Daily Readings, August 7, 2004

Readings for August 7, 2004

Nothing will be impossible for you.

Then why do we have war, famine, disease, divorce, pain, abuse, people treating each other like crap, and all the garbage that we have in life?

If we take the reading at face value, it is because we don't believe and have enough faith. But that can't be right, because then the right answer would be to go out and force other people to have enough faith.

It also can't be right because there are people of tremendous faith who have all that crap going on in their lives. So why is it that we struggle so? I mean, if nothing is impossible for the chosen, elite of God, why can that be?

This reading, like the rest of the Bible has to be taken in the context of the entire work. For instance, a reading a couple weeks ago said that if you ask you will receive. Well, I asked to win the lottery, to easily and quickly lose weight on the Friendly's Ice Cream diet, and to have the Mets pummel the Braves in every meeting. I haven't won the lottery, they don't even have Friendly's Ice Cream in Tampa, and the Braves swept the Mets last weekend.

But in context, the reading said that if you ask, you will receive the Holy Spirit. It doesn't mean that God is Santa Claus and each day will be like Christmas morning. And that reading has to be used as context for this one.

Sure, nothing will be impossible, as long as it conforms to God's will. God does not seem to will that I have a vertical jump of more than a couple inches. However, if I worked at it, I probably would. I have discerned, however, that God has other things for me to work on.

That is where the prayer comes in. Jesus says in another versionof this reading that things like this happen only with prayer, and prayer is necessary to build your faith. Prayer is the key to discernment. After all, how can you discern what God wants from you unless you talk to Him?

And you also need to keep in mind that when you discern what God wants for you, it may not be what you want for yourself. Last year, I discerned that God wanted me to participate in a social justice ministry. I am politically conservative and the social justice ministry was a real stretch for me. It was agonizing at times, but I am glad that I did it, as my heart is in continual need of softening and this allowed me to have a softer heart. I didn't enjoy the process, but now that it is done, I am glad that it happened.

In a similar way, as we face struggles on a daily basis, we cannot assume that they are counter to our wishes. I wanted a softer heart. God used that ministry to help give me one. If we are serious about our wishes, then we need to accept the fact that some of the routes to achieving them will be difficult.

And if our wish is truly to do God's will, then God's will, ultimately, is that we are with Him at His home. And the route between the place where we put ourselves, and where He ultimately wants us to be is likely to include some really bumpy spots. Seriously bumpy. Life-changing bumpy. Financial problems, tests of faith, rejection, emotional struggles, all that.

Add to that the fact that stuff sometimes just happens. God is not the puppetmaster. He has given us free will and respects that free will. As a result, stuff happens. God never promises us that we will be spared the difficulties of life, just that He will be with us through all of it and that in the end, when we are home with Him, it will be worthwhile.

As trite as it may seem, that is the key. With that knowledge comes a peace that surpasses all understanding.