When we are in a storm, we either ask Jesus to stop the storm or get us out of it. He rarely answers the second request (at least right away) and only occasionally grants the first one. The Lord usually leaves us in an unquieted storm for quite a while, as He did with Job.
However, what the Lord does is to question us in such a way as to point out our finitude and His infinitude (see Jb 38:12ff). The Lord tries to change our attitude toward Him, ourselves, and life. With a changed attitude, storms don't seem so bad after all. We may even change from being preoccupied with storms to hardly noticing them. This attitude change is called receiving the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom about life, including storms (Ps 111:10). In the fear of the Lord, we're more concerned about our repentance than our comfort. We're more concerned about God than ourselves.
At Confirmation, the bishop or his delegate prayed for us to receive the fear of the Lord (Is 11:2-3). If God is having His way, we are "making steady progress in the fear of the Lord" (Acts 9:31). Pray that a reverent fear will soon overtake you (Acts 2:43). Live in fear – not fear of man, but the fear of the Lord.
| PRAYER: | Father, through the intercession of St. Francis, I ask that a "great fear" of the Lord come upon the whole Church (Acts 5:11). |
| PROMISE: | "He who hears you, hears Me. He who rejects you, rejects Me. And he who rejects Me, rejects Him Who sent Me." –Lk 10:16 |
| PRAISE: | Mel and Marcy remained steadfast in hope as their young son battled leukemia. They used their many opportunities to witness to their faith in Jesus. By God's mercy, their son has been in remission for years. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College