A WORD FOR TODAY JANUARY 30, 2023

*A WORD FOR TODAY*

*THE TEST OF FAITH*

_"And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions"(Hebrews 11:32-33)_

_*To trust in God is to have faith in Him and to have faith is to believe that He can do all things and help us in our times of need. It means to totally depend on God at all times.*_

_The first reading of today continued to mention many heroes of our faith who were named in the Scriptures, and one thing stands out, they all passed through one difficulty or another as a test of their faith and they overcame._

_*They activated their faith and put it into use in their fight against the evil of their time that confronted them. They experienced different persecutions, but they were strong in faith and they conquered all.*_

_To have a strong faith in God is never a guarantee that you will not experience pain, storms, turbulence or persecutions in life, however, when these come to you, your faith will be the source of your inner strength and wisdom to win your battles and come out victorious._

_*We see how Jesus with authority commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man who had been held bound for a long time. He set him free and restored his sanity. Jesus is the light and when evil saw Him and heard His voice they fled and their captive was set free by God's power and love and the man went everywhere in the city to announce what God has done for him.*_

_Anyone who has faith in God is in the light and no matter what comes to the person, he or she will overcome because the power of their faith will be put into action. Our faith is tested from time to time and so long as we remain steadfast, evil will never overcome the good in us._

_*Live out your faith without fear, trust in God at all times, represent the light and keep doing good and God will constantly take care of you and give you victory always.*_

_Good morning dearest one. Smile😊as you do your work and do have a splendid day and a fantastic new week. May Jesus speak for you and give you the strength to overcome. Amen. *And may the Almighty God bless you: the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.*_

*Meditation:* Hebrews 12:32-40/Psalm 31:20-24/Mark 5:1-20

*Watch-Word:* Be strong, let your heart take courage, all who hope in the Lord

*God's power to save is made manifest always, trust in Him and He will deliver you and set you free from the shackles of evil.*

(Monday of the fourth week in the ordinary time. Cycle I)

*© Rev. Fr. Augustine Eleke*