There is nothing worse in life than to miss the sense of the Divine Presence of God in your life. To allow God to slip from your daily thoughts, from your heart, from your desire to be in union with Him — this is the worst thing that can happen in your daily life. Why? Because this inevitably is nothing more than a reflection, a mirror, of living a life of sin, constantly pushing God away. And we have to be careful about not being “cute” about such a turmoil we have created, a turmoil we create ourselves that is bent on convincing ourselves that we are okay with living with God at a distance.
To turn to the Lord, to love the Lord, to follow Christ, to desire deep union with the Lord, these are the hubs and spokes of life. We cannot allow the wheels of our life to fall off. We cannot forget the joy of union with Christ! We must do everything possible each day to pitch our tent in the Lord, to abide in Him as He abides in us. Otherwise we forget the assurance of the goodness of God. We are lost, for sure.
We must not forsake God or simply walk away from Him, for such a crippling decision is nothing less than our mistaken conclusion that we possess sufficient strength to handle whatever evil comes our way, which of course is utter stupidity. For the only strength we will ever have to resist and fight evil sin comes from the loving presence of Jesus Christ. God is our only source from which we can live without fear. This is so fundamental, so true, I can only pray: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.
This is the point of the spiritual life. The spiritual life enables us, empowers us to be faithful in doing what is required of us all, to deny ourselves, pick up the inevitable crosses in our life, and follow Christ! We must deny ourselves in order to create space for a life with Jesus Christ. The lack of self-denial fills us up with all sorts of sinful thoughts and inclinations, and this leaves no room for us to embrace the unspeakable pleasures of following Christ! We must sense our fears of danger without God and resign ourselves to God, for in the end our only recourse is in Jesus Christ. The spiritual life inevitably creates the beggar in us all, people who beg for the grace of God.
Today spend time in prayer seeking the grace of God, begging God to give us what we need the most, and mercifully forgiving us of all that we deserve instead.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.
From the Bible:
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me” John 15:4.
“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life” John 6:63.
“In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you” John 14:20.
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” John 14:6.
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, you are like a person who looks intently at your natural face in a mirror. For you look at yourself and go away and at once forget what you were like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, you will be blessed in your doing” James 1:22-25.
“But Jesus answered, ‘It is written, ‘You shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’” Matthew 4:4.
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword” Romans 8:31-39?
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