I. LOVING TRUSTPsalm 124. “Those who put their trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion.”Why does the psalmist not simply say “like a mountain,” but specifically adds “of Zion”? What is heaiming to evoke by recalling this particular mountain? He wants to teach us not to be discouraged orcrushed by trials, but to place all our hope in God and to courageously endure wars, battles, and tur-moil.Just as this mountain, once deserted and stripped of its inhabitants, regained its former splendour andprosperity through the return of its people and the brilliance of the miracles God continued to performthere, so too do the courageous persons never allow themselves to be defeated, no matter how manymisfortunes may fall upon them.Do not desire a life free from danger, pain, or hardship, but rather a life in which you rise above alldangers. There is a great difference for a sailor between remaining safely in port and facing a stormysea. In the first case, one becomes lazy, soft, and without energy. But the one who has repeatedlybattled violent waves, countless reefs, and violent winds, and emerged victorious, has forged a soul farstronger than before.If God has given us this life, it is not so we may spend it in idleness and comfort, shielded from ad-versity, but so that through trial and suffering, He may lead us to glory. Let us therefore avoid seekinga life of ease and pleasure. That is not the desire of a courageous soul or a rational being, but rather ofan animal, a creature without reason.So ask God above all not to fall into temptation. But if it assails you, do not give in to sadness, agita-tion, or confusion. Instead, strive with all your might to emerge from it with honour. Look what bravesoldiers do when the trumpet sounds for battle: they see only triumph, victory, and the noble examplesof their ancestors.We too, when the spiritual trumpet sounds, must show more courage than a lion. Even if we must facesteel or fire, let us advance without fear. The very elements respe...