HOLD ON TO ME (02-28-13)

Mark 12:10-11

“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes?”

Jesus, in today’s gospel, again assailed the Jewish community during His time for totally ignoring Him, to the point of rejecting Him out.  But, in the end, He will become the cornerstone that would hold each and every people in the world together in one faith. 

Christians in all ages should see this parable as exhorting them to build faithfully upon Christ and make sure they do not fall into the sin of this Jewish generation.

Similarly, we should make Jesus the cornerstone of our lives – letting Him hold us in all directions.  Others may have rejected Him outright, but time will show them their just “reward”. 

As for those who believed in Him and follow His ways and words, continue to be yield fruits for His kingdom as we await our own rewards in Heaven. 

My spiritual castle is still under construction.  I know that God isn’t finished with me yet.  The point is to start small, keep it simple and build on that, one prayer brick at a time.  Then, become the model for others to imitate.

This is the fruitfulness of Christ and the fruitfulness of a people whose power and strength and comfort flows only through Him.

And with Jesus as the cornerstone of our lives, acknowledge God's presence gratefully every moment of our lives, not just on Sunday mornings, or during Bible studies.  Do it every moment and be a model for others, as we see new faces of God every day in every person we meet and see.

Let us pray +

Lord Jesus, let us make You the cornerstone of our lives, totally abandoning ourselves to You as we await Your joyful return and the promise of eternal life with You.  Amen +

Blessed the man who fears the Lord.

WALK THE TALK (02-27-13)

Matthew 7:24-25

“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.  The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house.  But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.

With the advent of internet, we can read about anything online.  We can just view training programs if we want to learn new tricks or skill.

When I am just starting to play badminton, I would browse the internet to learn more about this game.  But something is missing – I don’t even have my own racquet to play with!  It is not enough that we learn about something, but we have to do it.  I have to go to a badminton court and hit shuttlecocks, practice the footwork and play some games.  I have to immerse myself in playing the game.

The same goes with us being the follower of Christ.  We would have two or three Bibles at home.  Or maybe, an altar with all the saints on it.  But still, we are weak spiritually and can be swayed easily by any temptations that come our way.

Christianity is not just reading the Bible as reading the Bible is not Christianity.  Our faith is a free, unmerited gift of God; but it’s not magic.  We must learn to accept God’s will and grace, obey them and let it work in us.  We must build our life on a solid, rocky foundation.  And that great foundation is no other than the Lord Jesus Christ.

We must accept him as our Lord and Savior and Master. That means committing our lives to him.  And then, we act on it.

It means committing to following his example, carrying our own cross and helping others carry theirs.  We have to immerse ourselves in His love as we love others.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, let Your Spirit works in me.  Let me take action in Your love and may Your mercy be received by my new heart.  Amen +

Lord, be my rock of safety.

WORTHY OF PRAISE (02-26-13)

Sirach 51:12-13

I thank the LORD and I praise him; I bless the name of the LORD.  When I was young and innocent, I sought wisdom openly in my prayer…

“To praise”, by definition, means “to extol or exalt or even worship a hero, a ruler or a deity. 

But the Lord God is more than a hero or a ruler or a deity.  He is our Father, our Lord, our King, our Salvation.  If there is an act more powerful than just praising Him, then He is more than worthy to receive that. 

But, He is also a humble God - God was so humble that He became a man! He, the LORD of everything stepped down from His glory and took the form of a modest servant – dying for our sins and assuring our salvation.

Praising God starts in our hearts, “and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5).

Then, praise Him continuously through prayers and songs, “I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalms 34:1).

Then, together with our loved ones, give Him glory and praise, “I will tell of thy name to my brethren; in the midst of the congregation I will praise thee” (Psalms 22:22).

And we praise Him, forever and ever, “Praise the LORD!  Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD!  Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore!  From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the LORD is to be praised!” (Psalms 113:1-3).

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, we praise You forever.  To you we do lift up our hearts, our souls, our voices! It is only in You that we trust.  Give us the strength and courage to be obedient to Your Truth and Your teaching.  And You are our hope, today and tomorrow.  In You and You alone do we trust.  Amen +

The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.

