“Therefore, I teach you the statutes and decrees as the LORD, my God, has commanded me, that you may observe them in the land you are entering to occupy.”

A straight forward message in the First Reading today tells us that once we become aware of the messages from God we not only have an opportunity to live the messages BUT to also teach others and serve as a role model no matter “ the land you are entering to occupy” or no matter what situation you find yourself in.

The First Reading then goes on to empower each of us when we are told, “For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him?”  We should be filled with hope and goodness, knowing, that in an instant, we can call upon God to be with us in our decisions, our anxiety our uncertainty and our joy. If we allow the true messages of scripture to be written on our hearts, and ask God to be with us throughout our day, the Christian journey of living life on this earth side by side with our fellow women and men should be a journey of peace, hope and resolve.

Our faith, trust and belief in the messages of God will and can indeed “Strengthen the bars of our gates”. The “bars of our gates”, for me, symbolize the strength of our  faith which can deflect non-truths, greed, envy, evilness in this world.  The readings today express a clear message of the power and the trust we can put in our faith to live a life filled with hope, joy and love, trusting that, “If God is for us… who can be against us.”