Day 1 February 18 – [P] Hope
RO: I want to be better because I have Jesus in my life.
Joel 2:12-18
…return to the LORD, your God. For gracious and merciful is he, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and relenting in punishment.
2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2
Brothers and sisters: We are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us.
Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-18
Jesus said to his disciples: …When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
I share the Word of God for God’s sake, not my own. I do not wish the take away to be how I am praying or that I am praying, but rather that through prayer we each are able to learn about how wonderful God is and He is always present. Sometimes we risk forgetting He is always with us (Emmanuel = God With Us) unless we consciously work to bring him into our lives.
When we keep God present in our lives we open ourselves to the opportunities he presents us with every day to bring him into our hearts and share him with others. Where is God today? Right here, with you and in you and working thru you.
My sister randomly opened the Bible today and she was met with the words from the Book of Sirach 17: 7-30 – which includes, “Turn back to the Lord and forsake your sins; pray in his presence and lessen your offense. Return to the Most High and turn away from iniquity, and hate intensely what he hates. How great is the mercy of the Lord, and his forgiveness for those who return to him! “ As we start Lent this scripture is a perfect reminder to repent and keep the Lord ever-present in our lives. My sister sent this reflection on the experience: “It was a nice smile from God telling me that scripture is a place where he does speak to me, and to make time to visit him there.” Be open to God and you will find he is speaking to you in many ways. We do not need to understand how or why, we just need to be open to Him.
The world we live in is filled with many evils which can challenge our faith in God. We must not be discouraged. Let us pray for Hope. For as it says in Isaiah 40:31 “They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength, they will soar on eagles’ wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.” There are things we cannot comprehend since we are mere humans. Let us turn our fears, doubts, and distress over to the Lord. Let us pray to Him for strength to remain strong in our faith despite the worldly challenges we face. Let us continue to find Him where he is present and bring Him where he is calling us to go.
Continue to Day 2
Give God Your Yes 