“The graces of My mercy are drawn by means of one vessel only, and that is — trust. The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive.” Divine Mercy in My Soul # 1578
As we prepare for the end of one year and start of a new one in 2023, I feel compelled to pray for those on the Road of Faith who are struggling.
Our whole life of faith rests upon trust. Trust alone lifts us up into faith and exalts our faith. Though we haven’t seen, we trust the Lord has risen from the dead. We trust the Lord is watching over us as Sovereign God. We trust the Lord’s Mercy when we ask forgiveness.
So why do we struggle and ask God to remove challenges from out temporal lives? It’s not just that we are voicing our needs to God. speaking for myself, I’ve called to God to change many ‘bad’ circumstances of my life simply because I didn’t want to deal with them or honestly, because I lacked trust.
“One act of trust at such moments gives greater glory to God than whole hours passed in prayer filled with consolations.” Divine Mercy in My Soul # 78
In times of struggle and challenge, we must trust more. It’s easy to believe one trusts God when the sun is shining on life. But, when it’s hitting the fan and it feels overwhelmingly hard to just think and nearly impossible to pray, this is when trust is most necessary, becoming our biggest weapon.
The Bible lists Psalm 3 as “Trust in God under Adversity.” “O Lord, how many are my foes Many are rising against me; many are saying to me, “There is no help for you[a] in God.” But you, O Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head. I cry aloud to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy hill.” V 1-4
The ‘foes’ we face in life aren’t always people. Often, these foes are life challenges. A bad job, loss of a job, a horrible diagnosis, a flat tire and so much more. It is in these difficult times, facing these giant foes that our trust needs to come out most. “Deliverance belongs to the Lord; may your blessing be on your people!’ V 8.
When we trust big, God delivers bigger. It may not be with a miraculous healing or great new job. But, He will deliver. I begged God for a miraculous healing of my daughter of which I could exclaim His mighty power. He didn’t answer with a physical healing. My trust waivered. God had bigger plans. He rebuilt my faith to tempered, unbreakable trust. Because, He trusted me first, I could learn to trust Him.
The greatest trust and most enduring faith comes from trusting God when the answer is no or simple silence.
I will trust in God in such moments to give that great glory in my trust.
“Once when I was being crushed by these dreadful sufferings, I went into the chapel and said from the bottom of my soul, “Do what You will with me, O Jesus; I will adore You in everything. May Your will be done in me, O my Lord and my God, and I will praise Your infinite mercy.” Through this act of submission, these terrible torments left me. Suddenly I saw Jesus, who said to me, I am always in your heart. An inconceivable joy entered my soul, and a great love of God set my heart aflame. I see that God never tries us beyond what we are able to suffer. Oh, I fear nothing; if God sends such great suffering to a soul, He upholds it with an even greater grace, although we are not aware of it. One act of trust at such moments gives greater glory to God than whole hours passed in prayer filled with consolations. Now I see that if God wants to keep a soul in darkness, no book, no confessor can bring it light.” Divine Mercy in My Soul # 78