For months it has been raining often here in the San Francisco Bay Area. Recently on a rainy day here in Redwood City, I looked slightly into the sky and I saw part of a rainbow near the horizon which disappeared into a dark cloud. I thought that was the end of the rainbow. Then I looked past the cloud, and saw that, after not too long a distance, the rainbow emerged from the cloud and stretched in an arc far above me and all the way across the sky.
We may think we can see only a glimmer of hope. Sometimes we might think we cannot see even the slightest ray of hope. If we persist in our faith, we will realize that Jesus, in His great love for us, is always present with us.*
He only seems not to be present at times. Then we are to call out to Him persistently and tenaciously, asking God to help us to do His will. Then we are to pray to Him faithfully and tirelessly out of great love for Him, conscious of how He limitlessly loves us.
He first loved us,** although we had not first loved Him. He loved us, giving us so much, yet receiving nothing in return. Yet we have received abundantly from Him, and so God calls all of us to praise Him. We are all to praise and glorify God, for He created us.*** We are to adore God out of love for Him, for God infinitely loves us. Since God boundlessly loves us, God intends all things for our good. As Saint Paul tells us, God works all things for the good of those who love Him.****
And so in the midst of dark times, we realize that God is always loving us. God is always calling us back home to Him. God wishes that we always respond in our lives in such a way that, no matter what happens, we continue to be sanctified, that we keep being drawn closer to Him, choosing to show indefatigable love to Him.
Then amidst the darkness, we realize that God is indeed with us. Then we know that God is with us now and always.
* Matthew 28:20
** 1 John 4:19
*** Psalm 148:5
**** Romans 8:28
We may think we can see only a glimmer of hope. Sometimes we might think we cannot see even the slightest ray of hope. If we persist in our faith, we will realize that Jesus, in His great love for us, is always present with us.*
He only seems not to be present at times. Then we are to call out to Him persistently and tenaciously, asking God to help us to do His will. Then we are to pray to Him faithfully and tirelessly out of great love for Him, conscious of how He limitlessly loves us.
He first loved us,** although we had not first loved Him. He loved us, giving us so much, yet receiving nothing in return. Yet we have received abundantly from Him, and so God calls all of us to praise Him. We are all to praise and glorify God, for He created us.*** We are to adore God out of love for Him, for God infinitely loves us. Since God boundlessly loves us, God intends all things for our good. As Saint Paul tells us, God works all things for the good of those who love Him.****
And so in the midst of dark times, we realize that God is always loving us. God is always calling us back home to Him. God wishes that we always respond in our lives in such a way that, no matter what happens, we continue to be sanctified, that we keep being drawn closer to Him, choosing to show indefatigable love to Him.
Then amidst the darkness, we realize that God is indeed with us. Then we know that God is with us now and always.
* Matthew 28:20
** 1 John 4:19
*** Psalm 148:5
**** Romans 8:28
No comments:
Post a Comment