WITHOUT HATRED (02-25-13)

Mark 11:25

“When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions.”

“…and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.”

A college classmate once remarked to me, after I told him to forgive our other friend, “I am not God, so how can I forgive him?”

And this really got me thinking.  Is that what he really believes?  Or, is he just saying that because anger is still in his heart?  Later on, I was able to confirm it.  He had forgiven him. 

He had forgiven him because anger and hatred was gone, and because the other person is sincere in asking for forgiveness.

Yes, we are not God.  If someone did us wrong, hatred and anger would cloud our judgment and we would see that other person in a different light.  We would think of him as an enemy not worthy of our forgiveness and friendship.  And if left uncheck, it would go on forever.

But we are all called to a life of perfection in Him.  We also make mistakes.  We also commit sins against other people and against God.  How can you ask for forgiveness, if you, yourself, cannot forgive others?

We don’t need to be God to forgive others.  We only need to have God in our hearts to replace the hatred that we feel.  When we reflect on how grievous our own sins have been, and how, despite all that, God still forgives us, we learn to forgive ourselves and others.

Learn to forgive, and later on, to forget.  For true forgiveness comes straight from the heart – free from anger and hate.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, purify our hearts today.  We trust that You have forgiven us today, and we forgive ourselves and those who sin against us.  Amen +

The Lord takes delight in his people.

AS WHITE AS LIGHT (02-24-13)

Second Sunday of Lent

Matthew 17:2

And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.

We would always want our white shirt to be really white – not off-white and definitely not dirty white.  And when we clean our tiles, we would want them to be sparkling clean.  And we can only do this if we would get the right chemical or soap to do the job.

But nothing can really compare with how Jesus transfigured as His face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.  And only Him can exudes this kind of transfiguration because it matches what is inside Him, what is inside His heart, what is the state of His soul and spirit.

For in Jesus Christ, the outside matched with the reality of the inside.  Jesus' divine nature was "veiled" in human form and the transfiguration was a glimpse of that glory.

The Son of God came to earth in the form of a man to be the true servant of God and to gift mankind with the greatest gift ever given, eternal life.  And He remained true to that commitment.  He was tempted many times, but His Spirit cannot be simply broken and that spirit had fully consumed both His physical and spiritually being during the transfiguration.

The transfiguration of Jesus Christ was a visible sign in the presence of reliable witnesses of the reality of the power of God and the glory, which is Christ Jesus.  The reality that God is in Him, that God and Him is One.

May others see in us the reality of God that is within us.  And as we metamorphose into what He wants us to be, may we also facilitate the transformation of others to receive the same glory that is within us.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, may your light shine upon us forever.  We see Jesus, not casting us off, but leading us down, leading us out - to minister to people, so Your love endures forever.  Amen +

Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

EYES OF FAITH (02-23-13)

Mark 10:51

The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.”

“Oh, God, please help me go through this crisis in my life.  Please forgive me for all the sins I have done and I promise not to do it again.”

This is how we pray, because maybe, just this morning, one of our loved ones was either sick or has met an accident.  Or maybe, because a big financial problem is being experienced by the family.

But most of the time, once we received what we need, we again go back to our previous wrongdoings, totally forgetting God… until that next disaster.

We are all blind in faith because we choose not to see and remain in the dark, or go back in the dark, where things are easier to do.

But then, there are those people who pray not because they are in crisis.  They prayer not because they have problems.  Rather, they pray because they saw themselves, in all humility, as absolutely dependent upon Him, their only hope.  They pray because they are faithful… they pray because they are hopeful.  They pray because they see with their heart.

The miracle stories of Bartimaeus seeing again are signs of who Jesus is for us.  We should invite Him in our hearts, seeing with the eyes of faith.  Perhaps dimly at first and in need of correction, but nevertheless focused on the source of life and light that the Lord is offering to all of us.

Make sure we never go blind again and continue to see. The change was permanent and these drastic changes in our lives should also be permanent and plain for all to see. 

