What Lessons Do We Learn?

Prayer-Soldier · Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2013 9:43 am Post subject: What Lessons Do We Learn?

What Lessons Do We Learn?

Scripture:

Now Moses fed the sheep of Jethro, his father in law, the priest of Madian: and he drove the flock to the inner parts of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, Horeb. And the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he saw that the bush was on fire, and was not burnt. And Moses said: I will go, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the Lord saw that he went forward to see, he called to him out of the midst of the bush. and said: Moses, Moses. And he answered: Here I am. And he said: Come not nigh hither, put off the shoes from your feet; for the place, whereon you stand, is holy ground. And he said: I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Moses hid his face: for he dared not look at God. And the Lord said to him: I have seen the affliction of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their cry because of the rigor of them that are over the works; And knowing their sorrow, I am come down to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians, and to bring them out of that land into a good and spacious land, into a land that flows with milk and honey.

Moses said to God: Lo, I shall go to the children of Israel, and say to them: The God of your fathers has sent me to you. If they shall say to me: What is his name? What shall I say to them? God said to Moses: I AM WHO AM. He said: Thus shall you say to the children of Israel: HE WHO IS, has sent me to you. And God said again to Moses: Thus shall you say to the children of Israel: The Lord God of your fathers the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob has sent me to you; this is my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. (Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15)

For I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud: and all passed through the sea. And all in Moses were baptized, in the cloud and in the sea: And did all eat the same spiritual food: And all drank the same spiritual drink: (And they drank of the spiritual rock that followed them: and the rock was Christ.) But with most of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the desert. Now these things were done in a figure of us, that we should not covet evil things, as they also coveted.

Neither do you murmur, as some of them murmured and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them in figure: and they are written for our correction, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore, he that thinks himself to stand, let him take heed lest he fall. (1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12)

And there were present, at that very time, some that told him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answering, said to them: Think you that these Galileans were sinners above all the men of Galilee, because they suffered such things? No, I say to you: but unless you shall do penance, you shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen upon whom the tower fell in Siloe and slew them: think you that they also were debtors above all the men that dwelt in Jerusalem? No, I say to you: but except you do penance, you shall all likewise perish. He spoke also this parable: A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard: and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the dresser of the vineyard: Behold, for these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree and I find none. Cut it down therefore. Why burden the ground? But he answering, said to him: Lord, let it alone this year also, until I dig about it and dung it. And if happily it bear fruit: but if not, then after that you shall cut it down. (Luke 13:1-9)

Reflection:

God is before the children of His creation, but many fail to see. If we are blessed to hear His voice, we might question how we might respond. We have before us scripture and the testimony of those who have witnessed, yet, so many struggle to comprehend their Creator, the purpose for which they were created and the responsibility they have for their choices. We lead our lives by what we can touch, hear, taste, smell and see; but despite all which is before us, there is so much we fail to discern and recognize. Each step of our journey is an opportunity to learn. When we are blind, He seeks to help us see, but what is He to do if we choose to keep our eyes closed?

The challenge before Moses was to do what mere man could not do alone. The task God placed in the hands of Moses could not be done unless God was with him. In hearing His call, Moses responded with uncertainty, failing to comprehend how he could accomplish the will of God or how His Lord would guide him. Moses questioned, for he did not have confidence in what he would be able to do with only the gifts of his hands. Moses failed to realize that what the Lord willed would be provided to those who respond to His call. Despite his apprehension, Moses went forth and did as His Lord commanded. And so it was that God set in motion, through one of the children of His creation, the journey to freedom of His chosen people.

We might wonder how is it that those who were guided away from oppression might turn away from the One who delivered them. In times of challenge, it is easy to turn to whom we believe will help us; but when we have comfort, we often fail to remember the source of our blessing. We take for granted that which we are given. We take for granted the love which is so freely offered to us. It is in times of comfort we must remember to give thanks. It is in times of comfort we must remember the ultimate source of our blessings. It is in times of comfort we must work with diligence to nurture our faith and work to guide others to the joy of His path. It is in times of comfort we must hold to our faith so that we do not fall from our blessings.

And so it has been through the generations that some flocked to Him and others wandered away. Despite all which happened during the generations before us and all the warnings which are brought forth from those times, many fail to comprehend what He has laid before us. Despite the warnings of prophets and messages of angels, many are blinded, many are deaf. Those who turn to the wandering path wonder why joy becomes so fleeting as they place their trust in the ways of the world over the Word of God.

And so it has been through the generations, He has granted a time to each of the children of His creation that they may see, that they may learn, that they may comprehend, that they may hear, that they may respond to His call. To each He encourages that they use the gifts He has granted them for the fulfillment of His commandments to love, to bear fruit within this world for His glory and for the blessings of the children of His creation.

As we lead our daily journey, we must ask ourselves, to what purpose do we put the gifts granted to us by our Lord? Do we place them to pursuits which are fruitless and barren? Do we focus upon the vanity of the world or do we seek what will yield the blessings to which He guides us? We must ask ourselves, how do we seek to grow? Do we seek to build ourselves in vanity and only in that which will turn to dust or do we seek to grow in ways which will yield the fruit that will transcend from this time to the next? Do we have confidence in how He guides us and our ability to perform His will?

In prayer, we must look around us and ask, are we in fertile soil from which we can bear the fruit of the Lord, or are we in ground which only yields the barrenness of evil? Though the tree must wait for the blessings of one to till the ground around it, blessed are the children of His creation for their feet are not rooted in one place. If we are in barren ground, we do not need to remain there. To each He has given the gift of freewill such that they may seek fertile land in which to grow. If we desire to see the truth of His blessings, we need only start in prayer. If we desire to grow through the power of His Word, we must seek where it is given in truth. If we have any doubt as to the path we should walk, we need only ask in prayer that the Holy Spirit will guide us.

It is our choice as to whether we walk in apprehension of the tasks before us or we place our trust in Him. It is true we may fail if we seek our paths alone, but when we ask in prayer for Him to guide us, all the joys of His Word are within our reach. Through Him, it is possible to accomplish works great and small through which we may demonstrate our love for Him and one another. If all responded with such faith, no one will accept that the world cannot be turned from the lures of evil. If all responded with such faith, the woes of selfishness and sin will evaporate and every heart will be filled with the joy and blessings which are only found through Him.

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