WAIT UPON THE LORD!

⏰Thursday of the Second Week of Lent (25 February 2016)

?Jer 17:5-10; Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6 (R. Ps 40:5ab); Luke 16:19-31

?WAIT UPON THE LORD!

Do you remember the theme we reflected on yesterday? It says, “Many are the afflictions of the just but from them all, the Lord delivers him. The immediacy of that deliverance might be ascertained but it must surely come to pass because the mouth of the Lord has said so (cf. Isa 55:10-11).

The prophet Isaiah noted that it shall come to pass, but in the latter days (Isa 2:2). The prophet Habakkuk added that even if this time of liberation delays in coming, still wait on the Lord for it will surely come (Hab 2:3).

So the prophet Jeremiah calls on us today to put all our trust in God as those who do so are like the tree planted beside the sea and gets a supply of water in season and out of season. But those who put their trust in things other than God would perish like the tree that sprang up in the desert (cf. Jer 17:5-10).

See the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31 as an instance of that. Jesus told that story against the Pharisees who trusted that their self-righteousness would guarantee them eternal life in the bosom of Abraham. But you can see that the rich man who trusted in his riches suffered in the end while Lazarus who had nothing enjoyed.

Note also the reason Abraham gave for the suffering of the rich man in hades; he enjoyed his life on earth while Lazarus suffered (Luke 16:25). So he was not suffering because he was rich. And I guess that his condition would have been better if he had tried to help the poor Lazarus.

While you are waiting on the Lord, use what you have – your talent, time and treasure – to help others. In that way, you will be helping God to take care of his own (cf. Matt 25:40) and he will take care of you.

May your hope in God never fail you; may he give you the strength to endure all that come your way without ever moving away from him. Amen.

Have a miraculous day ahead. It is well with you.