to survive.  We need to let the worries and cares of the world go and focus on our Lord and His will for our life.  We need to get out of the shade and take a walk in the light of the Son.  Then we can flourish in the love, mercy and compassion of our Lord.

“I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  (John 8: 12)

God’s Blessings

   Why do we do the good we do?  Is it because we believe we can earn the blessings of God by our actions?  Rather, are we doing good things out of thanksgiving for the blessings God has given us?  Do we share those blessings with others because of our love for them and for God?

   If we believe we can earn or become worthy of God’s blessings by our actions we are mistaken.  God loves everyone and blesses each of us from His love.  Nothing we do can add to or detract from that love.  We can only make it grow by sharing it with others, perhaps enabling them to understand that God loves them as well.

   We can’t earn His blessings, but still we must respond to His blessings.  That is the true purpose of the good we do; giving thanks to God by sharing the blessings he has given us.  Jesus told us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give drink to the thirsty and visit the sick and imprisoned.  If we do these things we recognize that we have been blessed and therefore have the obligation to pass those blessings along to others.  He also told us that failure to do these things can result in being sent away from Him at the final judgement.  While we can’t earn God’s love and blessings we can reject them and destroy our relationship with Him.

   I believe that our spiritual life suffers tremendously if we have the wrong attitude about the blessings of God.  By trying to earn them through our actions we are putting a price on the love and favor of God; a price that none of us can possible pay.  We not only cheapen His blessings we look upon God as an ATM machine.  We deposit the good we do into the bank of God and then, when we enter our pin, He distributes blessings as our due.  That may be the way the world operates but it isn’t how God does things.

   By realizing that we are not purchasing God’s blessing in our actions but thanking Him for them we are doing the will of God for selfless reasons rather than for our own benefit.  In this way we honor God and His blessings, giving them away in His name to those in need.

   “Happy the people to whom such blessing fall!  Happy the people whose God is the Lord!” (Ps 144: 15)