Who Trusts in God Shall Not Be Confounded

Written by Saint Francis de Sales

After dealing with the importance of conforming to God’s will,
Saint Francis de Sales, in his work Consoling Thoughts writes of the excellence of the virtue of confidence.

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Let the heavens combine against me, let the earth and the elements rebel, let every creature declare war against my existence, I fear not; it is enough for me that God is with me, and I with Him.

Thus our good God will never abandon us, unless to hold us better; He will never leave us, unless to guard us better; He will never wrestle with us, unless to yield to us and bless us.

How happy should we be if, submitting our will to that of God, we would adore it equally in times of tribulation and of consolation, assured that all events proceed from His divine hand for our advantage, to purify and refine us in holy charity!

Let us therefore, embark on the sea of Divine Providence, without biscuit, without oars, without sails, in a word, without any supplies; let us leave the care of our affairs to Our Lord, without any fear; His goodness will provide sufficiently for all.

Let the storm and the tempest come; you shall not perish; you are with Jesus. If fear seize on you, cry out “O Savior! Save me!” He will reach out His hand. Grasp it and proceed joyfully, without philosophizing on your mishap. So long as Saint Peter had confidence, the tempest could not harm him; when he feared, he sank. Fear is often a greater danger than the danger itself.

As for me, there are times when it appears to me that I have not strength to resist, and that if an occasion presented itself, I should succumb; but I only place my confidence the more in God, and hold as certain, that in presence of the occasion God will support me with His strength, and that I shall destroy my enemies as so many lambkins.

Let us serve God well today; He will take care of tomorrow. Every day should carry its own burden. Have no anxiety about tomorrow; for God who reign today will reign tomorrow. Either He will not send you adversity, or if He will send it, He will give you an invincible courage to meet it. If assaulted by temptations, desire not to be freed from them. It is good that we should experience them, in order to have an opportunity of combating them, and of gaining victories. This serves as an exercise in the most excellent virtues, thus grounded deeply in the soul.

Saint Francis de Sales, The Consoling Thoughts of St. Francis de Sales (Dublin, M. H. Gill & Son, 1877), First Book, Chapter XXII, pp 96-100.