February 4, 2026 // Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Mark 6:1-6

Reflect on the Word //

Every day felt like a roller coaster. Not physically, but mentally, emotionally. Nothing changed and that was sort of the problem. Because here in one hand I held the promises of God. Really one hand wouldn’t be enough. The Lord had directed my heart time and time again, reassuring me over and over that He had something beautiful planned for me—something my heart deeply desired. And, in the other hand, I weighed all of the evidence (or, more accurately, the lack thereof) to the contrary. Every day I considered the one hand as holding great authority and the other I scrutinized as highly  suspicious. 

Can you guess which was which?

I am not unlike the locals in Jesus’ synagogue from today’s Gospel (see Mark 6:1-6). They’ve heard His teaching, which is unlike any other in Israel. They marvel at His miracles. They’ve seen Him with their own eyes and heard Him with their own ears, but they’re unable to reconcile the Man they know with the Messiah they hope for. Despite the evidence, they choose not to believe. 

We often do the same. Despite pages of promises in Scripture, His presence in the Sacraments, and His personal love in prayer, when we experience pain or trouble in our lives—whether that’s illness, financial strain, or relational pain—we tend to question the God we thought we knew. 

When our experiences don’t line up with our idea of God, perhaps we’re being invited to draw nearer and look closer rather than pull away. What if, instead of questioning everything—questioning Him—we doubled down on trust?

Oftentimes in the spiritual life we get stuck trying to figure it out ourselves. We demand that God’s timing and means should match up with the way we think it should go, insisting on our will instead of submitting to His. 

So instead of scrutinizing the evidence in one hand or clinging to promises in the other, perhaps we should simply look at Jesus again (and again). Be astonished by His wisdom and His mighty deeds. Choose to believe, even when we can’t see, and we will amaze Him with our faith.

Relate to the Lord // When doubt or discouragement comes, make an act of faith and choose to trust instead.