Reflections
Psalm 33: 4-5, 18-19, 20, 22 (Read)
"The eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear Him,
to deliver them from death."
The Psalm is praise for God’s providence,
the blessings He gives us. “The Lord fills
the earth with goodness. His works are
trustworthy.”
We may not have the faith of Abraham
(Sunday's 1st reading), but we can be sure
the Lord’s eyes are upon us – “The Lord’s
eyes are upon those who hope for His
gracious help.” As the psalmist says,
“O Lord, we have put our hope in you.”
In Sunday's 2nd reading St Paul says that
God has saved us and called us to a holy life.
The Psalmist confirms this – “We are
delivered from death, kept alive in times
of famine.” We may not be starving for
physical food, but we could face spiritual
death from sin if we were not saved by our
Lord Jesus.
“The eyes of the Lord are upon those who
fear Him, to deliver them from death.”
Remember, the wages of sin is death, and
we are all afflicted. Fortunately for us,
Christ destroyed death and brought life,
as St Paul says, so it is natural that we openly
ask for His help and His protection. He is
our shield in the spiritual battle that we
all have to fight. “Our soul waits for the
Lord, who is our help and our shield.”
If we trust in the Lord, His eyes will be upon us
so long as we count ourselves among those who
fear Him, and we can expect to receive His grace.
Through His goodness we can expect a
transfiguration of our own, and that same light
which shone from Jesus' face that day on the
high mountain can be a source of light for us
and those around us. “We have put our hope
in you, O Lord.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. As our psalmist says, the Lord's eyes are upon us, and that
is a good thing because of His saving grace. Speak of how you
depend on God's providence to preserve you as you go about
your daily life amidst the world's attractions.
2. The Psalm assures us that God's love and mercy will be
granted to us, as we place our trust in Him. Give an example of
how you have trusted in the Lord and how you have benefited
from His kindness.
Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He doesn't promise to make our lives easy. The Bible promises trials, temptations, persecutions...but having the proper understanding of what Christ did for us and how it makes it all worth it, nothing will be able to tear us apart from Him. He promises that His Spirit will live in us and guide us, and that when we die, we will be in heaven with Him.
ReplyDeleteTherefore when I pray every day I ask the Lord to show me how to live His way. And then I tell him, "May your will be done in every aspect of my life, even in the smallest detail of my every day life." Sometimes, I get so sad when I ask Him something and it does not happen. But Later on I discover that that was for the best.
I Trust you Lord. I watch you work in my inner-being and in my daily life as You fulfill Your promises to me in response to my faith and obedience.
God is the one, never changing, constant, in our lives. We live in a sea of change....our lives are constantly evolving and changing. Our relationships with spouses, family members, friends, neighbors are always changing....sometimes we cause the change, other times it's not us that causes the change, and it's only how we adapt to the change that allows us to move on, change, or regress. God is always there for us.
ReplyDeleteTrust. Wait. Hope. These three steps outline the proper mindset of a faithful follower of Christ, according to a devotional written for children!!! My own kids were reciting these words this morning on the way to school. I could see that the lesson was really for me.
ReplyDeleteWe want to take matters into our own hands and force our own timing on a child's success, a spouse's promotion, or worldly recognition of any sort. And yet, we are told to trust and wait. The waiting times build our faith, which naturally lead to hope. These times of wait also lead to a transfiguration of our hearts; we can have "metanoia" or change/repentance! We can come out the other end of waiting, with a heart that dazzles and a countenance that shines. Our hearts are softened and brought into the will of God. We can EXPECT and count on God's goodness to be showered upon us in His perfect timing. The key verse from the Psalm says it all, "O Lord, we have put our hope in you."
The word of God is right and true: reliable, trustworthy and unchangeable, while everything on earth changes and disappears due to the circumstance. But the Lord stands firm forever. As my Creator, His intention and plan for my life never changes. He is powerful. His promise will be fulfilled in my life. He can deliver me from the chains of Satan.
ReplyDeleteLast night in my dream, I was oppressed by a man - a figure of darkness, I cast it out in the name of Jesus. I demanded, "In the name of Jesus, go." In a moment, the dark figure immediately disappeared. I was amazed, and I felt so good and victorious to get rid of that dark force using only Jesus' name. His name is so powerful. My heart is rejoicing for His unfailing love and His protection over me. He is real. And so I can depend on God's providence in times of crisis. I have put my hope in God.