Devotional for Sunday, July 17
Matthew 8:5-13 (Healing of the servant of the centurion)
The centurion showed faith in Christ and acted it out by saying Jesus could heal his servant from a distance. Here is what St. Elder Paisios says about an example of faith”
“”I believe, that God will help me,” – some say, but then they try to save money so that they would not suffer any want. Such people mock God, because they are entrusting themselves not to Him, but to money. If they do not stop loving money, and put all their hope in it, then they cannot put their trust in God. I am not saying that people should not have some kind of savings in case of need, no. But they should not put their trust in money, they should not give their heart to money, because in doing so, people forget God. A person who, not trusting God, makes his own plans, and then says that God wants this, demonically “blesses” his deed and constantly suffers. We have not realized how powerful and kind God is. We do not let Him be the master, do not let Him direct us, and therefore we suffer.'”