May others see all the good and right things in us so they may know that the Lord our God is really a merciful and loving God.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, open my eyes.  Open my heart.  Renew my faith with the unstoppable faith that Bartimaeus possessed.  Amen +

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.

A SERVANT’S HEART (02-22-13)

Mark 10:43-44

Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.

“Your wish is your command!”

 Househelp… driver… cook… yaya (babysitter)… gardener… if we can afford to pay for them, then it would be great since they can make our life easier.  And we can do more things since the everyday task can already be done by them.

And for some, this thinking even goes further.

In our relationship with the Lord, we always think that we are also the master and God is our slave.  Our prayers tend to be "give me" prayers – “Please help my business succeed”, “Heal my mother's cancer”, “Work in my boss's heart to give me a raise”.

And so, when our wishes did not happen, we rebel.  We put blame to God for not giving in to our wants.  And worse, we stop believing in Him altogether, simply because we thought we are not loved anymore.

A true servant of God chooses to be like Christ in serving God and others.  They see freedom not as a great way of doing something for themselves, but as the freedom to do what's needed to lift someone else who needs it.

Hence, our prayer should be of servant’s prayer:  “Father, what do you want me to do today?”, “How can I help my friend learn to be brave in face of sufferings?, “Give me strength and boldness to witness for you so others may know You.”

And as we live our lives totally in obedience to His will, the master-slave relationship simply vanishes.  As you finally found Him in our hearts, you would hear Him calling you, “my friend”.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, give me a servant’s heart.  Amen +

Show us, O Lord, the light of your kindness.

MOST PLEASING (02-21-13)

Sirach 35:6

The just one’s sacrifice is most pleasing, nor will it ever be forgotten.

So what happened between Cain and Abel?  Why did Cain killed his brother?  Is it because of envy?  And what was he envy about?

The Bible story would tell us that both gave their own offering to God, based on their capability – Cain would offer from the fruit of his harvest, while Abel would sacrifice from his first-born sheep.

And so what is wrong with Cain’s offering?  Nothing.  It may not be the offering, but the offerer.  In the same Bible reading, God questioned Cain why he was angry.  For God knows what is in his heart.  He may be offering as expected, but God also knows that “sin is crouching at (his) door”.

Cain would just offer for the sake of having something to offered.  He maybe sacrificing inferior products, and just get the best quality food for himself.  While Abel would give the highest yield there is – “portions from the first-born of his flock”.

And so for Abel, he is making the offering, not because it is needed, but because it is the right thing to do in the eyes of God.  That he should make sure that what he offers is the best there is, so God would be satisfied.

For Cain, getting the best this world can offer is his priority.  And he can only provide God the inferior things, for he thinks that god doesn’t really need anything.

But for Abel, the best things in life is for God.  He has no problem parting away with his best animals.  For God really needs one thing – our total love, faith and worship – borne out of total trust in Him.

We are all called to give the best, and it will never ever be forgotten.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, teach me to give You only the best.  May I do it because I totally trust in Your Word and that I love You above all.  Amen +

To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

CHILDREN OF GOD (02-20-13)

Mark 10:14

“Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”

Still remember being a child?

Ahhh, those were the days.  When all we can think about is playing, sleeping, eating and being naughty.  When nothing much is really expected from us, that is, aside from studying well, which we would also often fail to do.  When our parents would really take care of us and really make us feel important – for we are their jewel, the apple of their eyes.

And when we would really be dependent on them for our needs, fully knowing that their love can help us through tough times and bad times.

And would you believe, though we are all grown ups, in the eyes of God, we are still His little children, worthy of His affection and love?

But this doesn’t mean that we have to act or think like a childish person.  A childlike person is playful, open minded and unrestrained by the inner voice of reason, collective cynicism, or fear of failure.  We should see good in everything we see, hear and experience.  God doesn’t want us to understand everything but He wants us to trust in Him as we live our life, totally oblivious of what will happen tomorrow. 

