TODAYS REFLECTION (Amos 3:1-8, 4:11-12; Matt 8:23-27): FAITH ENABLES US TO SEE OUR SUFFERINGS AS GOD’S GRACE TO INSTRUCT US The disciples of Jesus in the gospel were facing a violent storm and the boat was about to sink. Apparently, they thought that Jesus was indifferent to their fears and anxieties. They forgot that Jesus had earlier on cured so many who were sick and delivered those possessed by the devils. Yet, after having seen Jesus’ power over illness, suffering and death, they still did not trust Jesus sufficiently that He would protect his disciples from all dangers. When they in panic turned to Jesus and woke Him up saying “Save us, Lord, we are going down!”, the reply of Jesus was one of assurance and yet a challenge to them: “Why are you so frightened, you men of little faith?’ And with that he rebuked the winds and the seas; and all was calm again.” Many of us, instead of surrendering our life to God, are always hesitating to do the Lord’s will. We keep on doubting His love for us. We question His wisdom. We want to do our own will. When trials and oppositions set in, we give up so easily without a fight. We cannot even tolerate a little suffering, occasional setbacks and failures; the human frailties of our fellowmen/women or even of ourselves. What is worse, we become resentful of God! We give up faith in Him. The Lord is always watching over us, even when He appears to be indifferent to our plight. Such occasions are meant to help us to deepen our faith in Him, as in the case of the disciples. Otherwise, greater disasters will await us. This was precisely the case of the Israelites during the time of the prophet Amos. The prophet spoke out against the injustices and crimes committed against the poor. He reminded them of the love of God for them in choosing them. “Listen, the sons of Israel, to this oracle the Lord speaks against you, against the whole family I brought out of the land of Egypt: You alone, of all the families of earth, have I acknowledged, therefore it is for all your sins that I mean to punish you.” The punishment that the Lord threatened must not be misunderstood as God’s vindictiveness but His mercy in calling the people to repentance. As the psalmist says, “You are no God who loves evil; no sinner is your guest. The boastful shall not stand their ground before your face. You hate all who do evil; you destroy all who lie. The deceitful and bloodthirsty man the Lord detests.” Indeed, often we blame God for the sufferings as a consequence of our sins and folly. The prophet queried, “Does the bird fall to the ground if no trap has been set? Does the snare spring up from the ground if nothing has been caught?”. We feel that God is not with us during the storms of life when He was actually building us up through our mistakes. So let us give that little faith to Jesus in this new month. Let Him lead us by His hand. We must learn to trust in Him and let go of our plans and our ways. When we are afraid, then Jesus says, “Remember, It is I.” We must wake up to the presence of Jesus in our lives. When we give Him that seed of faith, He will produce wonders and miracles in our lives. After which, our faith will grow from strength to strength. MAY THE LORD BE GRACIOUS TO YOU IN THIS NEW MONTH!
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 04:44:12 +0000
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