Thursday 4^th February – Thursday of week 4 of the year

Reflection: Mark 6: 7-9

YOU DON’T NEED A ‘PLAN B’ FOR GOD

Ranging from producing duplicate files as back-ups for ‘cloud storage’, to preparing back-up strategies for business projects and military campaigns; a human culture of mistrust, ‘the Plan B’, has taken very attractive covers. Yet, this cover does not hold up in relationships. Relationships between humans; which are only imperfect duplicates of what our relationship with God should be, grow on total trust. No one in any ‘serious relationship’ wants to be easily dispensable or worse, be just a back-up plan for someone else, and so too, our jealous loving Father.

Christ had prepared the first missionaries to reach out to God’s people; with power and grace that was more than sufficient for the task. He, however ordered them to travel without back-up materials, and in this taught them to trust completely in God’s provision. When God has promised to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4: 19); we should never devise means of ‘cutting corners’, while we wait patiently on God.

Friend in Christ, too often, though we have all we need in God; who never fails, yet we prepare back-up plans just in case God fails, even before we ask Him for anything. It is even worse, when we keep God as our back-up plan; in case we fail in ‘cutting corners’. God had shown us what perfect trust is: after loving us with everything even to giving up His Son for our salvation; He still patiently waits and calls His prodigal children back to Himself, trusting that someday we would appreciate his sacrifice as many times as we ignore it. He, who trusts us so much, deserves that we trust Him with all our heart.

PRAYER: Father, You are all I have and all need, teach me that your grace is sufficient for me. Amen.

KNOW YOUR FAITH: YOUCAT 407 – Why is the Church against premarital sexual relations?

The Church is against such relations, because she would like to protect love. A person can give someone else no greater gift than himself. “I love you” means for both: “I want only you, I want all that you are, and I want to give myself to you forever!” Because that is so, we cannot, even with our bodies, really say “I love you” temporarily or on a trial basis.

HIDE A TREASURE: “Youth may grow tired and faint, young men will stumble and fall, but those who trust in Yahweh will renew their strength. They will soar as with eagle’s wings; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and never tire.” Isaiah 40: 30-31 RSV-CE

Today’s Readings: 1 Kings 2: 1-4, 10-12; 1 Chronicles 29: 10-12; Mark 6: 7-13