July 13, 2016

THE STORM IS COMING

Wisdom of Sirach 2:1-6

My son, if you draw near to serve the Lord,
Prepare your soul for temptation.
Set your heart right and be steadfast,
And do not strive anxiously in distress.
Cleave to Him and do not fall away,
That you may be honored at the end of your life.
Accept whatever is brought upon you,
And in exchange for your humiliation, be patient;
Because gold is tested in fire
And acceptable men in the furnace of abasement.
Believe in Him, and He will help you;
Make your ways straight and hope in Him.

Personal Challenge

In the gospels we see that when Jesus began His ministry He was immediately tempted by our enemy. Is it any different for the rest of us? When we get ready to do our Father's work we too will be tempted and beaten upon. Sometimes we give in to the temptation. That is all the more the time to run back to our Lord, confess our sin, and receive His forgiveness, mercy, and love. He will not beat us down, He will lift us up. He will not say, "Look at you, you worthless sinner." He will hold us in His arms and show us how much He love us. He wants us to keep getting up when we fall and rely on Him to bring us through to the end. Glory be to God!