Desire and Trust Have to be Based on God Alone

By Archdeacon Habib Guirgus

Let God be your pathfinder, and approach Him with all your trust, desire and hopes, He will never fail you if you depend only on Him. Do not fear anything, for in Him is your happiness, your pleasure and tranquility, while without Him you become unhappy, least to say, and be broiled over the ember of pain!

Let God be your consolation and your desire, for nothing on earth equates to Him. Let Him be your hope and comfort to ease everything before you. Riches will not benefit you, or friends will not console you: nothing on earth will grant you tranquility except God being with you, and seeking guidance from Him alone. Can the strong save you, or the wise guide you, or the friends console you in time of sorrow or need? Which matter will interest you in this world unless Christ is with you? No one can give you happiness, nor will a strong man save you or a place to cover or protect you, unless God is your help, victor, protector, guide, strength, comfort, and your utmost hope and desire of your consolation. Everything that appears to be beneficial in this world, and seems to be the way to achieve peace and happiness away from God, is nothing but deceit and fraud. In reality, it is fake and languishment, then. If you put all your trust in the Lord, and guide your desire to Him alone, this becomes the goal and purpose of life, and that's the target of all souls.

Look and watch, O beloved: before you there are many creatures and countless beings, but all are vain.  Out of naught it came, and back to nothing it will go. So, do seek peace and comfort of naught that will not stand and will have no existence? These vivid and live creatures, which you see and marvel at it, will soon disappear and fast, but the One, which does not change only and remains forever is God. He is unchangeable, has no end, and existed before the ages.

O, you lowly creatures and vile beings, hide from my eyes and do not obstruct the glory of my God.  Diminish and do not appear before my mind, when I concentrate my thought and direct my mind and senses to contemplate on God alone. What a beautiful meditation and holy one this can be, where the heart realizes that nothing in this world or any creature can give rest. So life becomes a heavy burden if the heart clings onto things that will vanish.

Rejoice in the Lord alone, then His glory will illuminate before you. O, my God, I confess that what I tasted of Your love is 'delicious'. It is a precious fire more than any sensual charm in the world, wishing to see myself deeply involved in it, forgetting myself not feeling or sensing anything but Your divine existence in me. I see myself attracted to this divine fire of love, which gives me life through its flame. When its flame burns in me, I will not want or desire or settle for anything less than diving in this sea of holy and excellent love, which surge with the charisma of His voice that capture my mind saying; that the subject of my love is: GOD ALONE AND FOREVER.