Reflection
Do you find that you are insecure when it comes to “how am I doing?” with God and life in general? It is easy to think about God’s judgment when we hear Old Testament lessons, like the reading from Amos today. “Prepare to meet your God” fills us with trepidation, as it should. We are all guilty of some “crimes.” But Amos also reports that the Lord says, “I will deal with you in my own way.” What does that mean? What hope is there for us? If we read further, we find that the Lord God has a plan for us, and God won’t do anything without revealing it to us.
The readings today are not about God’s judgment of our wickedness as much as they are about our relationship with God. God’s plan for us is a relationship of security and joy. God seeks a relationship with us and for us to focus on this instead of our shortcomings. Our Psalm helps us redirect our focus. If we ask the Lord to lead us in justice, we will receive abundant mercy and will enter the Lord’s holy temple. The fear we may experience will be from holy awe and respect rather than terror over punishment for our shortcomings.
The Gospel places us in the storm upon the sea with Jesus and the disciples. While we need to be aware of the storms in our own lives, we should also be aware of God’s presence and mercy during these storms. Rather than be terrified, Jesus calls us to greater faith. We should trust that Jesus is in control. The Lord has a plan for us. He is mercy and love. Jesus will deal with sin and evil in His own way. We do not need to be afraid. We need to focus on doing justice and trusting God in all things.
The more I learn to trust in Jesus, the less I need to wake Him up from His little nap for help because He is already in charge of the situation. A strong, faithful relationship with God, leads to greater confidence in the ways of the Lord’s justice instead of responding to life’s problems with judgment of others and fear of our own shortcomings. Today, let’s reflect on how we are responding to the storms in our lives. Are we confident that Jesus is holding us and guiding us through the storm or do we feel terrified? How can I surrender my fear and increase my trust in Jesus today?