And so let us remain being a child…

Fully dependent to our Father for all our needs.  Childlike at heart and possesses those wondrous qualities like unconditional love, trust, playfulness and simplicity.  And willing to share to others that feeling of pure happiness, pure contentment and pure joy.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, we ask You to bless us, keep us in Your love.  Lord, give us hearts that are open, hearts that are humble and gentle.  And through the hands of your little ones, we ask you to bless us.  Amen +

The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

PURIFICATION (02-19-13)

Sirach 17:21-22

Turn again to the Most High and away from your sin, hate intensely what he loathes, and know the justice and judgments of God…

Yes, He also teaches us to hate…

And to hate intensely… those things that He dislikes and greatly abhor.

And what are these?  Only three letters – sin – but the impact to our lives is so great that it would also mean where we would be in the afterlife.

Whether we like it or not, God has always made it clear – we must do the right things, by His standards, in order to achieve salvation.  And those those who strive to serve God, while trying to lead others to Him rather than away from Him, stand a much better chance in the afterlife.

And the more that we need to have Jesus in our lives and in our hearts.  He came to the world in order to reform the hearts of sinners like you and me. 

So the heart is utterly crucial to Jesus. 

Jesus did not come into the world simply because we have some bad habits that need to be corrected.  He came into the world because we have such dirty hearts that need to be purified, so we may live perfectly as our Heavenly Father is perfect.

And so when the time comes that we meet God face to face, he will not only ask how many sins you have committed.  But He would also ask how many people are in hell because of you.  How many people are suffering because you simply failed to love them.  How many are doomed to burn eternally because of your utter disregard of Jesus’ promise of salvation.

Our dirty heart needs cleansing… and only Jesus can take away all that dirt.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, clean out my heart.  Fill me with your Spirit.  Only You have the power to forgive and have the power to change me.  Amen +

Let the just exult and rejoice in the Lord.

DO IT TODAY (02-18-13)

Matthew 6:33-34

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.  Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.

We start with a piggy bank to save for tomorrow.  Then we start opening savings account.  And as we earn more, we would open a time deposit or a trust account.  And of course, who would forget the insurance and the educational plans.  All of these to prepare for what tomorrow may bring.

And there is nothing wrong with this.  Being prepared is a principle worth emulating simply because no one really knows what will happen then.

Still, we are being reminded not to overdo it.  We are being reminded by today’s gospel that too much worrying about what will happen tomorrow is not a healthy attitude.  We can prepare for the future, but stop thinking much about it that we forget our present.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, and today may be the last chance you get to hold your loved one tight. 

So if you're waiting for tomorrow, why not do it today? 

For if tomorrow never comes, you'll surely regret the day that you didn't take that extra time for a smile, a hug, or a kiss and you were too busy to grant someone, what turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today, and whisper in their ear, tell them how much you love them and that you'll always hold them dear.  Take time to say “I'm sorry”, “Please forgive me”, “Thank you” or “It's okay”. 

Do it today… not tomorrow.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, Take us in Your arms and cradle us with love.  You are a great provider and always will be.  You have our trust, for trust is faith.  And we firmly believe that You will never let us down.  Amen +

Rest in God alone, my soul.

VICTORIOUS OVER SINS (02-17-13)

First Sunday of Lent

Matthew 4:11

Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.

He is the Son of God, the Lord of the Most High, and still He was tempted. 

Satan knows that He is the son of God, and yet, it still had the guts to tempt Him.  OR, a better way to put it – Satan knows He is the Son of God, THAT IS WHY, it gathered all his guts to tempt Him.

He succeeded before when He tempted Adam, who gave in to its wants and “through one man sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all men.”  And Satan would do anything to prevent man from achieving the promises of salvation.

The temptation of Jesus focused on Satan's determined effort to keep Jesus from the cross.  It didn't want Him to die so that we may live for it knew Christ's death will destroy evil, death, and Satan himself. The proof of his desperation was his willingness to compromise with Jesus by letting Him rule over an earthly, materialistic kingdom.

