In God Alone

Reflections for this date are based on the following scripture passages:
1 Corinthians 15	1 Corinthians 16	Leviticus 16	Leviticus 17	Psalms 46	Proverbs 15

Psalms 46, verses 1 & 2 reads, "God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. Therefore we will not be afraid, though the earth trembles and the mountains topple into the depths of the seas." Many have found comfort in these words which inspired the hymn, "A Mighty Fortress is Our God," written by Martin Luther.

To find comfort in the words of this psalm, though, we must accept first that there is a God and He is almighty. And then, we must accept that this mighty God is a personal God who cares enough about each of us to comfort us in times of trouble. Accepting that God cares for us is the more difficult of the two for many people. It is especially difficult for those who have gone through trouble and felt God failed them. For us to conclude that God has failed us in anything, however, we must presume to know better than God what the outcome should have been.

It is at this point that many struggle with the existence of God, or at least the existence of a loving God. If God is capable of anything and if He is loving, they reason, then why wouldn't He keep something troubling from happening in the first place? Instead of finding comfort in God during times of trouble, they are troubled all the more. But the comfort in these words from Psalms 46 is not based on a desired outcome of a particular situation but on the assurance of a God who cares and who assures our eternal destiny regardless of the circumstances encountered in a life that is temporary.

The question becomes, is my happiness and joy based on temporary things or eternal things? Is my meaning in life found in God or in God plus something else?