The One Who Looks After His People

Prayer-Soldier

The One Who Looks After His People

Scripture:

Thus says the Lord, who made a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters. Who brought forth the chariot and the horse, the army and the strong: they lay down to sleep together, and they shall not rise again: they are broken as flax, and are extinct. Remember not former things, and look not on things of old. Behold I do new things, and now they shall spring forth, verily you shall know them: I will make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. The beast of the field shall glorify me, the dragons and the ostriches: because I have given waters in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, to my chosen. This people have I formed for myself, they shall show forth my praise. (Isaiah 43:16-21)

Furthermore I count all things to be but loss for the excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but as dung, that I may gain Christ: And may be found in him, not having my justice, which is of the law, but that which is of the faith of Christ Jesus, which is of God, justice in faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable to his death, if by any means I may attain to the resurrection which is from the dead. Not as though I has already attained, or were already perfect; but I follow after, if I may by any means apprehend, wherein I am also apprehended by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended. But one thing I do: forgetting the things that are behind, and stretching forth myself to those that are before, I press towards the mark, to the prize of the supernal vocation of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:8-14)

And Jesus went unto mount Olivet. and early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came to him, and sitting down he taught them. And the scribes and the Pharisees bring unto him a woman taken in adultery: and they set her in the midst, and said to him: Master, this woman was even now taken in adultery. Now Moses in the law commanded us to stone such a one. But what say you?

And this they said tempting him, that they might accuse him. But Jesus bowing himself down, wrote with his finger on the ground. When therefore they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said to them: He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again stooping down, he wrote on the ground. But they hearing this, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest. And Jesus alone remained, and the woman standing in the midst. Then Jesus lifting up himself, said to her: Woman, where are they that accused you? Has no man condemned you? Who said: No man, Lord. And Jesus said: Neither will I condemn you. Go, and now sin no more. (John 8:1-11)

Reflection:

As we look upon stories of old, we see the mighty ways God has looked after His people. Some of our generation are tempted to ask, why do we not see such things done for us? Perhaps God might ask in return, do we not see all the ways He works within or lives and those around us? Perhaps we desire to see the burning bush or the seas parted and for this reason we blind ourselves to His daily works. We do not see all which He sends to look after us and to guide us on our path. Some may see the burning bush or the light on the road, but if we seek Him, we need look no further than our heart where we will find Him close by, waiting to be invited in.

When we are moved to take the time to pray, we struggle to listen. Instead, we are tempted to focus more on lists of expectations and solutions we ask Him to provide for our troubles. While there may be anguish to any given day, we need not dwell upon it, for with each new day He brings us closer to a better time to come. In our trials, we cry out and He listens. We do not need to give Him solutions to our problems, for He knows our every need. Instead, in prayer, we should ask that our blindness be removed so that we may see to travel where He guides us. Before we ask Him to heal our body, we should ask Him to heal our soul.

Though we may find discomfort, trial or disaster in our current day, He is the One who will deliver us to a greater good. Even loss of life in this world is not beyond His healing. It is through Him that those who are taken from us are received into a place where they may know all the blessings of His love and peace. If they are to receive this, we should not be troubled with what has been left behind.

We must ask ourselves, what good is the comfort of a short time if we are to risk darkness for an eternity? We need not mourn the past, for it is done. It is to the new day to which we should look, for only there is our opportunity to find a better way through Him. We do not comprehend how He sees, therefore we do not always understand His answers to our prayers even though He lays them clearly before us.

The path to which we are called is a path of forgiveness. It is the reason He sacrificed for us so that we may be forgiven our transgressions. To this end, He also calls for us to forgive those who have sinned against us so that we, too, may be forgiven.

He calls to the remorseful heart. He calls to the heart which is contrite. He calls to the heart which is humble. He calls to the heart in need of forgiveness. What He asks in return is love.

The evil one would have us believe that what we have done against God or in the harm of His creation does not matter, or, if we do feel some guilt, that we cannot be forgiven. Satan does not care how we fail to accept the forgiveness offered to us, only that we do.

Jesus told us we should not judge, lest we be judged. (Matthew 7:1-5) Instead, he calls us to look into our heart and repent from our sins so that we may prepare ourselves for the day we will stand before Him; the One whom God anointed to judge what has come from us, the One who will judge the condition of our soul, the One who will measure out to us what we have measured from our heart.

Let us not be caught in the snares of the evil one, rather, let us pray that we may be released from all which separates us from God. The snares laid out to entrap souls are many, but for the heart which seeks His light, they shall be given sight to see the path to His kingdom. The soul which is turned away from Him is turned to the darkness. Such souls walk upon a path where one cannot see. It is on this path, the blind of heart will stumble and fall to the eternal abyss.

Let us pray, then, that we will be guided by His light. Let us pray that He will protect our soul. Let us pray He will guide us to His kingdom. In prayer, let us listen for His voice so that we may go to where He calls us, so that we may do the work He asks of us, so that we may share the blessings of His love and the comfort of His peace, so that all the blessings of His will may be done.

May the peace and blessings of the Lord be with you always,
Prayer Soldier