Living Day to Day with God 

   Every day is a new beginning, every night is, in a sense, a new end.  I go about the day trying to live in God’s will even though I often fail.  In the evening I pause in recollection of the day, thanking Him for His blessings and seeking forgiveness for any sins I may have committed during the day.  Then I go to bed, never knowing if there will be a new beginning in the morning.

   There is much beauty and so many blessings to be had in this world.  God wants me to be happy in this life and if I am not happy it can only be my own fault.  In His blessings there are many reasons to be happy.  I must always focus on those blessings, remembering that there will also be times of trial and difficulty.

   I do not expect that this life will be one joy and happiness, never to experience pain and sorrow.  Jesus made it very clear that I will face trials and misfortunes in this life.  But He also promised that He will be there to help me carry any cross that I may to called to bear.  Nothing is impossible with the help of God.

   I often think about which is more desirable, to begin another day in this confused, sinful world or to leave this world for the world to come.  In my heart I know I prefer eternity with God, but it’s not up to me.  Only God knows when the end will come.  Until then, I will try to live by the words of St. Paul, “For to me life is Christ, and death is gain.” (Phil 1: 21). 

Each day is a new beginning.

Let me live every day for You.

I yearn to be with You eternally.

Help me live to make that wish reality. 

Amen

 God’s Plan 

   “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” (Jerimiah 29: 11) 

   I don’t question that God has a marvelous plan in mind for me.  One that will lead me through this life to eternal life with Him.  I just wish He would be a bit clearer in sharing that plan with me.

   I try to live for God but find myself living for myself.  It’s hard to submit all to His will, but that is what I’m called to do.  Each morning I ask Him for the wisdom to better know His will and for the strength to follow it.  I do try throughout the day, but I still fail at times.  When I review the day, thanking God for His blessings and searching for those times when I have failed Him there are always instances when I did what I should not have and didn’t do what I should have.

   God is a merciful and forgiving God, and I draw my strength from that truth.  He knows I am a weak man, a man conflicted and torn by the evils and temptations of this world.  He also knows that I want to follow His will even though I fail at times.  Perhaps part of His plan is to help me better know His love and mercy by showing me how much He still loves me, even though I have failed Him so many times.

   I will continue to try, and I know there will always be failures.  But I trust in God and His merciful love to save me from myself.   His plan is to lead me to Him, and He will do it. 

You know me better than I know myself.

You know my sins before I do.

Still, You love me and forgive me.

Help me to love and serve You more completely. 

Amen

 Pearls of Great Value 

   “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.  When he finds a pearl of great value, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.” (Matt 13: 46 – 46) 

   The pearl spoken of by Jesus in this parable is not one of great monetary value.  We can’t place a value on heaven, on the salvation of our soul.  The greatest pearl is the love and mercy of God.

   I was eighteen years old and had been in the Navy less than a year when I asked my wife to marry me.  To my great joy she said yes!  Since money was very tight, the engagement rink she accepted was quite inexpensive, a small diamond in a simple setting. 

   Over the years, as finances improved, I tried many times to replace that ring with one with a larger diamond and nicer setting.  Each time she refused, saying that she had accepted my proposal and my love with that ring and that was the most valuable ring she would ever own.

   During our marriage I bought many pieces of jewelry for my wife, some quite expensive, but she clung to that cheap engagement ring.  I finally came to realize that the cost of the ring was not what she prized but the love it represented.  I continued to buy nice things for her but never again tried to replace her “pearl of great value”.

   If we could grasp the true value of the things in our life rather than how much they cost, I think we would be much more satisfied with what we have.  If we can envision heaven as our pearl of great value, knowing that all in this life will pass away, I know we can grow closer to our Lord. 

Father, money cannot buy the pearl of great value.

You offer it freely by Your love and mercy.

May I always seek that pearl.

May I always remain in Your love. 

Amen

 Rest in God's Peace 

   “My soul rests in God alone, from whom comes my salvation.  God alone is my rock and salvation, my fortress; I shall never fail.” (Psalm 62: 2 – 3) 

   Everywhere I go I hear complaints; complaints about the political environment in the nation; criticism of our political leaders on both ends of the spectrum for not doing enough or for doing too much.  Even in the Church there is unrest and concern over the actions of some of our church leaders.

   Rarely do I hear anyone thanking God for those blessings that He has bestowed on us, and for the blessings He continues to bestow on us.  It seems everyone is so pre-occupied with earthy things that there is no room for the spiritual.  We seem to forget that everything we are concerned with in this world will pass away.  Only eternity is forever.

   There are times when I get caught up in this lose-lose trap of placing too much attention and concern on worldly matters.  I sometimes feel my peace slipping away and it scares me.  Satan attacks from all directions, but if I allow the evils of this world to distract me from God I am playing directly into his hands.

