WRITE DOWN THE VISION CLEARLY

1st READING
Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4


How long, O LORD? I cry for help but you do not listen! I cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not intervene. Why do you let me see ruin; why must I look at misery? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and clamorous discord.

Then the LORD answered me and said: Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily. For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; if it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late. The rash man has no integrity; but the just man, because of his faith, shall live.

PRAYER AND REFLECTION

Abbas Deus , in desparatus ego vestri quod in respondeo , vos mihi scribo is quod exspecto is mos nam adveho. Commodo indulgeo mihi si ego temerarius quod in vestri os. Servo vestri Phasmatis igneus in mihi ut ego usquequaque ago in fides.

Father God, in desperation I sought your intervention and in response, you told me to write this down and wait for it will surely come. Please forgive me if I have been rash and lost integrity in your sight. Keep your Spirit burning in me that I may always live in faith.

When we are desperate, we tend to become impatient. We want immediate results for our petitions to the Lord and if we do not receive them, we began to question God.

In today’s reading, the Lord made it clear that He listens to all our cries for help. The matter of giving in to our prayer request or petitions always comes in its own time. We do not dictate to the Lord as to when we want these requests be done. His thoughts and ways are far different from us and only He knows the perfect time when such requests will be given. One thing is for sure, “it will not be late”.

Self-examination is very vital in waiting for such requests to come. We want things done for us by God, but do we really deserve them? Are we confident enough to say to God, “ I have done all the things you want me to do, now it is your time to do the things I want”? Maybe this is the factor or obstacle that prevents us receiving the grace we have requested.

Again, we are reminded to live in faith. Faith is not to be construed only as a belief system but faith is a way of life that each Christian must live.

COMPETE WELL FOR THE FAITH.

But you, man of God, avoid all this. Instead, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge [you] before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate for the noble confession, to keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ that the blessed and only ruler will make manifest at the proper time, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, and whom no human being has seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal power. Amen.

REFLECTION

As one who loves to write, I can choose on quite a number of interesting topics that can generate additional income for readers on the internet. I have received numerous invitations to be an article or blog writer for a fee on subjects that these parties wanted me to write about. Instead, I kept on writing about my faith, regardless whether people will read it or not. I guess it gives me fulfillment and much satisfaction to write about my faith experiences and life’s journey with the Lord because if keeps me focused in competing well for my own faith.

Writing has been a very effective tool for me in keeping the faith. It became a habit and a practice that kept my heart and mind focused on the will of the Lord over my life each day. Once I fail to write about my God at any given day, it seems that my life is not complete.

I want to be complete and writing makes me compete well for the faith.

Read: 1 Timothy 6:11-16