“They will fight against you but not prevail over you, for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.” – Jeremiah 1:19
Stress and anxiety overwhelm our modern lives. We are worried about everything from terror attacks to whether or not someone likes our post on Facebook. We are hungry for security and assurance in the face of countless evils in our world, and we long to know that we are worth something; that our existence matters to someone.
The Good News shines a light into this dark chasm of doubt, and it can be summed up with this simple conclusion: God is more powerful than evil, and He is on our side, so everything is going to be okay.
As we scurry around turning molehills into mountains, God looks down from far above the highest peaks and urges us to simply relax. All He wants is for you and me to rest in Him and in His providence. Just consider some of the ways the Psalms refer to God. He is described as a Rock, a Fortress, a Deliverer, a Shield, a Shepherd, a Warrior, and a King, just to name a few. All of them allude to his strength and his goodness. It’s pretty clear, we are safe in His hands!
The question is, do you allow God to be your strength? Are you fighting your own battles, or are you letting God fight for you?
I have found that when I rely too heavily on myself instead of God, it does not turn out well. Rather than surrendering to His goodness and providence, I end up fretting about things that are beyond my control. Inevitably, I start sweating the small stuff and get worked up when little things go wrong. Doubts creep into my mind, and I begin to think, “Everything is ruined!” or “My life is over!”
Those are the moments when I must again recall the simple conclusion of the Gospel: God is more powerful than evil, and He is on our side, so everything is going to be okay. At the same time, I need to deepen my faith in the love of Christ. He is Love Itself, and as we’ll hear this weekend in the Second Reading from Saint Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, “love never fails.” (13:7)
Indeed with the Lord, “all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well,” as Saint Julian of Norwich famously wrote. Why? Because God is on our side, and, as Saint Josemaria Escriva reminds us, “God does not lose battles.”
Lord God, you are our Rock, our Fortress, and our Deliverer. Help us find rest and peace in your Providential love. Amen.
