The Bible is the story of God revealing himself to man. One cannot read a segment of it and understand its overall meaning without understanding the totality of God’s revelation, including the Old Testament.
In the Old Testament, we hear about how those who went before us were amazed by God’s almighty power, and his desires to care for his people; for his desire to deliver us all from slavery. We see how those who went before us were confused by all that God said and did, and this did not change with the Apostles. It has not changed in modern times. He is beyond our comprehension, but still, he desires to share himself with us.
In the Old Testament, we learn about how people relate to God. When he delivered them from slavery, they complained and desired to return to slavery. Nothing has changed in the present time. We are no different than the Israelites who complained about not having leeks and onions. We are no different in our desires to return to our sinful life, the slavery to creature comforts and selfish pursuits.
In the New Testament, we learn about being free in Christ, and how by relying on the Holy Spirit to supercharge our efforts to avoid sin, we can obtain a share of God’s divinity. We can participate in his holiness.
The problem with this truth is that it requires a deeper reliance on God. It requires trusting that everything that happens to us today is something he allows in order to draw us closer. This is the case whether it is a good or a bad event. Only by surrendering to his will and asking him to help you through the confusion of the event(s) can we grow in regards to reliance and dependence on God.
Spend some time today talking to the Holy Spirit about where you are riling against God. Ask him to help you trust him through these things. Ask him to help you persevere in the desert, and to let go of your longing to return to the slavery of sin.
In Him,
Ms. Debra D. Weldon, O.P.
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