JOURNAL-1-25-15=FALLING BACK ON OUR FAITH

JOURNAL-1-25-15


“Then they ABANDONED their nets and FOLLOWED HIM” Mark 1:18


HOW STRONG is your BELIEF IN GOD-HOW DEEP IS your FAITH-the world was CHANGED ONCE through PERFECT LOVE 2000 years ago-WHAT would you have done IF you were called-WHAT WOULD YOU DO if your were called today


THE APOSTLES were fishermen by TRADE-many with wives-and PERHAPS children-who knows-yet they ABANDONED their lives to FOLLOW GOD and Christ-WE TOO are being called to FOLLOW GOD and be BUILDERS of the KINGDOM-and today we don't even have to abandon our lives-WE CAN DO IT by the GOOD EXAMPLE of LIVING a TRUE CHRISTIAN LIFE wherever we are-through our FAMILIES-though our careers-IN WHATEVER WAY-God is calling


YET sometimes too we are called to LEAVE some things behind-material wealth and possessions-certainty of WHERE our lives are going-AS CHRISTIANS- sometimes-we are called to STEP OUT in FAITH and leave the safety net behind-THE TRICK is HOLDING ON to the guiding hand of GOD AND CHRIST that NOT ALL can see-Dear Lord-HOLD OUR HAND- as we step out in FAITH TODAY


it is A GREAT DAY to be ALIVE IN GOD'S LOVE for us










FALLING BACK ON OUR FAITH


There are many examples
In NATURE
Where firm foundations
PROVIDE the keys
And support to life


One such example
Is the TREE


The tree grows
Its roots
FAR into the ground
In order
To find support
And stabilization


And that is
WHAT GOD
Does for us


The DEEPER our faith
The stronger we are
And the more
WE CAN WITHSTAND


“If you do not
STAND FIRM in your faith
You will not stand
At all” Isaiah 7:9


Just as the wind
ALLOWS the tree
To stand firm
In the strong winds


OUR FAITH allows us
To stand firm
In the problems
And tragedies of life


But we must be careful
NOT to try and stand
And fall back
On ourselves


We must stand
On the STENGTH and firmness of GOD


STAND FIRM
Stand with faith
On the strength of God


We NEED a strong
LIVING FAITH in God
In order
To SUSTAIN ourselves
In the winds of life


When our hearts
Are BROKEN by loss
In the tragedies of life
Whether they be health-money-or relationship oriented


“He lifted me out
Of the slimy pit
Out of mud and mire


He set my feet
On a rock
And gave me
A FIRM PLACE
To stand” Psalm 40:2


STAND FIRM
On God
When the problems come


Stand firm
On your faith in him


“And the Lord said,
'LISTEN to what
The UNJUST judge says


And will not God
BRING about JUSTICE
For his chosen ones
Who cry out to him
Day and night


Will he
Keep putting them off


I tell you
He will see
That they get justice
And quickly


However
When the SON OF MAN comes
Will he find such faith
On earth'” Matthew 18:6-8
(The story of the PERSISTENT WIDOW)


I say YES
Won't you join me?


He will FIND that faith
In us
THE FAITH
That builds its life
On rock


ON GOD'S LOVE-KINDNESS-AND MERCY


NOT on the material things
Of this world
Or fame and fortune


FAITH-that when
The strong winds come
We will stand
FIRM ON OUR FAITH in God


Not on the faith
Of man


For like that tree
OUR ROOTS ARE DEEP


And BUILT on our faith
AND THE STRENGTH OF GOD


Robert P. Wallman
July 17^th, 2014


Ps INSPIRED by an article in Living Faith Magazine by Father James Stephen Behrens, O.C.S.O.



1-25-15