Wednesday of 16th Week, Year II: reflection

Theme: God’s will cannot place you where His grace will not keep you.

Reading: Jer 1:1,4–10

Dear friends in Christ, the response of Jeremiah to God’s call to service, in today’s first reading, vividly paints a picture of the apprehension and dilemma that often confront us whenever we are about to embark on a project for the glory of God and the welfare of humanity. There is always the fear or concern that strong forces out there will prevent us from succeeding. Most times, this fear stems from the feeling of incompetence to take on such a project.

While Jeremiah was preoccupied with his fear and uncertainty, God intervened and provided him with the grace to excel and the assurance of His continued support and presence. Jeremiah’s story or experience simply teaches us that the will of God cannot place us where His grace cannot keep or sustain us; God cannot appoint us to disappoint us; He cannot send us on a mission only to abandon us. Whoever He appoints, He anoints and commissions.

Dear friends, God knows us from our mothers’ wombs and has great missions for us. Therefore, let us not allow fear and the feeling of incompetence to impede our God-ordained missions and future objectives. With God on our side, all obstacles will be subdued, for His grace will always march with us to make way for us. The assurance of His presence and grace does not mean that attacks and distractions will not come; rather, it implies that we have been equipped with the necessary weapon to deal with attacks and distractions.

May God’s grace march before you as you embark on the activities of this Wednesday. Amen.

Fr Isaac C. Chima