The WORD today reminds me that it is both wise and rewarding to follow God.
In the movie Dr Strange, he found his way to the Ancient One who told him that if he would follow her and her ways, he could learn a lot of things. This is somehow similar to what God reminds us in the first reading today.
I, the LORD, your God,
teach you what is for your good
and lead you on the way you should go.
If you would hearken to my commandments,
your prosperity would be like a river,
and your vindication like the waves of the sea;
Your descendants would be like the sand,
and those born of your stock like its grains,
Their name never cut off
or blotted out from my presence.
The psalmist also reminds us this - Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
God is willing to lead us. And following him has great rewards.
However, more than the earthly rewards of following God, what we should look forward to are the eternal rewards. Rewards that no moth can destroy. God is willing to lead us, but it is not very easy to follow him. It is more fun staying in this world, living by this world. The world loves its own. But rewards here are temporary. In the gospel we are reminded that wisdom is vindicated by her works. The rewards and ways of God may not be attractive in the sense of the world, but in his time, we will be vindicated by choosing Him.
We can only know where God leads us if we take time to know him. If we take time to recognize his voice through prayer, reading the bible, and reading about him. Then if we are dedicated enough to submit and surrender to his will, if we are dedicated enough to follow him, then we will be rewarded. Not because we deserve it, but because as we pray and submit to his will, as we surrender, he can change us to be more like him. And we will be ready to receive and handle blessings from Him.
Following him may not be easy and rewarding in the sense of the world. However, as we do so, especially during this pandemic, we are sure that we gain something. We gain by becoming more like him. We gain by preparing our eternal dwelling. We gain by working on our eternal reward.
Do I take time to know God more? Do I recognize his guiding voice in my life? Am I willing to do what he asks me to? Do I live my life following his ways?
May we take time to know God's voice and his will, and decide to follow Him.
Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another chance to love and serve you. Thank you for the reminder. Lord, sorry for the times, for the many time I do not follow your will. Sorry for not spending enough time knowing you. Worse, sorry for the times I know what you want but still decide to go against your will and do what I want. Help me surrender always. Help me focus on you. Help me submit to your will always, not to mine, no matter how hard it is to submit to you. No matter how earthly-rewarding doing my will is. Transform me and make me more and more like you. Amen.
Blessed Day!
In Christ,
-g-
Ps
See related reflection:
December 11, 2020
2nd Week of Advent - Friday; St. Damasus I
FIRST READING
Thus says the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
I, the LORD, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should go. If you would hearken to my commandments, your prosperity would be like a river, and your vindication like the waves of the sea; Your descendants would be like the sand, and those born of your stock like its grains, Their name never cut off or blotted out from my presence.
I, the LORD, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should go. If you would hearken to my commandments, your prosperity would be like a river, and your vindication like the waves of the sea; Your descendants would be like the sand, and those born of your stock like its grains, Their name never cut off or blotted out from my presence.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
R. (see John 8:12) Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Blessed the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked Nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, But delights in the law of the LORD and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
He is like a tree planted near running water, That yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves never fade. Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Not so the wicked, not so; they are like chaff which the wind drives away. For the LORD watches over the way of the just, but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Blessed the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked Nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, But delights in the law of the LORD and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
He is like a tree planted near running water, That yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves never fade. Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Not so the wicked, not so; they are like chaff which the wind drives away. For the LORD watches over the way of the just, but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
ALLELUIA
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Lord will come; go out to meet him! He is the prince of peace.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Lord will come; go out to meet him! He is the prince of peace.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL
Jesus said to the crowds:
“To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is vindicated by her works.”
“To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is vindicated by her works.”
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