Today’s readings paint a picture of the men and women God calls us to be in the world today. It goes against our natural instincts. He gives us the example of David to show us how to be a person after God’s heart. In the First Reading, David had the opportunity to destroy King Saul. King Saul and his soldiers had fallen into a deep sleep giving David the opportunity to come into the camp and kill King Saul. David recognizes that no matter what wrong King Saul is doing, he was anointed by God and therefore, David cannot touch him. Many people would have killed the person coming after them. They would have followed their worldly instincts and tried to protect themselves. David honoured God by looking beyond his human instincts and seeing the situation the way God saw it. David places his life and trusts in the Lord when he refuses to kill King Saul. His actions spoke louder than words.

In today’s Gospel proclamation, the Lord Jesus calls us to do the same – to honour God by being merciful to others, no matter who they are. He calls us to “be merciful just as your Father is merciful” (v.36). Instead of following the world and imitating what others do, the Lord is calling us to imitate Him. Today, God sets out a challenge for us. It will not be easy. He raises the standards we are called to live by. We may feel He is asking us to do the impossible and we may fail even before we start.

The Lord speaks to us through His Word. Luke 1:37 says, “nothing will be impossible with God.” Mark 10:27 says, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” God is telling us that we cannot meet these high standards by our own strength or will power. We need supernatural strength and wisdom from God to meet His standards. We are not called to do these things on our own; instead we are called to do these things by His strength and power. All He asks of us is to have a relationship with Him, rely on Him and to do his will.

I once read a quote that said “You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine”. The Lord is calling us to make a change in our daily routines – to make prayer a priority. When we make this small change in our lives, God will make the impossible possible. He will give us the supernatural power to meet the standards He sets for us. What we need to do is make time for Him. The Psalmist gives us hope when he writes “As a father is kind to his children, so the Lord is kind to those who honour him” (Ps. 103:13).

Prayer: Abba Father, I pray for Your supernatural power to come upon me so that I may be able to do what You ask of me. Amen.