In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.  Psalm 18

We have all experienced times in our lives when the world seemed to be closing in around us.  It could have been work related, family problems, or financial concerns that trapped us with little hope of escape.  Those times in life seem insurmountable, and giving up looks more attractive then working through difficulties.  It is refreshing to hear that these cornered situations are not unique to our modern society.

The readings today give examples of people living their lives and following the word of God, yet feeling persecuted for it.  They were just being who they were meant to be; yet their world did not want to hear how God was speaking through them.  Their world preferred to exterminate heavenly-sent individuals.  Jeremiah's words are universal to any believer at some point in their journey.  Haven't we all felt duped by God at some point in our lives?  God asks so much of us, and then when our acceptance of God's invitation is met with hostility from those around us, it really feels like we have been tricked. Recently, a friend of mine was relating her process of becoming Catholic.  It was clear that her fiancé at the time was a major motivation in her conversion.  Once she had completed the initiation process, her fiancé and she broke up.  The feelings she expressed were ones of being tricked by God.  It is easier to see God at work when others are getting duped, but when we are the "dupees", the picture is not so clear.

Those moments of being duped are faith filled.  They are times when we can only cry out to God in our distress and believe that God will hear us.  So the next time you are out on the limb for God and see others reaching for stones to throw, cry out for the God who has been there, the God who strengthens us, and the God who protects us in our times of distress.