But, Satan would never succeed the second time.  But, it would never stop.  Satan returned throughout Christ's ministry: through demon-possessed people, the hardened hearts of the scribes and the Pharisees; His own family who cannot understand His mission in life, His own disciples; and finally in the colossal struggle in Gethsemane, where for the nth time, He accepted His fate by following the will of God – “I shall drink the cup which the Father has given Me”.

And as we become victorious against temptation, God will send His angels to minister on us, guiding us, protecting us so that Satan may not succeed again in separating us from the One, True God.  Resist temptation and live life fully with the Lord.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, teach us to be vigilant in the eyes and the heart, strong in spirit and virtue in resisting temptation.  Amen +

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness…

SEE LIFE FULLY (02-16-13)

Mark 8:23

“Do you see anything?”

I am nearsighted so I have to wear eyeglasses.  Without them, I could not recognize the face of a person until he is about 6 feet from me, or better yet, until we are face-to-face.  That is why in high school, when I try not to wear my eyeglasses, I am often called a snub.  If only they understood why.

We still live with partial visions about God.  And sometimes, the imperfections in our understanding of God make us anxious. 

We feel that God expects more of us than that. We feel that we should have answers to every conceivable question, that we should never experience doubts, that we should have clarity at all times. 

We are like the blind man in today’s gospel.  We seek the truth and yet we do not open our hearts to it.  At first, he sees nothing, but with the Lord’s touch, he was able to see clearly. 

He was able to see physically… and spiritually, for he opened not only his eyes to the Lord, but also his heart. 

As we begin to see God as loving, we come to believe that we are lovable.

As we begin to see that God wants us live more fully, we come to believe that we are precious and valuable.  Let Him touch your heart and see everything distinctly.

Open your hearts, and see Him.  See Him fully.  Know Him fully.  Understand Him fully.  Believe in Him fully.  And see life fully, for in this imperfect world, a perfect life can only be achieved through Him.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, I long for you to appear in my life.  Seeing you changes everything because I know that when I see you, I am changed.  Amen +

I will call upon the name of the LORD.

TRUE UNDERSTANDING (02-15-13)

Mark 8:17

“Do you not yet understand or comprehend?  Are your hearts hardened?”

You may have heard the song:  “Too many questions, but the answers are so few”.  Yes, going through life, we question life and what is happening in our life almost every day.  But the answer is very hard to come by.

We ask and ask and ask… but still we cannot understand, we cannot comprehend.  But is it really the case? 

Have we realized that we may already have the answer but we just cannot accept it and so we seek for more?  And the more we ask, the more we become restless.  We cannot think right, our mind wanders around, our body stiffens, negatively affecting how we live life.

Start by questioning with understanding.  Question all you have.  Question all you can.  But stop questioning why the questions are not being answered.  Give them up to God, for Him to respond in His time, not ours.

We can't always stop asking, but our heart’s attitude should always be of  “praying without ceasing”.

Continue to pray without ceasing.  Continue to ask for everything.  Continue to give Him back all the things He has given.  And when true understanding of His will sets in, we would not ask questions anymore.  We would just enjoy life as it is.

That is what we want.  And yes, that is what He wants.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, let me understand what you want my life to be.  May I not question your plans and instead be a faithful participant in Your works.  Amen +

The Lord will bless his people with peace.

HE FIRST LOVED US (02-14-13)

St. Valentine's Day

1 John 4:19

We love because he first loved us.

Love is in the air.

Yet, for most of us, love is still an elusive dream…

… but we can start with these.

If we wish to be loved, we must first give love. 

If we wish to be forgiven, we must also forgive. 

If we want strong marriages, we must be loyal and faithful to our spouses.

If we wish to reap the rewards of our Heavenly Father's love, we must truly love all His people.

And then, do something difficult to do…

Jesus is also clear when He says “love your enemies” as well.

For true love is unconditional and impartial.  It is tested and proven by encounters with those who are difficult to love.  Where true love prevails, in there no enemies are found.

Love God…

Love your family…

Love others…

Love your enemies…

PRAY, BLESS, LOVE… not just today, but everyday of your life.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, may I love You in all things and above all things.  Place in my heart a desire to please You and fill my mind with thoughts of Your love, love so true, love so pure, love so eternal.  Amen +

Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.

