THE VOICE

Do we really believe that we have a loving God who always has our best interests in mind? Or do we sometimes think that He is a God who delights in our misery. There are people who think that God wants us to suffer and be unhappy for no reason at all because they have developed a mindset that we have a punishing God. It's time we straighten our thoughts and think right. God is perfect and He is everything that is good. We should train our minds to think this way. We can have confidence in these words from today's 1st reading for as long as we make sure that we listen and obey to the sound of God's voice in our ears. If we are to examine our lives very carefully then we will realize that the message being conveyed is very true especially at times when we are at the lowest point of our emotional state. We just have to completely trust that there is a surprise door waiting for us which leads us to the road where God's voice and directions are clearly heard and shown. Amen. Hallelujah!

Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26
...no more will you weep; he will be gracious to you when you cry out, as soon as he hears he will answer you. 20 The Lord will give you the bread you need and the water for which you thirst...from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears, “This is the way; walk in it,” when you would turn to the right or to the left...

Our God is Perfect but we are still part of this imperfect world thus we are bound to experience the daily struggles of life. This reminds me of this incident when this lady who was already very careful in her movements still ended up scraped in her arm. She didn't even figure out how it could have happened. When we bump into something we usually develop a bruise but we would sometimes find one without knowing how it came to be. We sometimes get wounded and bruised even before we know it. Take the example of those people who are taking medications (anticoagulants) that predispose them to bruise easily. Well, things happen even if we do not want or expect it but we can always draw strength and inspiration from today's psalm knowing that God is our Mighty Healer and Savior. If we have learned how to truly wait for the Lord then we are not far from that place of peace where God is leading us. If we look back at what we've been through especially our trials and difficulties, then we can only feel so blessed and find gratitude in our hearts for all the things that lead to now. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
R: Blessed are all who waits for the Lord.
...He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds. 4 He tells the number of the stars; he calls each by name. (R) 5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power to his wisdom there is no limit. 6 The LORD sustains the lowly; the wicked he casts to the ground.

Jesus knows everything that we are going through. We can depend and rely on the truth that He comes to us. He does everything for us, not just curing every disease and illness but teaches us, too so that we can proclaim the gospel of the kingdom ourselves. As God has loved us, we are also called to respond to this love by reaching out to others. Though the path is long and difficult, He has promised us power to overcome all hardships for we are assured that we can do all things through Him. There is a mission and a purpose for each one of us that we need to respond to one way or another at one point in our life. We are not to expect something in return in whatever we do whenever we are called to do something for God. It should give us so much confidence knowing that we have a feeling God who always looks after our welfare. His ways are perfect and just. His heart goes out to us and His love encompasses everything. He wouldn't have come more than 2,000 years ago if this is not so. Being able to realize the need to work and strive to show forth the greater glory of God and acting on it with much conviction and without any hesitation should be our main goal for we have already benefited from the priceless gift of God to us in Jesus. Without a cost we have received for the price is too high to be paid it was already paid a long time ago by Jesus when He offered Himself to die on the cross for our sake. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 9:35-10:1, 5a, 6-8
35 Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. 36 At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.