Lenten Reflection

psalm 3 Br. Anthony Paul of the Holy Wounds of Jesus | Psalm Reflection | 02/26/23

Trust in God under Adversity

O Lord, how many are my foes!
Many are rising against me;
many are saying of me,
there is no help for him in God. Selah

When you are faced with such adversities, it is very easy to feel very overwhelmed. The deceits of the world and the destructive nature of the devil are the two most widely contested fights that we engage in daily. The real enemy is really us. It seems hard to be able to look in the mirror and “accept” that our free will choice is what invites the evil in our lives.[1]

But thou, O Lord, art a shield about me,
my glory, and the lifter of my head.
I cry aloud to the Lord,
and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah

“Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, the shield of your help, and the sword of your triumph! Your enemies shall come fawning to you; and you shall tread upon their high places.”[2] Place our faith, even if it is the size of a mustard seed as Jesus says in the Gospel, will be enough to move mountains! This Supernatural faith can only come from Supernatural grace. We must ask and be persistent in asking for the mercy of Almighty God to be involved in our lives.

I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, for the Lord sustains me.
I am not afraid of ten thousands of people
who have set themselves against me round about.

Giving the Lord our God all our hearts is how miracles happen. Only by the grace of Almighty God can one achieve such trust. We fight with our human nature and want to be in control of everything. We have no control over anything and everything is dependent on our choice.[3] We must give everything over to the Lord, so he can make a place to dwell within the sanctuary of our souls.

Arise, O Lord!
Deliver me, O my God!
For thou dost smite all my enemies on the cheek,
thou dost break the teeth of the wicked. Deliverance belongs to the Lord;
thy blessing be upon thy people! Selah

“Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because he delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians, when they dealt arrogantly with them.”[4] Cling to the Lord of hosts, cling to our Savior Jesus Christ who died on the Cross for all of humanity. Cling to the Holy Spirit, who is the Truth, the Love of the Father and the Son. God will win at the end of time and everything will be made new as Christ himself said. Let us invoke the Holy Trinity to destroy the works of the devil, conquer our inner voices, and heal our broken spirits.

Your brother in Christ Jesus,

---

[1] 2 Timothy 3:2

[2] Deuteronomy 33:29

[3] Genesis 35:3

[4] Exodus 18:11