If we don’t fear God’s wrath, we are faithless fools, we are reminded today.  For God with surely destroy the wicked.  The reality is that we are quite wicked at times.  All of us are!  But our fear of God’s judgment should not turn us away in fear, but instead draw us to the love of God.  For the Lord judges the world with justice and governs with equity. Are we going to remain sunk in the pit that we make with our sins, or are we going to allow ourselves to be lifted to the Lord?  Are we going to look for the sins of others who are worse to redeem ourselves or are we going to engaged in self-examination, repentance, and renewal? 

The answers are obvious here, but Jesus says that we need to remain vigilant even at that.  Even putting our house in order is not enough.  We need to remain vigilant.  Evil finds us again and is often even more wicked than before.   So, are we doomed?  Our faith says no!

My reflection for today is about our need to remain vigilant.  What gives us the confidence in our struggle?  Surely evil is everywhere around us and in us, working away to destroy our confidence in our salvation.  It is easy to just give in and hope that in the end, the Lord will have mercy on our souls.  But that is such a waste of our potential and God’s love, of which there is an abundance of both.  We accept with humility that we are indeed vulnerable all the time.  But at the same time, let’s not admit defeat just because we are imperfect and frail.  Why sit and tremble over that?  I think the Psalms drive this message clear, over and over.  Let’s give thanks to the Lord with all our hearts and sing his praises no matter how bad it gets.  God is indeed our very present help in times of trouble - no matter how much trouble.  To me, the lessons today suggest that instead of vigilance in fear, we do better to remain vigilant in our faith.  We will be delivered.  The Lord will destroy wickedness, surely, but not those who scorn it and keep the faith!