Monday Morning Meditation #91: Look to God

This week I began reading the book of Lamentations. It is not a book that has had a strong impact on my life, except in the case of the story of Goliath, which I have related here below, when I asked God for verbal instruction and then opened the Bible to the Book of Lamentations where I did find some relevant verses. I suppose I could select nearly any verse for inclusion here since they all seem to be singularly focused on the pain felt by Israel after having been conquered, something which happened only because the majority of the population failed to heed the words of the prophet, Jeremiah, who gave the people of Israel warning and warning from God along with a description of what would happen to happen if they failed to follow God's words. Rather than focusing on God, however, they focused on themselves. Nowhere is the reason for their fate clearer than in chapter 4, verse 17:

"Moreover, our eyes failed,
looking in vain for help;
from our towers we watched
for a nation that could not save us."

Reading: Lamentations 4:17

Meditation: Of course, the nation could not save them. God could, though. But they did not look to God. They did not trust that God could or would save them. I wonder how often we try to save ourselves, waiting to turn to God until it becomes absolutely clear that we do not have the wisdom, strength, endurance, or forbearance to save ourselves. How many times do we give a problem to God and then worry about it? By worrying about it, we have essentially taken the problem back. As parents, we expect our children to grow up into full independence. At least, Western parents expect this. God, though, is a different kind of parent. God does not expect us to become independent as we mature in faith. In fact, the opposite is the case. God hopes that we will become more and more dependent as we learn that the only absolute source of safety and help is God. God is a parent like no other.

Contemplation: That is far as I can go with you this Monday morning. I now retire to private prayer to thank God for the all-the-time, no-matter-what help that is mine for the asking. I will praise God for the greatness of His love that accepts me with all my weaknesses and even loves my weaknesses for they bring me to Him. I will ask God for less independence for, if I am anything, I am an independent sort -- and have been so, according to my mother, from the age of two. Then I will move on to contemplation, my favorite part of the day, letting God take over the direction in which my relationship with Him moves.

I will leave you now to your prayer and contemplation. First, though, I would like to bring to your attention a Monday morning prayer post that you might enjoy:

Fr. Austin Fleming, priest of the Archdiocese of Boston and pastor in Concord, Massachusetts, posts a prayer each Monday morning that he calls "Monday Morning Offering." I enjoy his prayers very much. I think you also will find them inspirational. He has graciously given me permission to include a link to his blog on my Monday Morning Meditation posts. (During the week, he also posts great homilies and other thoughtful discussions. I enjoy reading those, too, as do readers of this blog who have taken the stroll over to his blog.)

For additional inspiration throughout the week, I would point out two sets of blogs: (1) the list of devotional blogs on my sidebar and (2) my blogroll, where I am following a number of inspirational priests and writers about spiritual matters. I learn so very much from all these people. I highly recommend them to you.