God is With You, Are You With God?

Reading 1Ezra 9:5-9

At the time of the evening sacrifice, I, Ezra, rose in my wretchedness,
and with cloak and mantle torn I fell on my knees,
stretching out my hands to the LORD, my God.

I said: "My God, I am too ashamed and confounded to raise my face to you,
O my God, for our wicked deeds are heaped up above our heads
and our guilt reaches up to heaven.
From the time of our fathers even to this day
great has been our guilt,
and for our wicked deeds we have been delivered up,
we and our kings and our priests,
to the will of the kings of foreign lands,
to the sword, to captivity, to pillage, and to disgrace,
as is the case today.

"And now, but a short time ago, mercy came to us from the LORD, our God,
who left us a remnant and gave us a stake in his holy place;
thus our God has brightened our eyes
and given us relief in our servitude.
For slaves we are, but in our servitude our God has not abandoned us;
rather, he has turned the good will
of the kings of Persia toward us.
Thus he has given us new life
to raise again the house of our God and restore its ruins,
and has granted us a fence in Judah and Jerusalem."

I find solace in the idea that God will be with me whenever I call. I have been through good and tough times, and God has always been there for me. Thing is, I haven't always been there for God. How about you? I know far too often I have been a fair weather friend to God, or rather a bad weather friend. When things are going great I don't chat with the Big Man that much, however when peril that I think I cant handle on my own comes my way... LOOK OUT. I will be praying up a storm! At least that is the life that I used to lead. I'm still not the greatest, and have a long way to go, but I work to keep in touch with God everyday.

GospelLuke 9:1-6

Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority
over all demons and to cure diseases,
and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God
and to heal the sick.
He said to them, "Take nothing for the journey,
neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money,
and let no one take a second tunic.
Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.
And as for those who do not welcome you,
when you leave that town,
shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them."
Then they set out and went from village to village
proclaiming the good news and curing diseases everywhere.

It can be rather daunting to be a follower of Jesus in this day and age. I constantly worry about being shouted down and ostracized for my faith. Here in the age of smart phones, social media and cameras everywhere it seems as though everyone is always watching. Imagine going door to door and talking to people about your faith face-to-face. I have often heard about how our current society with all its advancements has actually separated us from one another. The fact is though that Jesus calls us to get in each other's face (albeit compassionately). I reckon the next time I feel the call to share my faith with the emotions of fear soon following, I will think of the apostles walking town to town with no stick, sack, food or money, let alone a change of clothes. If they could do it and change with world. Talking to those I know in my everyday wanderings seems simple in comparison.

God,

I love you. You have done so much for me. Help me to have the courage to share your son's love in this weary world. Help his love to help me glow so that I may share his good news with all that I pass. Help me to get out of my comfort zone and from behind my phone where the real world is. For this world and all the people in it you made is absolutely beautiful, and I know that by experiencing all it has to offer first-hand will deliver me with a happiness that only you and your creations can offer.

In Jesus Christ's name I pray.

Amen