Each of us lives by some measure of faith every day. We believe in the law of gravity. We have faith that the sun will rise each morning and set each night. When we set out on a journey, we have faith that the road will be solid and the bridges will not collapse. In many ways each day, we have faith that the world as we know it will continue operating as it has been. Yet "the world as we know it is passing away" (1 Cor 7:31).
God does not pass away, however, nor does His Word (Mt 5:18). God is reliable, rock-solid (Ps 18:3; 62:7-8). God's love endures forever (Ps 136:1ff), even though this world will not. God will never forsake us (Heb 13:5). Though the mountains fall and the hills crumble, the love of the Lord stands firm (Is 54:10).
Jesus asked His apostles: "Does it shake your faith?" (Jn 6:61) Your faith won't be shaken if it is based on the person of Jesus and His words, which are "spirit and life" (Jn 6:63).
God does test our faith by shaking things up (see Heb 12:26). His Word says that "shaken, created things will pass away, so that only what is unshaken may remain. Wherefore, we who are receiving the unshakable kingdom should hold fast to God's grace" (Heb 12:27-28), through our unshakable faith. Beg Jesus to increase your faith, for "all depends on faith" (Rm 4:16).
| PRAYER: | Father, help me to be "among those who have faith and live" (Heb 10:39). |
| PROMISE: | "The Lord's are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it." –Ps 24:1 |
| PRAISE: | St. Martin responded to Jesus' love by being imprisoned for his conscientious objection to military service. |
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