04/11/2010 - RESPECT IS NOT ENOUGH

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You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield. (Psalm 115:11)

    Fearing and respecting the Lord is to give full attention to what He speaks, to submit to Him completely. However, this is not enough. We must also trust in the Almighty, rather than act like we are suspicious of His power.

    God will never give us unnecessary instructions. As a matter of fact, all that He teaches us – even during our leisure time – is of paramount importance. It is true that our mind and soul need moments of relaxation, but it is not for that reason we should be tempted to get out of the divine presence.

    You have to have faith when everything around you says there is no solution. If you have used the proper techniques and even so your problem remains unsolved, do not get carried away by the temptation of thinking there is no way out. Believe in the Heavenly Father and you\’ll see that He is the open door that no one can close; He is the Way that will never lead towards an abyss. He is the solution for all adversities!

    We, who trust in the Almighty, learn that He is the real help. So when our strength is over and everything says we should "throw in the towel” and give up, He comes and lifts us up. The name of the Lord is a strong tower to which we can run in times of uncertainty and temptation. He never despises anyone who seeks Him; on the contrary, He remains steadfast in His mission of not letting any of His children stray.

    God helps us by opening our understanding and showing us that evil should not be tolerated because it is so malignant that if we do not shun it we will be contaminated. The Almighty is our aid in all our struggles and temptations. By having Him as our shield, we will never be hit by the arrows from hell. So my brethren, the devil may try to surround you and tell you that there is no way out, while he launches his fiery darts (I Peter 5:8), but the very God who saves your life is infinitely capable of not letting any of the evil onslaughts reach you.

    Besides fearing the Lord, you must trust Him. In order for everything to go well for you, you just need to pray and be sure that He has heard your cry and that He is already responding to it. In the Lord there\’s no hesitation; He has promised and is able to perform all the things He declares (Romans 4:20-21). With Him you will overcome any crisis, so never despise His help for He is the strength you need in order to face – and overcome – all the bad things that cross your path. However, do not forget to ponder on whether you truly respect and trust in Him!

In Christ with love,

R. R. Soares