24 March, Wednesday – Trust In The Lord Wholeheartedly

Wednesday of the 5th Week of Lent

Dan 3:14-20,24-25,28
Jn 8:31-42

“Blessed be the God … he has sent his angel to rescue the servants who trusted in him”

It is often easy to say, “I trust in the Lord”, when things get difficult. But how many of us really trust in the Lord entirely during such situations? For many, including myself, trusting in the Lord entirely does not come naturally or easily, and more often than not, this phrase denotes a theoretical understanding rather than an applied one.

Since young, trusting in the Lord has been extremely difficult for me. I have had my fair share of disappointments from the people in my life while I was growing up, and I extended this disappointment to God as well. I would often question Him and why life was the way it was for me. I found it hard to trust God and had always wanted to control my life the way I wanted it to be. That led me to leave the church in 2009 and I only returned in 2016.

I suffered from depression growing up, and it worsened after I left the Church. I was hitting roadblocks as I journeyed through life, and despite experiencing frequent suicidal thoughts, I always found the last ounce of strength to move beyond these obstacles. When I returned to the Church and became a Catholic, I realized that the 7 years I was away from Him, He was still next to me, intercepting my life with His hand whenever I could not manage, and helping me when I was at my lowest. This new-found revelation brought me closer to God and despite this, it still took me quite some time to relinquish control and to trust in the Lord more wholeheartedly.

Recently, things at work have become slightly more hectic and sometimes unmanageable, and coupled with the new responsibility within my ministry, I found myself craving the Lord’s consolation more and more. Each morning, I would offer my day to the Lord and the worries of the day got lesser and became more manageable. I realized that when I stop trying to control my life, the obstacles and stressors of daily life become easier to bear. I would seek His advice when things get tough and I found myself becoming more hopeful and at peace amidst the storms that I experience.

Brothers and sisters, the Lord reminds us in today’s reading that He will protect His servants and those who trust Him wholeheartedly, as seen in the lives of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Similarly, Jesus reminded us that a son will always remain in the household of his parents, and as children of God, we are given the utmost privilege to remain in the house of God, protected and loved by the all-encompassing and merciful Father.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Hannah Huang)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we pray for the desire to trust in You. And to learn how to surrender the urge to control our lives, because You know the plans You have for us and You will never let us down.

Thanksgiving: Dear loving Father, we thank you for welcoming us into your house even though at times we want things to be our way. Thank you for protecting us from harm and for always looking out for us.