THROW IT AWAY (02-13-13)

ASH WEDNESDAY

Matthew 5:29

If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away.  It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna.

I have been guilty as charged.  As a teenager, I would go through those graphic, girly magazines.  And as they would say, and as I would believe – that because I am in the “coming of age”, this is normal.  And so, the act after this, the act of satisfying one’s self, is also normal.

As I have thought… as many of us have thought.

But this would go on… like an addiction.  The internet revolution would provide these images faster – at a touch of a button.  And those things that you would do before seldom, you can now do it almost at a whim for the temptation has multiplied itself a thousand times.

I tried to control the urge… the desire.  But it cannot be done alone.  I have to seek the help of a supreme being.  I have to seek the help of God.  For God will not only “tear out your eye”, but He can also forgive You for all things you have done.

You can stop all of these.  You can put all the controls in your computer.  Or you can even stop using it altogether.  But, if you do not give them up to God, your sins will not be forgiven.

Cast them out.  Take them out.  Throw them out away, all those things that can make you lose sight of heaven.  Remember, the devil will not manifest itself to us like a beast, but looking like a playboy centerfold or a 1,000-peso bill on the floor.  Resist temptation and you will be able to keep your hands and eyes for good. 

And begin to pray each day, speaking with Jesus as you would with a friend.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, I give my body to your care.  Let me never sin against the Spirit by any impure actions against the virtue of purity.  Amen +

Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

ONLY ME TO BLAME (02-12-13)

Genesis 3:12

The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.”

The blaming game… “It is not me, it his him who caused it.”

“Why are you punishing me?  It was her who gave it to me.  She told me that it is okay to use it.  So, I used it.”

“He did it first, so I can do it also.  If he can, so can I.”

The blaming game… Adam and Eve did it. 

They were banished from the Garden, not only because they have eaten from the forbidden tree.  They were banished because instead of accepting their fault, they have put the blame on others.

That instead of asking for forgiveness, they tried to clean up their act by not accepting their wrong doing, believing that they did it because someone pushed them or caused them to do it – “so not my fault.”

The blaming game… we are all doing it.

Yes, it could be human nature.  But we should also realize that blaming others is also an act of cowardice and pride.  We cannot accept that we are wrong because we are afraid on what other people would say.  We cannot accept it because we still feel that we are clean, that we are perfect.

Stop the blaming game and start asking for forgiveness.  Talk to God and ask Him to forgive you and the person who caused you to do wrong.  And you can be sure that God will not blame you for it.  Instead, He will love you more and bless you.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, forgive me of my sins.  It is me to be blamed and me alone.  And give me the strength to forgive also.  Amen +

The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

CALM MY SOUL (02-11-13)

Genesis 3:1

Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals that the LORD God had made.

Why is it that every time things are going well, it will suddenly turn sour because of something you did – whether unexpectedly or intentional.

Why is it that when you think everything is going for the better, it will suddenly go downhill because of some things you would hear – and believe – though it is baseless and not true.

Why is it that when you think it is perfect, then suddenly everything would go upside-down because you forgot to cling to God’s word and promise.

Now I understand.

It is because the devil is very much around us.  It is waiting to snatch our soul – putting fears, doubts, suspicion, distrust, disbelief and hesitation in our heart.  And these would finally break us until we are totally controlled by it – totally lost, astrayed and nowhere to be found.

Now, I know what to do.

If we will give our life to Jesus, He will take care of all our problems.  But we must ask in faith without doubting for when we doubt we are like a wave of the sea driven in all directions and tossed about.

And we have to continue believing.  We have to continue to have that faith in our Lord.  When we believe the truth in God's Word we find release from the curses on us.  We have a peace, joy, satisfaction and hope.  God's Word is truth that I shall believe to find the relief I need.

Now I know.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, remove the doubts and fears in my heart.  Your Word is the truth.  Your Word is the relief that will calm my soul.  Amen +

The Lord hears the cry of the poor.