Daily Thought For August 10, 2016

Have Confidence In God & Not Your Feelings

It is very good to mistrust ourselves, but what good will that do unless we place all our confidence in God and await his mercy? And even if we do not feel such confidence, we must not cease to make acts of confidence and say, "Even though I have no feeling of confidence in you, I know that you are my God, that I am totally yours and have no hope except in your goodness; therefore I abandon myself entirely into your hands." It is always in our power to make these acts, and even if we have difficulty in doing so, still, it is not an impossibility, and it is on these occasions and in these very difficulties that we give witness of our fidelity to God. 

A thousand times a day cast your whole heart, your soul, your anxiety on God with great confidence, and say with the psalmist: "I am yours, Lord; save me." 

Jesus sent the apostles here and there without money, without staff, without shoes, and clothed in a single garment. Afterwards, he said to them, "When I sent you away like this, did you lack anything?" They answered, "No." When you had troubles, even at those times when you had no confidence in God, did you perish in your affliction? You will answer me, "No." Why then should you lack the courage to overcome all other misfortunes? God has not abandoned you so far; why should he forsake you now, when, more than ever, you wish to belong to him? 

Do not fear future evil in this world, for perhaps it will never come. But in any event, if evil should come, God will strengthen you. If God commands you to walk upon the waves of adversity, do not doubt; do not be afraid. God is with you; have courage and you will be delivered. 

It is very fine to be aware of our misery and imperfection, but we must not stop there, nor fall into discouragement, but pick ourselves up by a holy confidence in God. The foundation of this rests in God and not in us because we change and God never changes. 

I often say that our misery is the throne of God's mercy. 

from The Golden Counsels of Saint Franics de Sales