DAILY HOMILIES #Trust in God

The truth is that we cannot avoid having to write exams and very difficult exams at that. God often allows us to go through the valley of the shadow of darkness to show us that even in thick darkness, even amid all the commotion and turbulence, He remains Lord and Ruler of the World. By walking on water, Jesus was saying: “no matter how tough your situation may be, it is not difficult for me because I am on top of it.”

Today, there are many Christians who literally throw caution to the wind in the name of celebrating Christmas. By so doing and without realizing it, many of us actually celebrate the devil more than we celebrate Jesus Christ during Christmas. Let me ask, where are you planning to go and catch fun today? And why do you feel Christmas is empty without this “fun”?

The truth is that everything we desire in life, be it peace, prosperity, fame and so on can only come to us if we keep God’s commandments. We cannot live in disobedience to God and still expect the best things in life.

Are you being threatened with death for doing the right thing? Be like Shedrach, Meshach and Abednego who said to the king: “Even if our God does not save us, we will not bow to your stature.” Yes, even if God decides not to prevent your death (as in the case of John the Baptist), be assured of a better life in heaven. Just don’t live with your fears.

Are you really tired and troubled? Just go to Jesus. Carry your worries to Him and leave them there. Of course, if you don’t trust Jesus enough to handle your problems, you would end up taking them with you as you leave; you would end up worrying over the matter continuously. The yoke that we must take from Jesus is our complete trust.

Yesterday, we reflected on the power of faith and the fact that Jesus is constantly asking “Do you believe I am able to do this?” Today, we learn that even if we don’t believe, even if we don’t pray at all, God sees what we are going through and comes to our aid all the same.

Dear friends, your tomorrow is according to your faith. You cannot cheat reality. If you believe something will happen, it has already happened in your heart and because it has happened within you, it will soon happen to you. Like an artist who does not begin a painting without a clear image of the desired outcome, we all need to have a clear image of what we want when we approach God in prayer and faith to believe that as we have seen it in our minds so shall we see it in reality.

While Isaiah uses the word “rock” in describing the unshakable nature of God, Jesus used the word “rock” to illustrate how unshakable we become when we obey His word. There is a correlation between trusting in God (the everlasting Rock) and having peace of mind (becoming like a Rock). As Jesus says, “everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock.”

Things may appear very tough for you right now; you may have felt disappointed in God, the Church or its ministers in the past for not meeting your expectations. Nevertheless, know this that God has not changed, He is still a Faithful God and He has not failed you yet. Christmas is a reminder that God is yet to give up on humankind.