IN GOD'S HANDS

Jeremiah in today's 1st reading cried out for help to God. Our confidence should also be like his as we call on God in our prayers. He reflects the same kind of trust of a lamb led to slaughter and ultimately that of Jesus on the cross. There will always be discord and chaos for as long as we live. But this is so that we can draw closer to God and learn the perfect act of entrusting everything to God. We can never find real security in this world. We may be rich, powerful and successful but these things can only amount to something if we have totally surrendered our lives to God. Only God can bring about true and lasting happiness and security in our lives. It may be true that these things can bring joy to one's life but only up to a certain point. One day we will find out that all these things will never suffice. The world we are in right now is being presented to us in a way that we almost consider it as the only real thing that exists since it is the one that we can truly see and hold at the present moment. Let us not be deceived by this and try to look further and beyond. If we do, we will realize that only God can truly sustain us. We have to place God in the center of our life in order to draw meaning to all these things that this world offers. We can be rest assured that God will always uphold our cause and see to it that justice is served to all who remain faithful in Him. It is only right that we should consult all our plans and desires to God first before we decide to do something. God is good and He will never deprive us nor withhold from us the things that we need to know. He is always there to show us the right step to take. Although the road we may be traveling is difficult, tiring and taking too long before reaching our dreams and intended goals there is always a guarantee that God is able to fight for our cause and bring everything to fruition. Amen. Hallelujah!

Jeremiah 11:18-20

18 I knew their plot because the LORD informed me; at that time you, O LORD, showed me their doings. 19 Yet, I, like a trusting lamb led to slaughter, had not realized that they were hatching plots against me: “Let us destroy the tree in its vigor; let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name will be spoken no more.” 20 But you, O Lord of hosts, O just Judge, searcher of mind and heart, let me witness the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause!

We are not lost nor doomed no matter what kind of situation or circumstance we are facing because we can always take refuge in the Lord and be assured that He rescues us. We should realize by now that we have a big God as we look back at all the things that have happened to us especially during times when we are in dire need, big trouble and to the point of despair when all of a sudden it was lifted up just like that as if a big boulder or burden had been removed from our chest. We can turn to no one else but God for He alone can save us from all our distress. All we need to do is firmly decide on which side we really are through our thoughts, words and actions that reflect the goodness of God. Our confidence in God should be 100% no matter what our situation is. God shields us for as long as we hold on to Him and believe exactly what the psalm reading says. Amen. Hallelujah

Psalms 7:2-3, 9-10, 11-12

R: O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.

...save me from all my pursuers and rescue me, 2 [3] lest I become like the lion’s prey, to be torn to pieces, with no one to rescue me. (R) 8 [9] Do me justice, O LORD, because I am just, and because of the innocence that is mine. 9 [10] Let the malice of the wicked come to an end, but sustain the just, O searcher of heart and soul, O just God. (R) 10 [11] A shield before me is God, who saves the upright of heart; 11 [12] a just judge is God, a God who punishes day by day.

There is power in His word. There is something that convicts, heals and attracts. This man who seems to be from Galilee is the fulfillment of the prophecy. He is no other than Jesus, the Son of God who is from heaven, our Savior and Redeemer. We have a lot of fears and doubts that cripple us and make us unable to participate in the Master plan that God has in store for us. He can see through our future and knows well also what we are going through at the moment and what we had been through. All things work for the good of those who love and serve God. We should not forget that God operates but we need to cooperate. For into the hands of our Creator we should confidently entrust and totally surrender everything in our life who knows perfectly what is best for all of us even before it came to be. Everything that we hold dear in this world will all come to pass and only one thing remains and will matter in the end. It is our relationship with God that we should work for at all times. In all the things we do, we must find God in the center of our will. If we fall into the trap of this world and start to work in favor of this world rather than of God then we are surely in big trouble if not now then sooner or later. Life here on earth is not fair. Even Jesus, the Son of God suffered unjustly in this world. Unbelievable but true. We feel bad when people don’t treat us right. How about Jesus? Let us take into consideration what He went through and still people doubted Him and even plotted to kill Him. They are guilty, but aren't we all? Nowadays, we all profess the same belief in Jesus as Messiah though our actions are not completely convinced of this truth. We do not differ from those people in today's gospel if we are not daring enough to really come out of the open, stand up for the call to live by example and dare to show the difference. If we hope to surpass all these things then we, too must place everything in God's hands like Jesus did. Amen. Hallelujah!

John 7:40-53

Some in the crowd who heard these words said, "This is truly the Prophet." Others said, "This is the Messiah." But others said, "The Messiah will not come from Galilee, will he?

Does not scripture say that the Messiah will be of David's family and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?"So a division occurred in the crowd because of him. Some of them even wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him...

The guards answered, “Never before has anyone spoken like this one.” 47 So the Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? 48 Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed.” 50 Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them, 51 “Does our law condemn a person before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?” 52 They answered and said to him, “You are not from Galilee also, are you? Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.” 53 Then each went to his own house.