"Belief"

MORNING PRAYER- O Lord of Life, put your grace into my heart, that I may worthily magnify your great and glorious name. You have made me and sent me into the world to do your work. Assist me ot fulfill the purpose of my creation, and to show your praise by giving up myself to your service, today and always. Amen.

Psalm 32, Deuteronomy 7:17-26, Titus 3:1-15, John 1:43-51

 Belief is the basis of faith. If you have faith then there has got to be belief stitched in there somewhere. The Gospel reading for today was about Nathanael's belief in God. Nathanael initially doubted Philip when he told him about "the one Moses wrote about in the Law" (John 1:45), but when Jesus told him that He had just seen him talking to Philip before he came, he immediately knew that he was the Messiah. Jesus even seemed amazed at his belief saying that he would see much more wonderful things than this by his faith. Imagine being told that by God! CRAZY!

The story of Ruth is the perfect example of belief. Even in the face of pure hopelessness and despair, Ruth put her faith in something bigger than what her situation looked like at that particular moment. Ruth had nothing to gain by staying with her mother-in-law, Naomi. Naomi was too old to be married again, and had lost her 2 sons. But, when she urged Ruth and Orpah to go back home to the land of their own mothers, Ruth "clung to her.." This is belief in its rawest form. Have you ever had to cling to something while being bombarded with all kinds of negativity on all sides? The thing that always keeps me hanging on is my faith. This is the kind of faith which gives me rest even when things around me seem to be falling apart and unsettled. Its the kind of faith that allows me to see the good that will come to the surface in due time in situations like the horrible Tsunami and earthquake that happened in Japan and in other parts of the Pacific Coast. There is no such thing as hopelessness when it comes to God. That's just the way it is.

EVENING PRAYER- O God, you instruct me with your laws , you redeem me by the blood of your Son, and you sanctify me by the grace of your Holy Spirit. Let me rest in peace so that I may rise more fit for service in your kingdom, in Jesus' name. Amen.