   When I feel myself becoming agitated by earthly events, I try to stop and turn my thoughts to God.  By thanking Him for the blessings He has given me and for the blessings He continues to give I can regain my peace of mind, and more importantly, my peace of soul.

   “The one who gives this testimony says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’  Amen!  Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelations 22: 20).  The world, as wonderful or as messed up as we may consider it, will pass away.  Eternal life with God never ends. 

Our hearts are meant to rest in You.

But Satan intervenes, bringing evil.

Help us reject the evil, and rest in You.

Let us look to You as our rock of peace. 

Amen

Asking God 

   “Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.” (Matt 21: 22) 

   Jesus spoke those words to His disciples and His words apply to us as well.  But it’s important to be certain that what we ask is what we truly want.

   What am I to ask of God?  What is truly worth asking of God?  I ask so many things but am I asking the right things?  These questions haunt me at times.

   Am I asking with proper faith?  Jesus told His disciples “Amen, I say to you if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.” (Matt 17: 20).  Do I have faith the size of a mustard seed?  I would like to think so, but am I really confident that He will do what I ask or is there some small question in the back of my mind?

   And then there’s the question of what I should ask.  I’m not too concerned with moving mountains, but there are things I ask for that I believe are important and proper.  But does my understanding of important agree with God’s?  Is what I think proper, truly proper in God’s eyes?  How am I to know?

   I’ve concluded that the one thing I want more than anything else is for Him to make me holy.  And I’ve also decided that it’s not up to me to tell Him how, but simply accept the holiness He wishes to bestow upon me.  If I ask sincerely, with no question that He will grant my prayer, leaving the details to Him, I am confident that He will lead me to the holiness He desires for me. 

Father, I ask for so much.

But only one thing really matters.

I ask You to make me holy.

And entrust myself to Your will. 

Amen 

 What Have I Done? 

   “On the day of judgement we will not be asked what we have read, but what we have done; neither will we be asked how well we have spoken, but how devoutly we have lived.” (Thomas à Kempis – “The Imitation of Christ”) 

   I have spent a lot of time reading about and studying my faith.  I think it is very important that we all know our faith as well as possible.  If not, we can easily be taken in by false prophets and wolves in sheep’s clothing.  A good knowledge of God and our faith is vital if we are to lead a fully Christian life.

   But it doesn’t matter how much I know about my faith if I don’t put it into practice.  I can know all the doctrines and dogmas and be able to quote scripture on many subjects.  I may be a great orator, impressing all who hear me speak.  But if I have not lived my life for God, I’ve done nothing.

   The priests, scribes, and Pharisees of Jesus’ time were very knowledgeable in the Torah, and its laws.  They knew the prophets and their prophecies.  And yet they could not see the completion of those laws and the fulfillment of those prophecies in Jesus.  As a result, they failed to recognize the one who could offer them eternal life.

   Jesus said, “And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matt 25: 40).  When I stand before the Lord at my judgement, He will not review my diplomas or educational accomplishments; He won’t analyze the words I’ve spoken or written.  I will be judged on how I lived my life. 

Father, help me to better know You.

Help me to better know my faith.

Above all, help me to live my life for You.

Loving You and all your children. 

Amen

 There Is Still Time 

   “There is still time for endurance, time for patience, time for healing, time for change.  Have you slipped?  Rise up.  Have you sinned?  Cease.  Do not stand among sinners, but leap aside.” (St. Basil the Great) 

   Our God is patient, He allows us time to reconsider our lives and make changes.  Until we draw our last breath there is still time to turn to Him in sorrow for our sins and save our souls.

   However, we are procrastinators, we tend to put things off.  We often wait until something easily resolved becomes an emergency before acting.  If we do the same with our immortal soul, we may wait too late.  There is a limit to the time we have on this earth.  Once our mortal life is over, we no longer have the option of turning to God; our destiny is decided.

   Our mortality has a habit of sneaking up on us.  A car wreck, a serious injury or illness can end this life in a moment, leaving no time to rethink the decisions we’ve made or to seek forgiveness for the sins we’ve committed.  Now is the time to act, now is the time to seek God’s forgiveness.

   “If we say, ‘We are without sin,’ we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John: 18).  Each day we sin in some way, in ways we may not even be conscious of.  Each evening, and even throughout the day, it’s good to take a minute to thank the Lord for His blessings and to express our sorrow for those sins, even the ones we may not be aware of.

   There is still time, time to confess and be forgiven, time to change and live for God rather than self, time to write our name in the book of life.  But life is short, don’t waste what time we have. 

You are a loving and compassionate God.

You are patient with Your children.

You give us time turn to You.

Let us not waste the time You give us. 

Amen