The Lord looks at the heart

The first reading for the 4th Sunday of Lent is from the first book of Samuel. A particular phrase in the reading spoke to me,"God does not see as man sees; man looks at appearances but the Lord looks at the heart."

I wonder what God sees when He looks at my heart? I must admit that I every so often look at people at face value, concluding about who and what they are about from what they do and say. What is within them can very likely be different from what they portray. I am certain that God sees each and very one of us as His own begotten child.

Today I put on a fresh pair of eyes and pray that God will help me look beyond appearances and actions. I pray that God will give me a heart of compassion towards all His children, especially those who are unkind toward me.

I seek your prayers as I keep you in mine.

You are no longer alone in your journey

The third Sunday of Lent. The Gospel readings spoke of Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well.

Father spoke about how in those days, it was the woman's responsibility to collect water from the well. This was usually done in the mornings or evenings when the sun is not scorching hot. The Samaritan woman chose to collect water at noon because she did not want to be seen by others. The very act of Jesus speaking with her is also against the norm where Jews do not speak with Samaritans.

Jesus' actions on that day affirms us that we are no longer alone in our journey. He is with us always, no matter what our status in society is. This does not imply that our problems will go away, but He will be with us through it all. Father's homily was a gentle reminder for me, that God will be with me through the many endless problems life throws at me.

I pray that during this season of Lent, I will take heart that I am not alone in this journey and that God is with me every step of the way. May I be strengthen by that as I deal with the problems that have littered my life.

Do pray for me as I pray for you.

Hope in the eternal life with God

It is the second week of Lent and I am struggling with my current situation. My concerns were very focused on where I am now. It was not until Father mentioned about Hope, that I stood up in my seat.

It really is not about hope for the things in this world, or a situation to improve, but hope in the eternal life with God. We need to live our lives in the hope of eternal life as our end goal. This reduces my worries and magnifies my ultimate destination. My worries and concerns still persist but taken into perspective by the hope of eternal glory with God in Heaven.

I pray that the Lord with guide me towards that path and help me live each day with that hope in mind. I am in need of His grace to help me walk that journey. I ask for all your prayers as I keep you in mine.

Follow in the footsteps of Jesus

The first Sunday of Lent has just passed. It was a time of much needed reflection for me. Father shared about the temptations that are present in this world. Adam gave in to temptation but Jesus redeemed us.
Though he is God, He is also human. He was also subject to temptations but He did not give in to them.

As I sat in church and reflected on the days that have gone by, I realised how difficult it is to resist temptation. I find myself having a very short fuse recently. Though I tell myself to be patient and kind, these words seem to fly out the window when I am caught in a situation which tempts me to sin.

Jesus has showed us the way in the desert, I must follow in His footsteps and not that of Adam. I pray for the almighty grace of God, that I may receive healing and peace, that I may respond in love at any given situation. I know that it will be a mammoth task but with God, I will be strengthen to walk in the footsteps of Christ.

Do not worry

The Lord takes care of all your needs, so you do not have to worry. This is such a simple advice but in reality, we all worry about our current situation and what the future holds.

A sequence of events brought me to one of my lowest levels in life, just when I thought I could go down no further. It brought me to the painful realisation that though the Lord provides, we need to cooperate with Him and be aware of the opportunities surrounding us. I tried to be open and discerning but setback follows one after the other. Just when I feel that God is presenting a new opportunity for me, the door slams shut in my face.

I can only try to pick myself up again and get going towards discovering His plan for me. They say failure makes or breaks people. I would like to think that the former applies to me, though it is so easy to embrace the latter.

Please help me find my way in You Lord, and help me put aside my worries and surrender them to You.